Whistling in the wind

According to the Torygraph, when a party of Chagossians are allowed to return briefly to the island homes later this month they will be given whistles "to call for help":

The islanders will be accompanied by doctors, priests, government officials from both Britain and Mauritius and a stonemason who will place memorials on the islands visited by the party.

All will be given whistles to call for help and they will be assisted by a British fisheries patrol vessel and a detachment of Royal Marines, who will operate dinghies.

"Our paramount concern is the safety of the islanders, some of whom are quite elderly," said one British official.

"They will not be able to stay overnight because the islands are infested with mosquitoes."

During their visit, the 100 of the former inhabitants of the archipelago who have been allowed to make the trip "will tend the graves of the dead and pray in the churches but they will not be allowed to stay overnight." Remember, Diego Garcia's a horrific place. You obviously wouldn't want to live there. By making it so interminably difficult for the islanders to return to their homes we're actually helping them. Isn't that nice of us?

File Under: Chagos, Politics, UK