BS: Stealing A Nation

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: pdq
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 08:37 PM

That's not my department, but thanks for the question. As I said, Pilger is the issue. And propaganda. Look up some of his other work.

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 08:33 PM

Okay then, pdq - what is the 'truth' about the Chagos Islanders? Inquiring minds, and all that ...

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: pdq
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 08:29 PM

Abviously 'truth' looks like 'propaganda' to the true believer.

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: Peace
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 08:26 PM

Yeah, almost as much as Bush/Cheney have used it to destroy the USA.

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: pdq
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 08:23 PM

John Pilger is the most vile propagandist on planet Earth.

Pilger say that "journalism is a weapon of war", and uses it that way to destroy his own country.

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: GUEST,Bob
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 08:14 PM

One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations.

Members of a "nation" share a common identity, and usually a common origin, in the sense of ancestry, parentage or descent.

A nation extends across generations, and includes the dead as full members. More vaguely, nations are assumed to include future generations.

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 07:59 PM

Cross-posting here, but no conflict in basic facts.

The Chagos Islands were never a nation so the thread heading is incorrect. The islands were uninhabited until the French brought in workers; the British took over after the defeat of Napoleon.

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 07:54 PM

What secret? Lack of interest is the reason.

The islanders were descendants of slaves and East Indians brought to the islands to work the plantations. They were resettled, finally to Mauritius. About 4500 at present count.
The base in for joint use by the United States and the United Kingdom. It is an important naval base as well as airbase.

Suit was brought by the islanders, seeking to return.

In 2000, the High Court (UK) granted the islanders right of return, and also granted UK citizenship. In 2004, the British government issued Orders-in-Council reversing the 2000 Court decision.
In 2006, the British High Court ruled that the Orders-in-Council were unlawful, and this was upheld by the Court of Appeal. Will the UK government appeal? No decision yet.

There is much on the internet concerning this situation. I have not gone to the Court documents, so I cannot verify that the information above is completely accurate.

Subject: RE: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: Peace
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 07:38 PM

Timeline

1814 Islands ceded to Britain by France

1965 Renamed the British Indian Ocean Territory

1967-71 Deportation of 2,000 islanders to make room for US base on one of the islands, Diego Garcia

November 2000 High court rules expulsion illegal. Ruling initially accepted by foreign secretary, Robin Cook, but a "feasibility study" ordered into the potential return

June 2004 UK government tries to block return of islanders through two orders in council, royal decrees which declared no one had right of abode

May 2006 The high court overruled the orders in council, describing their use to expel an entire population as repugnant

2007 Foreign office appeal rejected



Story here.

Subject: BS: Stealing A Nation
From: GUEST,Bob
Date: 23 Jul 07 - 07:29 PM

Has anyone watched a documentary called "Stealing A Nation" by journalist John Pilger ?

It was amazing. It's about the expulsion of Chagos Islanders from Diego Garcia. They were forcibly removed by the British government between 1967 and 1973 to Mauritius, 1,000 miles away, so that the island could be used as an American airbase.

How was this allowed to happen ?

How did the story remain a secret for so many years?