Will Trump Block the Chagos Deal?

[@oscarheath2909]

So the islands were French, then British, then the Brits gave Mauritius independence and paid for the Chagos Islands. Now they're giving them to Mauritius who they never belonged to and paying Mauritius for them, AGAIN. There is no common sense anymore

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

They've belonged to Mauritius ever since it gained (not given) independence. The uk doesn't own them, as the UN itself has insisted, it just leases them. Part of the deal also lets the original folk there, who were expelled by the uk in the 60s, to return. Those folk are mostly in Mauritius now.

[@oscarheath2909]

@ArawnOfAnnwn so the UK and Mauritius agreed to a lease deal which at the time they wanted, they now want them back, have gone to an international court which they knew would favour them in order to get out of a binding agreement. On top of all of that are then getting paid once again. Think a bit of backbone is needed

[@Drwnifgop-i6q]

@@ArawnOfAnnwnthe UN can take a hike

[@canadianric]

Who the fuck cares? Like you had such a HUGE vested interest in these islands before any of this happened. Or like any of it matters to you or your personal life now in any way.

[@SaintGerbilUK]

@@ArawnOfAnnwn So it was French for 20 years 1793 then given to the UK in 1814 and it was British till 1960 for about 150 years, then Mauritius was given independence in 1960 so then we bought the Islands in 1964 and kicked out the "locals" and run it for another 60 years. So ownership by time the UK has over 200 years, France in second with 20 years and Mauritius in last with 4 whole years, yet they are claiming to be "native". Not a chance.

[@Mmjk_12]

How are we "handing back sovereignty" to a country that's never owned the chagos islands, nor has anything to do with them, ethnically or culturally?

[@parvesh.5_357]

Because we should be sharing and caring for other rich politicians and not give a a damn about those pensioners

[@user-gf5dr5nq6l]

google 'Expulsion of the Chagossians' before you make this stupid comment

[@rnw8gaming322]

@@parvesh.5_357the chagos has nothing to do with fucking pensioners

[@gregorybiestek3431]

@@user-gf5dr5nq6l As if the USA ever gives a damn about problems like that. Every bit of land in the entire history of the world has changed hands many times. Everybody lives some place that originally belonged to someone else.

[@MarkMcAllister-ni9sf]

@@user-gf5dr5nq6lHobbling the global security situation so Europeans feel less bad about colonialism is very low IQ.

[@LordDim1]

The argument that Mauritius sold the islands to the UK under duress is such utterly pathetic nonsense. Mauritius’ first Prime Minister, Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, who had led Mauritian independence and signed the 1965 agreement selling the islands, repeatedly spoke of how good it was that Mauritius was rid of the Chagos, how they’d never been Mauritian and Mauritius had absolutely no use for or connection to them

[@TheHoveHeretic]

He was the one who closed the Mauritian rail network down.

[@unamedjoe830]

@@TheHoveHeretic and?

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

And the argument that you should keep just to preserve your hegemony is also bs. Which is why you always try to avoid saying that, but we all know the real reason is that. Their strategic value is only reason you care.

[@bhangrafan4480]

A good way of saving face when humiliated + it only matters what the islanders feel and no one else anyway. It is not really any body else's business.

[@davegold]

All politicians say the deal they personally created was good, excellent, the best. When have you ever heard them say anything else?

[@alexandru5369]

This is an overall L for Labour. The people on the Island want too be British subjects and the U.S. has a huge Military base there. Of course Trump is vetoing this buffoonery

[@RedXlV]

I assume you mean the Chagossians who were expelled form the islands. Since there is no one currently living on them. But yes, the fact that the Chagossians would prefer becoming British subjects (the very people who expelled them from their own land) than be Mauritian citizens tells us all we should need to know about how badly Mauritius has oppressed them. Mauritius just now passed a law that bans anyone from questioning their ownership of Chagos, with a punishment of 10 years in prison. Thus, Mauritius made it illegal for the Chagossians to assert ownership of their own land.

[@Tzizenorec]

@@RedXlV Reading through the comments under this video, it comes out that the timeline was: - The French find uninhabited islands. They relocate slaves there, creating "Chagossians". - The British obtain the islands from France in a classic European war victory - The British move the slaves out and bring in the Americans - British citizens also move there So, through a long chain of colonialist foolery, what was once uninhabited islands became filled with British people.

[@mikewolfson2988]

​@@RedXlVUNINHABITED ISLANDS......MINIMALLY POPULATED BY IMPORTED SLAVES....WHICH WERE LATER REMOVED FROM ISLANDS NOT THEIRS.

[@jrd1811]

So Mauritius' claim on the island is about as shaky as UK's?

[@LordDim1]

Mauritius’ claim is FAR more shaky than the UK. The Chagos were entirely uninhabited until the 1790s. The only reason Mauritius has any claim was because the UK lumped the islands together with Mauritius as a single colony for convenience. There was no other relationship between the islands and most Chagossians vehemently oppose becoming Mauritian.

[@mnm5165]

@@LordDim1stop with this cope crap. Both claims are shaky, sure, but yours is far worse. You are literally thousands and thousands of miles away from this place, and really shouldn’t have been there at all in the first place. It is a remnant and stain of your colonial past. The fact that Mauritius is at least the closest country to it instantly makes its claim a little more reliable than yours. Keep coping.

[@thatokperson]

​@@mnm5165Oh yeah proximity funny certain Argentinian and Russian dictators might like that argument. What a moronic argument.

[@LordDim1]

@@mnm5165 Proximity is universally recognised (except by states such as Argentina and Russia, funny that) as entirely irrelevant when it comes to territorial claims. Mauritius being close makes their claim precisely 0% more valid. The Chagos were uninhabited before settled by the French, who legally ceded the islands to the UK under the 1814 Treaty of Paris. Britain’s claim to the islands is rock solid, Mauritius’ is next to nonexistent.

