Stephen Allen Chagos Islanders | sku-121430766 Books

Stephen Allen's The Chagos Islanders and International Law is a paperback listed under International Law Books, SKU sku-121430766. In 1965, the UK separated the Chagos Islands from Mauritius to create the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) in connection with a US military facility on Diego Garcia. The islanders were secretly exiled to Mauritius and became chronically impoverished.

The book argues that BIOT is a 'Non-Self-Governing Territory' under Chapter XI of the UN Charter and examines how self-determination, indigenous land rights and human rights treaties might support the islanders' return. It also considers the UK's disputed sovereignty claim, Mauritius's competing claim and the effect of colonial territorial boundaries on the islanders' rights.

The competing claims lead the book to call for a more nuanced approach to postcolonial sovereignty disputes.