The hearing by the House of Lords begins this morning. No need to recap the details of the story. Every one who follows the saga of
Every now and then a human-interest gloss helps to bring home the true nature and consequences of political decisions. Such is the article by Elizabeth Mistry in a Scottish newspaper, the Sunday Herald. If you do click on the link, and read the article, it would be useful to see readers from the
“This article really brought out the human dimension of this sad saga. The abuse of the Chagossians by the
The hearing begins at 11:00 am GMT in Committee Room 4A. The room holds approximately 70 seats. With the usual security checks, it is advisable to get there before 10:30 am. Police permission has been obtained to mount a peaceful protest outside the House starting at 9:00 am. All are most welcome to join in. The greater the numbers, the better. Don’t forget to wear your “Let Them Return” badge. You can get one at the protest for £2.00 a time.
An article by Duncan Campbell in Saturday's Guardian recaps the basic facts. I liked his opening paragraph:
“If there is a clanking sound in the corridors of parliament on Monday, it could well be "the chains of the ghosts of the past" - the phrase used by high court judges to describe the Foreign Office's behaviour towards a small group of
You can make a comment on his article as well.
The International Herald Tribune has a short story. It focuses on the interests of the
As someone pointed out, maybe it is just as well that myth is spreading. It gives the FCO a way out for their outrageous behaviour in appealing the Court of Appeal ruling to the House of Lords. When they lose the appeal, they can always save face by claiming, “We only appealed because our uncaring, warmongering
On the Sunday Herald website, "Petit-Jean" of St. Helena comments this morning:
ReplyDeleteWho in our current government will assure rights and justice for the overseas territories? What has happened to the Chagossians could happen to anyone in any OT. Asking to right an atrocious wrong is an opportunity given to the offender whereby grave wrongs can be corrected, whereby injustice can be healed and we can move forward together, not divided -- but in the interest of unity and fairness.
Military bases and nations are made up of good honest dedicated people - real people, with real families who believe in freedom and justice - honesty - if there is not honesty and concern at the highest levels of government and understanding of unity and rights for a nation's people then what is the name of this type of government? Where/what is the hope of the people?
Today's case before the Law Lords is not about the legality of Orders in Council but whether they must be reasonable, just, and for the good of the majority of those affected.
ReplyDeleteThe FCO's Orders in Council banned the Chagossians forever from their homeland, claiming it was doing so for their own health and safety! It was done without consulting them, or even telling them in advance. It was done without the knowledge of Parliament. They were exiled by force and dumped in another country. They were given no compensation. Years later, some of them were given a few dollars and told to get lost.
The FCO are also claiming that such an Order is not subject to either parliamentary or judicial review. It would be astonishing if the House of Lords, in the 21st Century, upheld such a notion.
And it would mean that next year, it could be us.