[@spacetime3]

The UKs claim literaly has reciepts lol and there were no body till the french got there.

[@Arbiter22J]

It’s not handing back Chagos as Mauritius never has administered the islands.

[@scarletcrusade77]

People seem to forget that before Europeans found the indian ocean islands of Mauritius they were literally uninhabited. The idea of a 'native people' to the region being the population of Mauritians which are basically an artificial implant to the region by European powers back in the day is silly. If anything French have the OG claim to it all.

[@0oShwavyo0]

@@scarletcrusade77yes but they have been inhabited since the 1700s, primarily by the descendants of slaves brought to the islands by force. Those slaves descendants were living on these islands for 200 years before they were kicked out in the 1960s. Your argument is like saying polynesians are not native to their islands because they came from somewhere else. If that’s the approach you want to take then no one belongs where they are today.

[@peteroneill2991]

@@scarletcrusade77 Chagossians can trace their ancestry back to 1783. British Falkland islanders to 1834. Mauritius was a French colony.

[@peteroneill2991]

@@scarletcrusade77 By your reckoning the Falkland Islands should also be French they established a naval base on east Falklands in 1764?

[@darpachief]

@@scarletcrusade77 What? Like when you all came over to Britain?

[@TheGerkuman]

The really weird thing about this is that it seems that the UK and Mauritian governments didn't consult with the residents of Chagos at least if some Chagosean organisations are to be believed. So we're possibly in the situation where the Republicans may be right, but completely by accident and for the wrong reasons

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

The residents aren't natives. The uk expelled all the locals in the 60s. They mostly moved to Mauritius. This was at the same time as the us came in wanting a base. Ofc the residents now would favor the uk, they're literally from there. The originals were the descendants of the slaves.

[@SaintGerbilUK]

There were no natives it was unihabited until France came along, who then gave it to the UK as part of the Paris Treaty. Who would they consult? Even the people left behind by the British haven't been there for 80 years.

[@businessmanbrute2211]

You are clearly hypocritic.

[@brettyates7054]

@@ArawnOfAnnwnsoooo you want to expel people who live there for people who never did? Empathy🙌🏻

[@0oShwavyo0]

@@brettyates7054no one lives there permanently at the moment or since the 1960s when the British started expelling the chagossians, it is currently only inhabited by the military staff who run the base at Diego Garcia, who are all on temporary assignments. Even the lease on the base itself is temporary in theory.

[@ietomos7634]

I believe Chagos was ceded to Britain by the French. One thing is certain, the islands were completely uninhabited. The Grench brought workers from Mauritius to farm coconuts. Giving it away to a country rhat has no historical claim to it is insane considering the Chinese would turn up in Mauritius and explain to the Government how wonderful it would be for them to 'rent' it.

[@Jack-he8jv]

to be fair, between being neighours to nato or china, 99% of non-western countries would take china, atleast they arent at war 24/7 for the last 2 centuries and a half.

[@KINGCOBRA304]

you are high bro

[@ga7027]

The idea that UK needs to “decolonize” what was an uninhabited island is crazy.

[@cuatez2]

Colonial powers made in inhabited (with slaves) and then administered it for centuries. So, yeah, it was uninhabited until colonial powers moved people in.

[@kasnickijakub]

The islands had inhabitants, but they were forcefully kicked out.

[@brettyates7054]

@@cuatez2yeah, and Britain liberated them from those ‘colonial powers’. That and the people who live there TODAY, the ancestors of those slaves… who apparently don’t get a say, don’t want to be ‘decolonised’. So what exactly are you arguing in favour of?

[@mariatheresavonhabsburg]

​@@brettyates7054 LOL. Delusional to say the least, Britain was just another colonial overlord to those people.

[@tobypettit6417]

When we took control, it was inhabited? The original heritage of the Chagosians is now lost, this is all they have.

[@CCrux-yt]

Mauritius should pay us back

[@iXpress]

First pay back the loot from India, Africa

[@zombiekilldemon]

The British Empire is dead grandpa and that's a good thing. Now shut up and take your meds.

[@Dacrkbaron]

Have you paid for your theft and slavery around the world?

[@porcelainthunder2213]

Reagan had Thatcher, Trump needs Farage. That base is not just critical for the US, but the WORLD. We can just take it if we want to, and we should.

[@vitoanania6042]

These islands were not even inhabited before colonization. Mauritius claim on these islands are as tenuous as UK's.

[@bababababababa6124]

Well I think the simple fact that Mauritius is 50x closer to them helps their case a little bit over the UK’s 😂 to be honest, you guys had no business being on our side of the world in the first place.

[@TheAmericanPrometheus]

@@bababababababa6124 proximity? that's your argument? you and putin must get along swimmingly.

[@christianbroadbent7489]

@@bababababababa6124 Argentina tried the exact same argument with the Falklands and the argument was thrown out by the UN. Let the people who actually live there decide their own fate.

[@zombiedude101z]

Let's be honest, would you be comfortable if another state ie Egypt Kenya, China or some other country across the way holding some thin strip of land off the British coast on the north sea for military purposes? Or whichever country your hail from. I get why people are unhappy, but I can see both sides of this.

[@Caitlin7142]

​@TheAmericanPrometheus how is proximity putins argument lmao, its not like ukraine is uninhabited

[@thomasbootham2707]

If he does block it then good Mauritius has no claim to the territory france has a far more valid claim to the islands than Mauritius and Mauritius has close links to China so giving it up is also a massive strategic mistake for the uk

[@gecttakhla4249]

Don't they still own the base if the deal goes through?

[@scarletcrusade77]

@@gecttakhla4249 Yes but if Mauritius has close links to China and owns the other ex british indian ocean islands around the base then they can send civilian contractor spies to basically be super close to the base and gain free intel on this secretive based quite easily.

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

Literally the UN itself recognizes Mauritius claim to it. The inhabitants of the islands also live there now, since the UK expelled them in the 1960s.

