VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLO #3980/01 1570930
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 060930Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5957
INFO RUEHPL/AMEMBASSY PORT LOUIS PRIORITY 0094
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC PRIORITY
RUVNSAO/NAVSUPPFAC DIEGO GARCIA IO PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 003980 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR AF/E, EUR/UBI, AND PM/ISO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2016 
TAGS: MARR PREL MP UK IO
SUBJECT: HMG SET TO APPEAL HIGH COURT RULING PERMITTING 
RESETTLEMENT OF THE CHAGOS ISLANDS 
 
REF: A. 11 MAY 2006 LONDON DAILY REPORT 
 
     ¶B. PORT LOUIS 271 
     ¶C. PORT LOUIS 288 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Robert H. Tuttle, reasons 1.4, b/d. 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: The UK High Court May 11 overturned the 2004 
Orders in Council which barred the Chagossian Islanders from 
resettling the islands around Diego Garcia from which they 
were forcibly removed in the 1960s when the U.S. sought to 
establish the Naval Support Facility there.  HMG has 
confirmed to us but not announced that it will appeal the 
decision based on economics and the security of the military 
base.  The Mauritian High Commissioner in London submitted a 
request to the Ambassador May 11 that the USG enter into 
trilateral discussions with the UK and Mauritius to return 
sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius at some point in the 
future.  FCO believes such a discussion is particularly ill 
timed, as the Chagossians are likely to strongly object to 
the UK bargaining away their islands after the court has 
firmly sided with them.  The Mauritians may be pushing the 
issue now because they fear the Chagossians will prefer to 
resettle the islands as British subjects and object to 
Mauritian sovereignty claims.  End Summary. 
 
Chagossians Win Court Case; HMG Vows to Fight On 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶2. (C) Per refs a-c, the UK High Court ruled May 11 that 
families forcibly removed from the Chagos Islands by the 
British Government some three decades ago when the U.S. 
established a naval base on Diego Garcia have the right to 
resettle the Chagos Archipelago, to which Diego Garcia 
belongs.  (Note: They are NOT requesting to resettle on Diego 
Garcia itself.  End note.)  This is the latest in a series of 
hearings/verdicts since 2000 when the High Court ruled that 
the expulsion of the Chagossians was illegal and the 2004 
Orders in Council, known as the Royal Prerogative, which then 
blocked Chagossian resettlement of the outer islands.  HMG 
had justified the Orders in Council on the grounds that 
resettlement would be prohibitively expensive for such a 
small group of people and on national security grounds. 
(Note: The USG had noted to HMG at the case's outset that the 
outer islands should not be resettled due to concerns that 
security around Diego Garcia would be difficult to ensure if 
resident populations were nearby. End note.)  The May 11 
ruling overturns the Orders in Council.  FCO tells us it had 
expected to lose this case, as it was apparently quite 
obvious during the hearings that the two judges were biased 
in favor of the Chagossians.  The ruling grants the right of 
appeal, however, and the FCO assures us it will do so by the 
filing deadline of June 8.  FCO's lawyer told us the case 
"will go on for years." 
 
¶3. (C) There is ongoing activity on the Chagossians' behalf. 
On May 10, a lawyer for the Chagossians sent an open letter 
to PM Blair (emailed to EUR/UBI) asking him to reverse HMG 
policy on resettlement because it would not be that expensive 
and a settlement 100 miles from Diego Garcia could not be any 
more of a security threat than yachts which are allowed 
innocent passage three miles from the naval base.  He says, 
"I believe there are times when the Prime Minister has a duty 
to stand up for what is right, even if it means confronting a 
demanding friend."  (Note: FCO tells us their initial 
estimate of resettlement costs is in the range of 50 million 
pounds.  End note.) 
 
Mauritian Proposal to Secure Sovereignty of the Chagos 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶4. (C) The Mauritian High Commissioner wasted no time in 
requesting a courtesy call on the Ambassador.  During that 
meeting May 12, he proposed trilateral talks between the 
U.S., UK, and Mauritius on the future status of the 
archipelago.  The HiCom said his government was flexible on 
the options and could even consider an indefinite commitment 
to return sovereignty of the islands once the U.S. military 
no longer needed Diego Garcia.  He added that Mauritian PM 
Ramgoolam would be visiting London soon, and this issue would 
feature prominently.  The Ambassador said he would relay this 
proposal to Washington. 
 
¶5. (C) Subsequently we have confirmed that the Mauritians 
have approached the FCO (again) with a proposal for 
"trilateral" discussions that include the Chagossians.  In 
the past HMG has verbally committed to returning the islands 
 
to Mauritius when they are no longer needed for defense 
purposes, but FCO assesses that the Mauritians would like 
something more formal. 
 
Potential Division of Mauritian and Chagossian Interests 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶6. (C) We understand from Embassy Port Louis the GOM may be 
re-energizing its sovereignty claim because resettlement of 
the outer islands as a British Overseas Territories could 
undercut this claim.  FCO contacts opine that Mauritius is 
primarily interested in the fishing rights of the territorial 
waters.  The Chagossians, however, apparently prefer to 
resettle the islands as British subjects (thus at the expense 
of HM Treasury) than as part of Mauritius, which has done 
little to alleviate their poverty since their arrival there. 
If successfully resettled as British subjects, the 
Chagossians are likely to oppose Mauritius' claim.  FCO says 
the court verdict complicates any discussion of sovereignty 
as the court (and Chagossian advocates) would view dimly 
HMG's negotiating away the islands after so recently 
reaffirming them as a Chagossian homeland.  Furthermore, FCO 
feels such discussions could raise "unreasonable 
expectations" in Mauritian minds about when the islands might 
be turned over.  HMG would consider, however, a conciliatory 
gesture that might persuade Mauritius not to take its case to 
the International Court of Justice, which it has threatened 
to do in the past. 
 
¶7. (C) FCO has heard that Mauritian FM Dulloo will be 
visiting Washington in the coming weeks and recommends we 
coordinate closely on how to respond to the proposal for 
trilateral talks. 
 
Visit London's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/london/index. cfm 
Tuttle