GRS 777
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FM FCO 031700Z JUN 82
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Mr. Lues Mr. Willing.
TO IMMEDIATE CERTAIN MISSIONS AND DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
GUIDANCE TELEGRAM NUMBER 117 OF 3 JUNE 1982
DIEGO GARCIA AND THE FALKLANDS
1.
13.
Were we insulted? Pl. sph
COMPARISONS ARE BEING DRAWN BETWEEN THE TREATMENT OF THE
ISLANDERS RESETTLED IN MAURITIUS FROM DIEGO GARCIA (THE ILOIS)
AND THE FALKLAND ISLANDERS. IN PARTICULAR, THE CLAIM IS MADE THAT
WHEREAS THE ILOIS WERE REMOVED WITHOUT ANY ACCOUNT TAKEN OF THEIR
WISHES, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT UPHOLDS THE WISHES OF THE FALKLAND
ISLANDERS AS PARAMOUNT.
LINE TO TAKE
2. IF POSSIBLE YOU SHOULD AVOID BEING DRAWN INTO A DISCUSSION
ON THE COMPARATIVE POSITIONS OF THE TWO SETS OF ISLANDERS.
HOWEVER, IF THE MATTER IS RAISED, YOU MAY DRAW FREELY ON POINTS
(I)-(III) BELOW:
(1) THERE IS NO DIRECT PARALLEL BETWEEN THE ILOIS, WHO HAVE
MAURITIUS NATIONALITY, AND THE FALKLAND ISLANDERS. THE ILOIS
WERE ESSENTIALLY TRANSIT WORKERS ON COPRA PLANTATIONS EMPLOYED
ON A CONTRACT BASIS.
(II) THE ILOIS WERE RECRUITED BY THE PLANTATION OWNERS AND
BROUGHT TO DIEGO GARCIA MAINLY FROM MAURITIUS. THEIR PRESENCE
ON DIEGO GARCIA DEPENDED ENTIRELY ON EMPLOYMENT ON THE
PLANTATIONS.
(III) WHEN THE PLANTATIONS ON DIEGO GARCIA WERE WOUND UP, THE
ILOIS WERE GIVEN THE CHOICE OF HAVING THEIR CONTRACTS
TERMINATED AND BEING RETURNED TO MAURITIUS OR BEING TRANSFERRED
TO PLANTATIONS ON OTHER ISLANDS IN THE BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN
TERRITORY. THE MAJORITY CHOSE TO RETURN TO MAURITIUS, WHERE
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HELPED FINANCIALLY OVER THEIR SETTLEMENT.
BACKGROUND ON THE ILOIS
3. PARAGRAPHS 4-7 MAY BE USED FREELY.
4. THE BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY WAS FORMED AS A COLONY IN 1965 BY THE DETACHMENT OF THE CHAGOS ISLANDS FROM MAURITIUS
AND CERTAIN ISLANDS FROM SEYCHELLES, WITH THE AGREEMENT OF BOTH
GOVERNMENTS. PRIOR TO THAT, THE CHAGOS ISLANDS HAD BEEN IN THE
PRIVATE OWNERSHIP OF A COMPANY EXPLOITING THE COPRA
PLANTATIONS. THE CROWN PURCHASED THE ISLANDS IN 1967 AND THEY
REMAIN CROWN PROPERTY.
5. THE ISLANDS HAVE BEEN EXPLOITED FOR COPRA SINCE THE LATE 18TH CENTURY. AFTER EMANCIPATION, THE FORMER SLAVES BECAME CONTRACT EMPLOYEES, USUALLY FROM MAURITIUS. IN THE COURSE OF
TIME SOME WORKERS REMAINED ON THE ISLANDS RATHER THAN RETURN
TO MAURITIUS, AND HAD CHILDREN WHO ALSO STAYED. THUS THERE CAME
ABOUT TWO OR THREE GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE BORN AND BRED IN THE ISLANDS, MAINLY ON DIEGO GARCIA, WHO BECAME KNOWN AS THE ILOIS'.
THEY HAD NO LEGAL RIGHTS TO REMAIN ON THE ISLANDS WHICH WERE IN PRIVATE OWNERSHIP. THEY OWNED NO PROPERTY. THEIR STATUS WAS
THAT OF EMPLOYEES WITH LICENCE TO RESIDE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE OWNERS, ON WHOM THEY DEPENDED ENTIRELY FOR THEIR LIVELIHOOD.
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SEE
(4)
I was at consulted. The only reference I
have made tim yea
BIOT (Diego Garcia)
for the rect P.Q. (Polis
10).
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/6. IN 1966
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