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

@@scarletcrusade77 That is Mauritius business, not yours. The island is theirs.

[@thomasbootham2707]

@@ArawnOfAnnwn why should we listen to the UN it’s a basket case of an organisation that has proven to be incompetent

[@filus05]

Based. UK should keep the island and together with the US prevent this Chinese plot.

[@checkm8te187]

which plot dude. Communism what year are u living in??

[@TheHoveHeretic]

Keep folding that tin foil dude.

[@HootMaRoot]

I am guessing it would stabilise the east a bit more if they made the Americans remove thier base and just sold back all the islands, as the US has caused enough problems round the world

[@Capri42PRG]

Looks like you annoyed the bot farm 🤣

[@MrEvans1]

Never mess with the Ccp bots 😂😂

[@rafaelglopezroman1110]

So what I am hearing is that they should give the island back to the original natives...the French.

[@ryandanngetich2524]

No. The French lost it fair and square

[@rafaelglopezroman1110]

@@ryandanngetich2524 cool tell that to Africans and Native Americans.

[@ryandanngetich2524]

@@rafaelglopezroman1110 And what does it have to do with These islands again???

[@wimwak]

Diego Garcia is a strategic base the US will never give up. If it were not for that base. No one would inhabitant the atoll. It is one of the most remote atolls in the entire world. Even though it is remote. It is a important strategic location so shipping lanes stay open. If lets say the Chinese somehow took it over. They could effectively choke off all shipping in the Indian ocean. Besides being a air base. It's important for the US to stay. Because besides servicing US navy ships and UK navy ships. They also service merchant ships that need emergency repairs. I have been to Diego Garcia when I was in the US navy when my ship had to stop there for around two weeks. We needed to conduct repairs to one of the boilers. It is a very desolate location. People who are stationed there will catch flights to south east Asia countries and Japan a few times a month.

[@theformalmooshroom9147]

If they paid once, then they should have the lease post dated to when the last one ends. No point in paying for it twice

[@exotic444]

So we are going to lease and pay for an Island that was already ours, that effectively we already paid for? makes perfect sense......

[@SaintGerbilUK]

Labour havent found a problem they cant spend their way out of, weren't they talking about a £20b black hole a few months ago...

[@alphamikeomega5728]

No, the Americans are going to continue leasing an island which a court determined belogns to the country of the people who were forcibly expelled from it.

[@jplattet]

If I were Trump I’d block it in a heartbeat and Starmer could read about it in the newspaper the next day.

[@joaocosta7284]

Mate, the videos are high quality, but if getting half a dozen of people to report on reporting costs even close to 800k, you guys are definitely much better reporters than accountants

[@mrchow4924]

This channel is very good. I like how you stick to the facts and report the different interests' positions without making it into a story. Very impartial.

[@MegaCooliam]

This "deal" allows for kickbacks of a prestine nature reserve to the Mauritian government, a government which is already famous for overfishing and pollution!

[@edwardbernthal160]

and the UK's pristine rivers are the wonder of the world.

[@JSM-bb80u]

Not as much polluting as USA. 😂

[@ChronicTheHempHog-mf3nh]

@@JSM-bb80uThis is quite possibly the most moronic comeback I’ve ever seen. Have you seen the population of the US compared to Mauritius ?

[@bababababababa6124]

Here we go, now we have people trying to force reasons as to why Mauritius shouldn’t have these islands. Is “overfishing” seriously the best you could come up with? 😂 as if every country under the sun doesn’t do that already? Give me a break, just give up your pointless island and stop whining.

[@JSM-bb80u]

@@ChronicTheHempHog-mf3nh Per Capita CO2 emission USA- 14.21 tons per person Mauritius- 1.38 per oerson

[@arthur1670]

Like 2000km away from Mauritius…. If you’re gonna give it back, give it back to the people we took it from not just another colonial power

[@ommsterlitz1805]

Yeah that means France as French citizens were the first humans to settle and live there

[@arthur1670]

@ is that why Ukraine is part of Russia

[@thefrozongamer5071]

​@@arthur1670 was ukraine uninhabitabed in human history?

[@Tzizenorec]

@@thefrozongamer5071 Ukraine and Russia were muddled together into more or less the same people in human history. They're not very different from each other. Territorial disputes between them probably predate the existence of either of them as a state.

[@camm8642]

@@ommsterlitz1805 I doubt france wants to deal with that headache especially nowadays besides it was prize for the british led coalition victory in the napoleonic wars to the victor goes the spoils that said nowadays......overseas terrorites comes with alot of baggage that is not even worth it in most cases especially if tied to slavery or colonization.

[@amariner5]

The USA isn't giving up Diego Garcia. Not. Going. To happen.

[@timdavies3768]

Look what happened when we handed back Hong Kong, agreements can change very quickly. They ought to stay British 🇬🇧

[@zombiekilldemon]

The British Empire is dead grandpa and that's a good thing. Now shut up and take your meds.

[@ryandanngetich2524]

Exactly, thats why most disputed islands tend to favour remaining British

[@Antonnick]

the special relationship wich , to quote Helmut Schmidt, is so special only one side knows about it.

[@ryandanngetich2524]

I for one believe it should end, it does no much good for the British especially with the US as a bully and unpredictable presidents

[@Tzizenorec]

The U.S. has strong ancestral ties to both Britain and Germany. This is a matter of race, I'm pretty sure; but it has mattered quite a bit historically. (The ties to Germany have been considerably weaker, because the Germans behaved as good immigrants and integrated into the culturally British nation. However, the German-like tendencies of the American people are identifiable.)

[@JK-tw3ne]

Donald Trump is going to rip up the agreement. Don't worry citizens.

[@roberw1912]

Bizarre why did the British give the islands to Mauritius. They are 1000s of km away from Mauritius. The people of Chagos should be given British citizenship. The Mauritius claim is nonsense.

