I’ve written about this issue before. However today the Law Lords voted 3-2 that the Chagos Islanders lost the right to return to the archipelago. This was the final stage of a process which has taken over 10 years and in which they had actually won the right to return in 2000. The fury of the comments in Guardian article show that everyone thinks what’s happened today is disgusting and personally I feel ashamed to be British. It’s not surprising given what goes on behind the scenes of our government – I just wish more people were aware and bothered about political processes and did something about it (me included I must add).
“We” (the British government) forced them off their land to let the Americans have a military base, then argued that the land was unsuitable for people to live on, despite there being a military base. These people deserve to be left alone to do as they have done for hundreds, if not thousands of years; eck out a living with fish and other crops for food, live happily on the island and be left alone. Not good enough. The United States need a military base as a handy point in the Indian Ocean – probably just one of the places where rendition flights make their inhumane fuelling stops.
The Telegraph states the “immense importance (to America) of the base on Diego Garcia. No human settlements are found within about 1,000 miles of the installation in all directions, rendering it a uniquely secure location.
If you don’t know anything about the case, I suggest you watch this John Pilger documentary, Stealing a Nation.
[googlevideo]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3667764379758632511[/googlevideo]
Anyway, it’s good to know that the US Military is having a nice time over there:
Media
Is it time to just sit back and relax yet? Take a rest and turn on the TV to catch the latest ball game. The Naval Media Center Detachment on Diego Garcia broadcasts three radio signals and three television channels 24 hours a day.
Radio
Power 99 FM is the station for Live DJ’s during the day playing the latest hits to your favorites of yesterday. Tune to 101.9 FM for a variety of music styles. If you are a talk radio or sports fan, switch it to 1485 AM for the best in stateside programming, live from the Broadcast Center California.
Television
Island 8 is your primary channel from the American Forces Network and brings you prime-time programming, live sports, news and entertainment. Don’t miss the nightly local newscast either to find out what’s going on around the island. News Sports 10 is focused more towards, you guessed it, news and sports, while Tropical 12 carries syndicated programming and movies all day long.
Do you still need to know what is on which channel and at what time? Pick up the latest issue of the Tropical Times, Diego Garcia’s weekly newspaper. In it you will find the TV schedules, along with the movie listings, the galley menu, MWR events and a wealth of other information.
I think the next (and final) stage is the European Court of Human Rights. Who knows what will happen there…