MP Warns Against Handing Over Chagos Islands to China-Aligned Mauritius

MP Daniel Kawczynski speaks during the "From The Depths Zabinski Awards" ceremony, honoring non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust and WWII, in Warsaw, on Sept. 18, 2017. Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images

A Conservative MP has spoken out against potential plans to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, including the strategically vital Diego Garcia military base, to Mauritius, a move he sees as aligning with China’s interests.

The Chagos Archipelago, located in the central Indian Ocean, comprises over a thousand islands, with Diego Garcia hosting a vital U.S.–UK joint military facility. The UK has leased use of the base to the United States until 2036.

Speaking exclusively to The Epoch Times, Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury, emphasised perceived geopolitical risks and advocated for a democratic process involving the native Chagossians, accusing the UK government of jeopardising national security.

“This government has behaved appallingly ... handing over the British Indian Ocean Territory to a client puppet state of China, Mauritius. If they succeed, they will drive away countries like America, Canada, Norway, Iceland, Britain, and Turkey from the common defence of our continent,” stated Mr. Kawczynski.

In November last year, the UK’s foreign secretary initiated negotiations with Mauritius over sovereignty claims to the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Last year, Mauritius negotiated a free-trade deal with China.

Think Tank Warns Against Ceding Territory

The prominent centre-right think tank Policy Exchange, in a recent report, underscored the rising strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific, positioning BIOT as a linchpin in the UK’s security and foreign policy amid increased great power competition, notably from China.

The report suggests a return to a bipartisan stance affirming UK sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, emphasising the non-binding nature of the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion, and the rejection of any cession to Mauritius.

Mr. Kawczynski expressed profound concern over a potential sovereignty transfer to Mauritius, aligning it with China’s strategic interests. He emphasised the need to involve the Chagossians, scattered owing to historical events, in deciding the islands’ fate through a democratic process.

“I think this government has behaved appallingly in terms of our focus because we are reentering, thanks to the agreement with AUKUS, America and Australia, we are for the first time in my lifetime reentering the Indian and Pacific Oceans. And yet, what does it want to do? It wants to hand over the British Indian Ocean Territory to a client puppet state of China, Mauritius,” said Mr. Kawczynski.

The MP, who has been vocal in defending the rights of citizens of the British Overseas Territories, maintains that the UK government could facilitate Chinese access to the Indian Ocean by potentially handing over the BIOT to Mauritius. He cited the latter’s burgeoning ties with China and added that his ongoing legal challenge aims to prevent what he views as a detrimental geopolitical move.

MP Taking Government to Court

“I have found a [native] Chagossian in London … my barrister and I are helping her to take my own government to the High Court, to prevent the transfer of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius,” added Mr. Kawczynski.

The MP underscored the Chagossians’ preference for British affiliation, proposing a referendum for them to determine the islands’ fate, whether remaining British, becoming independent, or joining Mauritius.

“The Chagossians have their own language, culture, music, and heritage, the descendants of slaves from Africa and Madagascar with no connections with Mauritius,” said Mr. Kawczynski.

Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago and site of a major United States military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean leased from Britain in 1966. File Photo

In May 2019, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution recognizing the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, as part of Mauritius. The resolution received overwhelming support, with 116 countries voting in favour, while only six opposed it. This move stirred discussions about the sovereignty and future of the Chagos Islands.

Responding to that vote and more recent U.N. discussions, Mr. Kawczynski criticised the government’s inconsistency in taking a stand on China’s actions in the South China Sea, while yielding to international pressure on BIOT.

“So it’s alright for the Chinese to take control of the whole of the South China Sea, a waterway through which 60 percent of the world’s trade passes through. But we are going to bend over backwards to accommodate the International Court of Justice and the U.N. over the British Indian Ocean Territory,” he said.

Cross-party advocacy group Friends of the British Overseas Territories (FOTBOT) condemned the government’s alleged clandestine negotiations, asserting that the Chagos Islanders’ plight is exploited by Mauritius for sovereignty aspirations. FOTBOT called for continued parliamentary scrutiny, urging the UK government to halt negotiations.

Ceding Territory to ‘Play Into the Hands’ of Adversaries

“Mauritius has shamefully used the plight of the Chagos Islanders as an excuse for its ambitions to gain sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory, and the UK government seems set in handing them over in a shady backdoor deal which lacks self-determination, scrutiny, and transparency,” said a spokesperson from FOTBOT.

Speaking to The Epoch Times via email, the spokesperson added, “The British Indian Ocean Territory has been a guarantor of safety and security for the Western world for decades—giving an inch of British territory away to anyone will play into the hands of our adversaries.”

As geopolitical complexities surround the Chagos Islands with regards to its strategic importance and its role in combating the influence of the Chinese Communist Party, the parliamentary debate intensifies, balancing historical claims and the Chagossians’ right to self-determination.

Downing Street has not responded to a request for comment.