[@tobywareing6435]

If the UK does give away its islands then we might as well hand Argentina the Falklands and Gibraltar to Spain. Give one thing away everyone else will ask for the same.

[@Baddy187]

Very true

[@davidioanhedges]

Nobody lives on Chagos except 4000+ US military personnel and a small number of UK administrators vs places UK citizens live and have done so for centuries ... not really similar in any way

[@NAYRUthunder99]

That would be a very appreciated deed.

[@dairebulson7122]

That would be best! The UK shouldn't even exist as a nation anyway

[@mieszkoaders3270]

@@tobywareing6435 Based?

[@oooshafiqooo]

soo the sun won't set on the British Empire? thank god

[@SaintGerbilUK]

Despite Labours plans for just that.

[@MrMadre]

@@SaintGerbilUKDid you watch the video? It was the conservatives plan to sell it. They just never managed to because they were spending all their time destroying the country

[@Aubrey2004-j4k]

Lol it set a long time ago

[@SaintGerbilUK]

@Aubrey2004-j4k nope there's enough British overseas territories so that as soon as the begins to set in one place it rises in another. It's never set for over 200 years, until Keir Starmer manages to give away this or two or three other places.

[@turmuthoer]

​@@SaintGerbilUK Fun fact: Provided there are no territorial changes, the sun will 'set' on the British Empire in about 400 years from now. On the 30th April 2432 a total solar eclipse is expected to occur over the Pitcairn Islands when it's the only British territory in daylight. It will be, if only for a few minutes, the first time in 600 years that the sun will not be shining on British soil.

[@jormungandrtheworldserpent8382]

i cant tell you how sick i am of the constant speculation everyone's doing on what trumps going to do next hes highly unpredictable just wait and see what he actually does

[@2011metalmaniac]

Funny isn't it. When was the last time a politician ever delivered on the promises made during and election? Nothing will happen

[@markrobinson9956]

If it is so critical to mention the first plantations were established with slave labor, why is it not equally important to state when and under what circumstances that institution ended?

[@Nappanaia]

Why do Americans always say "focus on your own country" when opinions about the US are shared but then stuff like this happens?

[@Kingedwardiii2003]

Because the American people say that but not the American ruling class

[@radicalred474]

@@Kingedwardiii2003no this is a national security risk that I can agree with. As a citizen of the US I can not and will not imagine having China at our back door. For that America just might as well annex this land. And I would encourage that over letting this shit deal happen.

[@Kingedwardiii2003]

@@radicalred474 I agree with you however I’m just stating the obvious

[@SpookyEng1]

Because in this case we have put millions into the island infrastructure and it is an important military installation.

[@jeremy2875]

I am always intrigued by the statement “indigenous population” and "decolonization" when it comes to the Chagos. When European Explorers first came across the islands they were uninhabited. Europeans set up settlements on the islands, and then the French took over and set up a plantation system. Towards the end of the 18th Century they brought in thousands of slaves from Africa to work the plantations. Eventually the “slaves” were converted to paid workers. Then 6 generations later they were called the indigenous people of the islands and the Europeans who had been there longer were called colonialists. Also, the islands have more of a connection to the much closer Maldives, who have oral traditions of fisherman being temporarily stranded there. The only connection to Mauritius is that they were both under the same French colonial administration.

[@ianthomas7439]

Obviously, Mauritius has no substantiated claim on Chagos. Not just Chagos is so distant from Mauritius that they never were there, you specifically mentioned that France had established the first population there. Ceding Mauritius and Chagos (and other territories) to Britain does not make Chagos a part of Mauritius, even if France administered Chagos from a Mauritius-based Governor or sth like that. Simple as that. Or you left out some necessary detail(s).

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

That population moved to Mauritius, as the uk expelled them in the 60s. And part of the deal allows them back to resettle it. And Mauritius does have a claim - literally the UN recognized it.

[@TealBeal11]

Except it did have a permanent population for generations until they were forcibly removed from the island.

[@SaintGerbilUK]

@@ArawnOfAnnwn So it was French for 20 years 1793 then given to the UK in 1814 and it was British till 1960 for about 150 years, then Mauritius was given independence in 1960 so then we bought the Islands in 1964 and kicked out the "locals" and run it for another 60 years. So ownership by time the UK has over 200 years, France in second with 20 years and Mauritius in last with 4 whole years, yet they are claiming to be "native". Not a chance.

[@ianthomas7439]

@@ArawnOfAnnwn the UN is not a convincing argument as we eg currently see basically everyday regarding Israel and their attempt to fight of Hamas terrorism I'd wish for a working UN, unfortunately that's not our current reality

[@ianthomas7439]

@@TealBeal11 so? as shown in the video, population was started by France. and granting some descendants a right to return (and/or their compensation) is sth completely different than ceding territory

[@USA79999]

Why is UK giving its assets away free??

[@AidanSM]

The way British media reports on Chagos is disgusting, and it shows in this comments section.

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

Keep in mind that Tldr is also British media btw.

[@m9017t]

@@AidanSM how so? By not wanting nonsense deals on giving away British territory that was already paid, for without a referendum? Do you think any other country would’ve even paid for territory in a similar situation or just taken it? We’re lucky Trump won that it hopefully ends this deal.

[@ophs1980]

In the beginning of the video you said that the islands were uninhabited prior to the French bringing in slaves. How can you hand back sovereignty to Mauritius when it never had it in the first place?

[@danuk500]

It's shocking that the public don't get to vote on whether we give away territory.

[@Coolvids1-s1m]

Not your Territory Africa for Africans not Europeans

[@nezbrun872]

Bollocks, Mairitius has never had any sovereignty claim over the Chagos Is. They just happened to be administered by the French from Mauritius for a few years.

[@FKnoph]

You have not clarified when the Chagos Islands actually belonged to Mauritius. From your explanation, they sound more French.

