The two states that often justify their military interventions by wanting to enforce international law are once again ignoring international law themselves. The US government declares Russia and China to be enemies of the USA and the international community. They justify this, among other things, by saying that the countries would not abide by the rules-based order (US Secretary of State Blinken), by international law. This statement gives the impression that the USA itself wants to respect and defend international law. Once again, however, their dealings with the Chagos Islands show that they themselves are doing what they accuse their competitors of doing: They are breaking international law and human rights: the right of sovereignty of African Mauritius over the island where they maintain the Diego Garcia military base, which is important for their claim to global domination. The right of the island's inhabitants to return to the island from which they were expelled in the 1960s.
In May 2019, the UN General Assembly had voted 116 to 6 in favour of returning the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. This year, the United Nations International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg awarded the islands to Maritius, declaring the continued occupation of the by Britain to be unjust and calling on them to return the island.
The British Johnson government ignored the ruling and refused to recognise Mauritius' sovereignty.
The government of Mauritius had hoped that Joe Biden's entry into the White House in Washington would recognise their right. a change of course by the US. In July, Mauritius sent a diplomatic note to Washington requesting a compromise solution and recognition of Mauritius' claims. In response, however, the US State Department stated that the United States categorically supported British sovereignty over the Chagos Islands.
Now, however, Mauritius has won a victory at the global level. It shows that the power and influence of past and present global supremacy is diminishing, that the world continues to allow them special rights at the expense of other peoples. The Universal Postal Union (UPU) has recognised the disputed Chagos Islands as part of the island nation of Mauritius. The United Nations specialised agency took the decision at the 27th Universal Postal Congress in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. 77 UPU member states voted in favour of recognising Mauritius' claims, with six votes against and 41 abstentions.
The decision means that stamps issued by the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) will no longer be recognised by the UPU. Letter-post items administered by the BIOT postal authority will therefore no longer be carried by UPU member countries.
Sources in german:
INDISCHER OZEAN Seegerichtshof spricht Chagos-Inseln samt US-Basis "Diego Garcia" Mauritius zu Großbritannien will British Indian Ocean Territory mit der Militärbasis Diego Garcia nicht übergeben
Vor fünf Jahrzehnten wurden die Einwohner der Chagos-Inseln vertrieben, weil Briten und US-Amerikaner ihre Heimat für eine Militärbasis benötigten
Großbritannien will British Indian Ocean Territory mit der Militärbasis Diego Garcia nicht übergeben
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