On May 12, the Obama administration gave the go-ahead for the construction of a new “permanent” U.S. military base on the British controlled island of Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, an action that was blasted by the United Nations and human rights groups.
The U.S. Air Force base is slated to be built on the remote Indian Ocean island, which sits just 1,000 miles southwest of the Maldives, an archipelago of 26 sparsely populated tropical islands that are home to 410,000 people.
As The Indypendent reported previously, the Pentagon has already constructed four huge bases on Diego Garcia, in addition to one runway which has already been constructed since the military took over the British territory in 1965. The base was designated a “Cooperative Security Location” (CSL) in 1981, which makes it a de facto U.S. territory. In 2003, the British Foreign Office announced the “U.S. defense of the British Indian Ocean Territory is a shared responsibility.”
The new military base on Diego Garcia is aimed at “responding to emerging 21st Century challenges, particularly those posed by non-traditional security threats,” the Pentagon said.
Diego Garcia is the largest of the Maldives’ roughly 1,200 islands and is strategically located between the Persian Gulf and the western coast of India. It was first leased by the United Kingdom in the late 1800s, which granted Diego Garcia’s status as a free port. That “exclusive right” was given to the U.S. in the late 1960s after Great Britain renounced its sovereignty over the island.
During the Cold War, Diego Garcia was used as a base for U.S. Navy nuclear submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads to be launched at the USSR.
In 1967, a British ship, HMS Dreadnought, sunk six North Korean-flagged vessels in the Indian Ocean, which were later “reclaimed” by the British to add to the population of the island.
In 2007, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, while speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, outlined a plan to build another $10 billion base on Diego Garcia.
The move infuriated international human rights groups, who took issue with the Obama administration’s refusal to adhere to the United Nation’s commitment to the rights of island nations and self-determination.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called the proposed base “a violation of our collective commitment to respect the right of peoples under foreign occupation to self-determination. It also goes against our commitment to not establish new bases in inhabited territories,” she said. “Any transfer of military bases to the territory of a country or territory under foreign occupation is incompatible with its sovereignty and international law.”
“I would simply add that this would also have negative political implications for the United States,” the U.N. Human Rights Commissioner added.
On May 19, 18 leading international non-governmental organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Global Exchange, wrote a letter to President Obama, urging the White House to respect the right of self-determination of island nations.
“A few days ago, we wrote to you expressing our concerns about the environmental and social impacts of a potential U.S. military base on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean,” wrote the Coalition of Women Living Under Muslim Laws (CWLM), Peace Action, International Rights Advocates, Global Exchange, and other groups. “Since then, two other critical developments have occurred.
“First, the UK government announced that it would return to its position as ‘administrator’ of the territory, rather than as ‘trustee.’ With this official recognition of the government of India and the legal status of Indian nationals on the island, and Indian nationality on the island, the two other events happened: Britain’s government announced a process for transferring the administration of the territory to India, a process that must meet with the approval of both the Indian and US governments. Second, the government of Mauritius announced a referendum on the Indian Ocean territory’s future – scheduled to take place on January 18, 2016.”
“If India assumes control of the territory, it will ensure the basic rights and well being of the Indian Ocean islanders, their families, and their descendants in perpetuity,” the coalition of groups wrote. “Such a transfer is a clear reflection of the peoples’ will. It also demonstrates the continuing significance of international and regional human rights standards.
“Now, we have two important developments related to the Indian Ocean territory: the transfer of the administration to India and the referendum on the territory’s future. It would be a welcome surprise if you respond to this change with U.S. respect for international law, a positive U.S. foreign policy, and an abiding commitment to human rights. We hope this is the case and look forward to your announcements about these two important issues.”
In a letter to President Obama, 18 leading international NGOs, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Global Exchange, urged the president to respect the rights of island nations and self-determination.
“The United States has taken no meaningful steps to rectify the grave problems the administration created by failing to give full consideration to this important legal and diplomatic issue,” the coalition wrote. “But we have not seen any indication that the Obama administration will be serious in implementing the decisions it made and will reaffirm its adherence to U.N. standards and commitments in this area. Your commitment is not limited to mere words. U.S. words and deeds must not conflict with what the U.N. Charter and international human rights standards require.”
As the independent newspaper noted, “A referendum is scheduled for January 18, 2016, to confirm India’s transfer of the territory.”
What this means is that India may take control of the base on Diego Garcia before any U.S. military personnel are even deployed on the island.
As Secretary of State Rice noted in 2007, “So we want to help you to make the case for freedom and democracy in all the places we are now working. We’ve already started to implement the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s three-year, $150 million program to help you develop economic freedom. But we know that democracy doesn’t come simply from holding an election; it requires institutions that can pass laws fairly, police those laws fairly, and prevent corruption. In 2005, Congress created the Millennium Challenge Corporation to be a leader in promoting democracy and opportunity.”
While acknowledging the importance of U.S. national security, Amnesty International’s Asia Program director Roseann Rife, speaking with The Indypendent, made the point that there is “increasing concern about the secrecy that has surrounded the development of these bases – the environmental impact studies, the impact on communities.” She noted that it was a “fundamental concern” and said she was “not surprised” by India’s decision to give up administration of the territory.
“These are all important reasons to step back and rethink the long-term presence of the United States on this atoll,” she said.
She did note, however, that the Obama administration can take “small steps” by creating an advisory board composed of islanders on the atoll to give them a voice in decision-making processes. “Those that are not happy with the current status quo have to be involved in decision-making,” she said.
In a May 26 letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, a coalition of 18 leading international NGOs urged the administration to respect the rights of island nations and self-determination.
“As citizens of the world’s leading democracy, you must recognize that the United States has a responsibility to its citizens, its democratic partners, and to international law,” the coalition wrote. “It is imperative that you maintain a steady, principled and proactive approach to the future of Diego Garcia.”
The 18 NGOs call on the U.S. to:
– Restore the right of the peoples of Diego Garcia to determine their political status, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
– Support their legitimate right to vote for their political status, to determine their future, through a well-considered and meaningful referendum.
– Ensure that all decisions about the future of the island are based on the full and informed participation of the people of Diego Garcia.
– Take steps to ensure respect for the human rights of the current and future population of Diego Garcia, including those of Indian citizens, their descendants and Indian nationals on the island.
– Ensure that the base is subject to the rule of law.
The coalition pointed to the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (UNCHE) Convention that specifically states that the human rights of indigenous people are an intrinsic part of the human rights to a healthy environment. “In this context, we acknowledge that UNCHR calls on states and others to respect and protect the human rights of peoples under colonial or foreign domination,” the coalition said. “A people under colonial rule or foreign occupation should enjoy a high degree of self-determination, in accordance with the principles enshrined in the UDHR.”
The coalition noted that the International Court of Justice ruled in 2014 that the acquisition of territory by armed attack is inadmissible.
“We strongly urge that, consistent with past and current policy, the United States respects international law in relation to this strategic territory,” the coalition said.
The letter noted, “The