[@solsunman383]

The only part that matters is that they were administered by Mauritius, just before Mauritius was decolonised. The UK was a signatory to the UN treaty on decolonisation, saying that they wouldn't divide up colonies when they became independent. That's the only justification. It's a legal claim, not a moral or historical claim (and to be fair, it's the only one that matters). If the Chagos has still been run from the Seychelles, then Mauritius would have no claim. It would be the Seychelles making this argument. Alternatively, if the islands had been separated before the treaty was signed, the UK would have no legally contested ownership of the islands (though moral, geographical and historical claims could have been made and likely rejected).

[@0oShwavyo0]

@@solsunman383to add onto what you said, the chagossians were also expelled to Mauritius when the UK government kicked them out. So Mauritius has the largest number of chagossians seeking repatriation to my knowledge

[@FKnoph]

@@solsunman383 Thank you for an insightful comment! However, I do personally feel the argument is quite weak, since the only administered it for the UK, and didn't own it. But it may be legally accurate.

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

@@FKnoph It is legally accurate - the UN court literally verified it as such. They're the ones who've insisted the uk give it up.

[@SaintGerbilUK]

At best Mauritius was decolonised in 1960 and Chagos was sold in 1964. They are more French at least they were there for 20 years. How exactly do you decolonize a previously uninhabited island anyway?

[@dgart7434]

This shouldn't be complicated. Keep the island's status as is. Let the Chagossians go back to the islands (including Deigo Garcia). After 20 years the Chagossians can vote on what they want the status of the Islands to be.

[@simonhopkins3867]

Should never have tried to give it away in the first place.

[@bababababababa6124]

Why not? You had no reason being there in the first place

[@AiGeneratedWaluigi]

@@bababababababa6124neither does Mauritius

[@danuk500]

@@bababababababa6124 Yes we do. We've owned it since the Napoleonic wars when it was legally transferred to the UK. Mauritius has never owned it.

[@lenseclipse]

@@bababababababa6124 why not? The UK PAID for the land. You buy land, it's yours.

[@pauloakwood9208]

Wait a minute. The UK felt "pressure" from the UN to decolonize the Chagos Islands, but not to decolonize Gibraltar? Sounds fishy.

[@mister_i9245]

If anything we should give the Chagossians independence with their own state, possibly under a compact of free association with the US

[@BoraCM]

What connection does it have with the US?

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

There aren't any there. The uk expelled them in the 60s. They're mostly in Mauritius now. The people there now are just for the military base.

[@KanLuxiang]

@@BoraCM Expulsion to build a US military base? Some Pacific Islanders (Marshall, Micronesia, Palau) are in Free Association with the US, allowing them to more easily live and work in the US, in exchange for US military bases in their islands. This could be expanded to include an independent Chagos as well.

[@SaintGerbilUK]

Sure they can have a section of Mauritius, the only land they have a claim to.

[@Edyime]

that is a ridiculously stupid idea

[@dermatologymiami]

Thank you for your informative concise video presentation. From a yank in USA.

[@Andrew-pd6ey]

It is odd that this is something that want to push through right at the end of their presidency. Worrying about China's military presence in region is completely valid given the amount it's already expanded in the Indian Ocean. It is pretty crazy that we did it all within many people's living memory.

[@tiglishnobody8750]

Expanded in Indian Ocean because China just befriend with some nations and make deal with them?

[@NomadAwake]

Senator John Kennedy discussed the Chagos give away in the US senate on Nov 20th and said that Trump and Rubio will stop the sovereignty treaty going ahead ✊ 🇺🇸 It seems Starmer & Lammy’s nightmare has just began 😂😂🎉

[@RedXlV]

That presumes that the US has any power to stop it.

[@mildlydispleased3221]

I can't believe I'm agreeing with Nigel Farage on something... Chagossians should have the right to choose their own future.

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

There are none there. The chagossians were expelled to Mauritius by the uk in the 60s. So Mauritius has the largest number of chagossians seeking repatriation now. Part of the deal lets them resettle it again. The people there aren't chagossian, they're there cos of the base there.

[@SaintGerbilUK]

@@ArawnOfAnnwn They are more chagossian than the people claiming to be there at least they have lived there for more than a few years. The time between Mauritius being given independence and Britain buying Chagos was only 4 years; you can't claim to be "native" in just 4 years.

[@DHSMconure]

⁠@@SaintGerbilUKdude, the chagossians were there for almost 200 years prior to their expulsion. they were slaves brought to the island by france before being transferred to british sovereignty, and then forcibly transferred to Mauritius so the UK could turn the place into a military base. The chagossians, per international law, maintain their right to self determination as any other people, and they desire for the chagos islands to be a part of Mauritius.

[@SaintGerbilUK]

@DHSMconure so if I desire to own the UK, since my family goes back about 1,000 years. I should just get it right? But instead we have had to buy every inch of land we have.

[@DHSMconure]

@@SaintGerbilUK that’s not how self determination works lol. it’s not defined by some temporal connection one has to the land, rather, it entails the inalienable right of determining one’s own political status, pursuing economic, social, and cultural developments, governing oneself without outside interference, being free of alien domination, and the ability to form one’s own independent state should they choose. The chagossians had this right violated by the UK, and as such, the chagossians must have their rights protected by allowing them their sovereignty. in this case, it means being a part of Mauritius as that satisfies all the aforementioned requisites for self determination.

[@RamblingRodeo]

Mauritius has never owned or been apart of the Chago Islands, so why is this even happening?

[@LulfsBloodbag]

Everyone having a go at Kier like the deal wasn't started by the tories

[@adam7802]

This government are the ones to push it through so yes. Stop deflecting, as if any reasonable person thinks either of them are good in this.

[@ChronicTheHempHog-mf3nh]

Yh they are both terrible

[@eversor10]

@@LulfsBloodbag "le tories" They are cringe aswell shut it

[@IndigoEagle78]

@@adam7802There is nothing wrong with this deal. It allows the islanders to return home, a home they were forcibly expelled from and their pets killed by the British government, and it allows UK and the US to keep a very strategically important military base.

