TNAG-1119-FCO40-1394-Territorial-claims-to-British-possessions-and-dependencies-1982 — Page 23

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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