[@yeeticus7206]

Sounds to me that the tories had done a prettt good job stalling it and it was starmer weakness that allowed the Biden administration to force him to rush it through before his term was up. Seems foolish to not have played for time until we at least knew who the next president would be

[@ralphbuschman3364]

Diego Garcia was a copra / coconut plantation before we started building of the base. The donkeys that moved the carts of coconut to the cargo ship, which took coconut and brought clothes, food, fuel for generator that powered everything. The base is now on American half is now many things, including a long wide thick set of runways. And a " black ops facility " .

[@Think666_]

"Experts which worked along side Farage during his Brexit campaign", this indicates the quality and impartiality of the advice.

[@20quid]

Ironic considering their main complaint when it came to Brexit was that a "foreign government" was telling the UK what to do, and now that is the exact strategy they are attempting themselves.

[@SDDT24]

Anything is better than just capitulating and giving the island to a Chinese ally like soft touch starmer

[@ad_astra5]

@@SDDT24it’s not capitulating, as the base will still exist

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

@@SDDT24 For you. This is just you revealing your hegemonic mindset.

[@spencerhulme1203]

🎺🎺Trump wants the Chagos Islands make no mistake about that! David Shammy is going to have to go back on his deal because of Chinease interfierence who would love to put a listening post on that island! We in the UK cannot afford to not have a special relationship with the USA! 🎺🎺

[@ryandanngetich2524]

Speak for yourself. The Special relationship should end and we move forward as just allies like it has with Germany or Canada

[@radicalred474]

@@ryandanngetich2524how can it? It’s that way with Germany and all other west nations. We’re all related in one way or the other. Why do think it’s called a special relationship? You can’t just disown family and say well you’re not my family but we can continue business transactions as normal civil strangers.

[@ryandanngetich2524]

@radicalred474 And how are we family again? The only familial countries are Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Plus America has countless times backstabbed us

[@BoyBerjaya]

There is nothing special about the US UK relationship. The sooner we stop acting like there is one the better off we’ll be.

[@OttoBismarck-ue2ty]

Yep hit it right on the head 👏 we germans would like the UK to part ways with this made up special relationship and would like to work as equals with the UK as opposed to the US thinking they are everyone's master

[@kevinwoods9274]

I hope he stops it. We should keep it.

[@Swedishpolymath]

I hope he does because it would be foolish for Britain to do any hasty decisions with everything going on in the world right now.

[@DennisTheJuniorMenace]

So the ppl got money and when it ran out... The deal magically became "unlawful"? 🙄 Why not call it unlawful before they spent their newfound fortune?!

[@DisinterestedParty]

He says, "The US could lose their military base on Diego Garcia" ......and I spontaneously break out into laughter. Oh yeah, that could definitely happen. 🙄 LMAO

[@fiiral5870]

?

[@DisinterestedParty]

​@@fiiral5870 3:35

[@vladthecon]

@@fiiral5870 ask cuba.

How is it that everyone is ignoring the part where UK deported all the "Chagoseans" to Mauritius and arguing that there were no "inhabitants" or that there are no cultural links to Mauritius... You could then deport all people from a country and argue that there is no colonization or cultural links to the new people in the land... Wait a minute...

[@davidioanhedges]

If the deal is blocked, the most likely outcome is that a new deal without the US will be done instead, and Mauritius will get a free base ...

[@LordDim1]

That would be absolute insanity and would never happen. Doing that would absolutely destroy US-UK relations and western defence capabilities not just in the region but worldwide. Diego Garcia is crucial to western defence and there are no circumstances where the base will be surrendered to Mauritius. This deal was bonkers and terrible anyway, Trump would for once do a rare good thing in blocking it. The vast majority of Chagossians are furious at the deal and have been entirely excluded.

[@Talisguy]

​@@LordDim1 They'd still have better luck under a system where they only have to deal with the Mauritian government than a situation where they had to deal with Mauritian, American and British interests at once. It's not like Britain was involved out of a deep moral concern for the plight of the Chagossians and only wanted to retain control for their sake, after all. If that was the case they would've involved Chagossians in the negotiations. So this would still be a step backwards for them.

[@notapplicable4567]

​​@@LordDim1 I don't think you understand the gravity of what is happening in the world right now. The axis is forming and the us is being bitchy.... UK, USA relations might just spontaneously combust.

[@LordDim1]

@@Talisguy One of the main reasons Chagossians were excluded from the negotiation process is that Chagossians by-and-large want to remain British, so including them in the negotiations would have torpedoed efforts to hand the islands over. Mauritius is very close politically to China and has been known to reneg on its international agreements. The US would in no way have “more luck” dealing just with Mauritius, an unreliable non-ally, than currently where it only deals with the UK.

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

​​@@LordDim1 Diego Garcia has nothing to do with 'defence', but offense. At least admit to their hegemonic purpose. They're literally continents away from both the uk and us.

[@Speech10000]

I lived there for a year. It is so beautiful but there's so much trash washing up on the shore. That is all.

[@EddieNewmanLED]

Never heard about Chagos before, ngl

[@Dorgpoop]

The current official administrative name for them is the British Indian Ocean territory. They're not especially well known because they're very remote and almost entirely an American military base so travel to them is restricted.

[@arcadia6795]

There are parts of your anatomy you've never heard of. Still could be serving a purpose to you in some small way.

[@Swedishpolymath]

I'm sure there are many places like that. Places that are unknown to the general public but still are somehow every important to diplomacy in a very sort of bureaucratic and boring way.

[@janitoalevic]

XD

[@starlinguk]

Neither has Trump, so why would he block anything? He doesn't have a clue and neither does his cabinet. People need to stop treating them as a functional government.

[@Yoyo2024-x5k]

Should the Uk give it to France since the islands first inhabitants were from the French? This is so stupid. I’m an American and I’m disgusted at how weak the UK has become. The world needs a strong UK for a safer world.

[@divijdomah6285]

AM MAURITIAN AND CHAGOS BELONGS TO US 🇲🇺

[@radicalred474]

That’s how we Americans have seen it. It’s nothing against any other nation. We’re friendly people honestly but we are also paranoid about have China in our back door. That’s something we can’t handle. We’ve had to deal with the democrats back stabbing us for almost 20 years so we know a thing or two about danger. And we let France and England have the islands to avoid fighting. But they honestly being to us.

[@TheHoveHeretic]

Hasn't this deal already been done?

[@ULHIS]

No, they won't do anything. Why would they. The deal secured them the military base. It's a Cuba style deal.

[@DjVendetta]

My dad was stationed there in the early 80’s.

[@DevonWlodyga]

What about the US making Mauritius as a close ally, creating a close relationship with them? The US needs closer ties to African nations anyway to counter Chinese influence.

[@ksoonsoon]

Great video. Thanks

[@richardjames3022]

Strange that America doesn't like being told what to do when they seem VERY keen on telling EVERYBODY else what to do.

[@ChronicTheHempHog-mf3nh]

I think most countries are like this

[@IndiaTides]

​@@ChronicTheHempHog-mf3nhNah, they are superpower. Britishers were the same when they had power.

[@Captionboyful]

Theres a US military base there my guy

[@purpledevilr7463]

No no, they’re helping us out here. We’ve fallen so much we need the Americans to bail us out.

[@michaelbaker5501]

Everybody else doesn’t rule the world

[@johngil3692]

I say tell them to come and take it

[@SirWhig-esq.]

If he does then it will be even more contentious between Mauritius and Britain

[@marcusaustralius2416]

Who cares?

[@xander6522]

Good. The UK doesn't owe Mauritius anything 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@eversor10]

Who? Cares

[@MegaCooliam]

Who cares?

[@ChronicTheHempHog-mf3nh]

Mauritius are irrelevant lol

[@bcubed72]

1:10 "Corpa plantation?" WTH is a "corpa?"

[@chris6ix.]

I hope Trump blocks the deal. Mauritius has no rights to the islands.

[@bghere9908]

HK - 1997 Southern Ireland - 1916 2020 Brexit, mama they bullied me (Chagos) Unfair, we paid for it, this is utterly unfair! Mama they bullied me. Mama. Falkand Islands, Argentinian bullied us mama.

[@ZOCCOK]

The comments over here are so callous. Mauritius might not be a threat, but it's people and it's nation are a part of humanity and the international union. Forcefully/Illegally acquired territory is bad in Ukraine or Hong Kong/Taiwan, but it is good in Mauritius? If it's Russia or China, then rules apply, but once it's US or UK then rules should be abandoned. Truly saddening to see this idea of "Rules for thee, but not for me"

[@savvas_1367]

@@xander6522 you're part of the problem

[@yeeticus7206]

If it was China or Russia do u think they would have gone through the effort of paying for the islands?😂 yes Mauritius didn’t have the negotiating power for such a deal at the time, but the fact the U.K. went through the effort to pay for them at all shows there is far less malice in their actions than any of the regimes you refer to

[@m0bb42]

First I want to say, that I agree that acquiring a territory forcefully/Illegally is bad. But imho you can't realy compare these 3 cases. One is an agreement between 2 countries, that they get an island for money. Some years later they found out, that some terms in the contract were illegal. The second is an invasion and lots of killing of soldiers and civilians. The third is a deal between countries, which seems to be valid. But one country thinks, thats not fast enought and tries to find faster ways. At least thats how I understood these in simple terms. Correct me if I am wrong. Like I said, I think every case is bad, but on different levels.

[@Friendly-Unit]

All land has been taken by force at some point. Where do you want to draw the line?

[@yeeticus7206]

@ the general rule they tend to follow is “was it white people or not?” These people don’t have any nuance to these geopolitical situations

[@SuccessMindset2180]

Handling this deal is essential for foreign policy

[@benhalsall4120]

Starmer got this one wrong

[@ianlayton6949]

Does anyone really believe in the "Special Relationship" anymore?

[@edthebumblingfool]

Soverignity of the Chagos is nothing to do with America

[@duran9664]

👇 Simple solution👇 Rename the deal to Trump’s Chagos New Deal🤷‍♀️ He will sign it right away 🤏

[@dapperdarlingdm5723]

@@duran9664 made me chuckle.

[@Forlyn0]

TLDR News really did a speedrun on the history there

[@anonymoususerinterface]

wtf is a special relationship??? this is "Do as I say or else" aka bullying

[@ChronicTheHempHog-mf3nh]

No this is called supporting a friend in need

[@4thzone697]

​@ChronicTheHempHog-mf3nh the same friend who refuses to extradite the murderer wife of a diplomat.

[@UFOhunter4711]

Pretty much

[@ChronicTheHempHog-mf3nh]

@@4thzone697Oh yh I forgot about that. Well maybe it’s more like a decision that is convenient for both nations

[@SDDT24]

One country is the strongest in the world the other has starmer who just weakened the uks defence budget by 500 million . For once trump should stamp his foot down

[@MaritimeCRoute]

There is historical and cultural evidence that Chagos (fehendheeb Atoll ) and Diego Garcia Island (Foalhavahi) is a Maldivian territory.

[@eversor10]

BASED it was the most idiotic decision

[@weird_autumn42]

why should the UK be in control of the islands?

[@mdl2427]

@@weird_autumn42 China & Russia, that's why.

[@Tomcat13436]

@@mdl2427What does China and Russia have to do with anything? We would have still kept the military base, if that’s your concern.

[@eversor10]

@@weird_autumn42 more claim to them than Mauritius

[@almondandfriends]

@@eversor10 how so? the British specifically split it off to avoid giving it to the Mauritius and expelled residents to ensure that their ownership of the islands wasnt contested. every single international legal expert on the matter agrees with the Mauritius claim to the territory and the ICJ has ruled that the british claim is invalid, so mr youtube commenter please tell me what information you have that is so much better informed then the people whose entire job it is to study and determine these things

[@PeaceAndLove303]

Starmer is deluded and clearly is doing his best to make it difficult for America and Trump. Let's hope Trump blocks the deal.

[@chief6541]

Britain do not give up the Indian Ocean Territories please!

[@zombiekilldemon]

The British Empire is dead grandpa and that's a good thing. Now shut up and take your meds.

[@michaelgreen1515]

Hand sovereignty to, not back to! Independence is a nice idea❤

[@PonzooonTheGreat]

Let's hope so

[@andrewcharlton2709]

why would you give back a island that did not belong to anybody to begin with.

[@ThomasSankaramybeloved]

Basically it would make US Imperialism harder, my heart weeps

[@weird_autumn42]

@@ThomasSankaramybeloved yep. not even much harder, but any change would be too much apparently (also based Sankara btw)

[@simontemplar404]

You are a fan of Russia's imperialism obviously.

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

​@@simontemplar404 Or he's a fan of a multipolar world with no one country on top. But keep using that false dichotomy to defend your hegemony.

[@WartyFingleBlaster]

​@@ArawnOfAnnwn a multipolar world will be a dangerous world at war. If you put any thought into it whatsoever you'd realise that.

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

@@WartyFingleBlaster That's the standard speculation used to defend your hegemony. How convenient. There's been no shortage of war anyway, and the most prolific one to wage is you. Literally the record for most since ww2. It's just an excuse used to justify and defend your control.

[@ItzWhiz_]

I honestly hope Trump does, Starmer doesn’t know what he’s doing in office, and it’s not just regarding the Chagos deal.

[@TejashPatel-z2r]

This is so funny. I don't know why we call it a special relationship, we're clearly the dog doing as our master says. They say give up the island and Starmer yields, they say don't give up the island and Starmer will yield 😂😂😂

[@Republicnews-h3v]

Presence and docking necessary

[@yeeticus7206]

It’s so embarrassing that we require a foreign government to pressure our own leaders to act in the interest of the British people. I sincerely hope it’s true that starmer government only did this under pressure from Biden (probably the most anti U.K. president for many years), however, if that’s the case I’m concerned about the governments lack of foresight at the possibility of a administration change in the US. If any deal like this was as a result of pressure under Biden, it seems the most logical thing would have been to delay it until you knew who the next President was going to be in order to avoid any international awkwardness

[@bababababababa6124]

I’m confused, how is holding on to a random atoll on the complete other side of the world “in the interest of your people” 😂? I doubt most of your “people” in Britain have ever even heard of the Chagos Islands or Diego Garcia. You probably didn’t either before this whole situation. Your country had no business and no right being there in the first place. We get it, you’re sad about your empire withering away, but just give it up okay?

[@LordDim1]

@@bababababababa6124 The Chagos Islands, specifically Diego Garcia, is one of the most strategically vital pieces of land in the world. Control of the Chagos essentially grants control of the Indian Ocean. It’s a vital strategic defence asset. The UK has more rights than anyone else to the islands considering they were entirely unoccupied. The only “claim” Mauritius has ever had to them is that the UK placed the islands under the administration of Mauritius colony because it was the closest major colony.

[@yeeticus7206]

@ no I’ve known of the chagos islands for many many years. I paid a lot of attention to their chagosian protests demanding apologies from the U.K. government for the method of their deportation and the U.K. government allowing them the right to become U.K. citizens. The chagosian people (many of which are U.K. citizens) do not want to be Mauritian, they see themselves as chagosian or (some of them) British. Mauritius make it illegal to identify as chagocian and have an awful reputation for overfishing and pollution. If this was a deal to grant chagos it’s independence, I’d at least slightly agree with it more (however with such a small population and no infrastructure other than a military base on the island, such a deal would take many years to reintroduce the people back onto the island and create the infrastructure around them that would allow for self governance). The idea of handing islands to Mauritius, that have never belonged to Mauritius and have been inhabited by a people who do not wish to be Mauritian, is absurd. Then the reason it’s not in the interest of the British people is because it has absolutely 0 benefit for the British people and jeopardises our ability to project power and influence in the far east

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

​@@LordDim1 That is NOT 'defence'. There is NOTHING defensive about it. It's a tool for offense, to preserve hegemony.

[@thatonelocalauthority2809]

@@bababababababa6124Womp womp, it will remain British, so cry all you want

[@frankgrima]

Sold the island in duress? Seems like a scam and shakedown.

[@unamedjoe830]

Another island the UK should keep. Need to stop giving shit away.

[@n00dl3]

The empire died before you were born. Come to terms with it.

[@TheHoveHeretic]

It's 2024, not 1824. Deal with it.

[@regarded9702]

It's a shame people don't realise that being the most moral and nice country in the world means nothing because no one actually important cares. Geopolitical suicide just to appease those which hate this country regardless. It is insane.

[@unamedjoe830]

@n00dl3 the island is still ours... deal with it

[@unamedjoe830]

@@TheHoveHeretic it's 2024 and the island is still ours.... deal with it

[@juanchoja]

I don't know how "special" is the "special" agreement between the UK and the US, for example, Ireland has the only Preclearance facilities in Europe, there is only a handful in the world, Canada and Ireland were the only ones until the Bahamas and Aruba joined, where all immigrations and Customs are done by TSA and US Police in Dublin and Shannon Airport using a dedicated terminal for US flights only, all flights to the US from Ireland land in domestic terminals, not having to go through passport control in the US. If the UK is so special, how come they don't even have that and Ireland does?

[@iGamezRo]

Let's hope he does. The UK has dipped so much. Americans now have to keep the sun from setting even further. What am I even talking about? The sun has set for Britain.