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The Separation of the Chagos Archipelago

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Self-determination beyond decolonization? The separation of the Chagos Archipelago Diploma Thesis by David Jaritsch Submitted to be awarded the degree of a Magister iuris at the Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz Supervisor: Assoz. Prof. Mag.iur. Dr.iur. Yvonne Karimi-Schmidt Institute of International Law and International Relations Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz Berlin, 13th April 2020 Selbstbestimmungsrecht abseits von Dekolonialisierung? Die Separation des Chagos Archipels Diplomarbeit vorgelegt von David Jaritsch Zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Magisters der Rechtswissenschaften an der Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz. Betreuerin: Assoz. Prof. Mag.iur. Dr.iur. Yvonne Karimi-Schmidt Institut für Völkerrecht und Internationale Beziehungen Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz Berlin, 13. April 2020 For Marianna and My Parents Declaration of Authorship I hereby declare that this thesis and the work presented in it are, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original and entirely the result of my own investigations. Where I have consulted the work of another person, due reference is made in the text of the thesis. Moreover, I certify that this thesis has not been submitted, either in part or whole, for a degree at this or any other University. Ehrenwörtliche Erklärung Ich erkläre ehrenwörtlich, dass ich die vorliegende Arbeit selbstständig und ohne fremde Hilfe verfasst, andere als die angegebenen Quellen nicht benutzt und die den Quellen wörtlich oder inhaltlich entnommenen Stellen als solche kenntlich gemacht habe. Die Arbeit wurde bisher in gleicher oder ähnlicher Form keiner anderen inländischen oder ausländischen Prüfungsbehörde vorgelegt und auch noch nicht veröffentlicht. Die vorliegende Fassung entspricht der eingereichten elektronischen Version. David Jaritsch Berlin, 13. April 2020 I Abstract The right of a people to self-determination is rooted in a political concept. Over the years, it developed into a legal right. It represents a very intensively- and highly controversial debated issue in International Law. The two main questions concerning the right of a people to self-determination are: Who is entitled, respectively, what constitutes a people? Is there a right to secession deriving from it? In recent years examples such as Scotland, Crimea, and Catalonia show the importance of shedding light on the nature, content, and scope of the right of a people to self-determination. In 2019 the International Court of Justice (ICJ) rendered an Advisory Opinion on the Legal Consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965. Analysing that Advisory Opinion in the context of other relevant cases shall be the basis of the present Diploma Thesis in order to approach the central questions concerning the right of a people to self-determination. The case of the Chagos Archipelago is connected to the decolonization process. Nevertheless, the present Diploma Thesis aims to demonstrate how it may contribute to the further understanding of that fundamental principle of International Law. The Chagos Archipelago represents a well - suited research object for that purpose due to its relatively young but troubled history, small (former) population, geographical isolation, and the fact that it got separated from Mauritius in the middle of the era of decolonization. II Zusammenfassung Das Selbstbestimmungsrecht der Völker hat seinen Ursprung in einem politischen Konzept. Über die Jahre hinweg entwickelte es sich in einen konkreten Rechtsanspruch. Die wissenschaftliche Debatte um das Selbstbestimmungsrecht der Völker gestaltet sich dabei äußerst intensiv und kontrovers. Zweifelsohne stellen die folgenden beiden Fragen den Mittelpunkt der zuvor erwähnten Debatte dar: Wer ist Rechtsträger bzw. was ist „ein Volk“? Ist ein Rechtsanspruch auf Sezession aus dem Selbstbestimmungsrecht der Völker ableitbar? Gerade in den letzten Jahren lehren uns Beispiele wie jene von Schottland, der Krim und Katalonien, das es wichtig ist die Rechtsnatur, den Inhalt und den Geltungsbereich des Selbstbestimmungsrechts der Völker näher unter die Lupe zu nehmen. Im Jahr 2019 veröffentlichte der IGH ein Rechtsgutachten zu den Rechtsfolgen der Separation des Chagos Archipels von Mauritius in 1965. Die Analyse dieses Rechtsgutachtens im Zusammenhang mit anderen relevanten Fällen soll die Grundlage der vorliegenden Diplomarbeit bilden. Mittels dieser Vorgehensweise sollen die zentralen Fragen des Selbstbestimmungsrechts der Völker behandelt werden. Der koloniale Hintergrund des Chagos - Falles ist offensichtlich. Nichtsdestotrotz ist das Ziel der vorliegenden Diplomarbeit zu demonstrieren, wie dieser Fall zum weiteren Verständnis des Selbstbestimmungsrechts der Völker beitragen kann. Das Chagos Archipel ist ein außerordentlich interessantes Untersuchungsobjekt wegen seiner relativ jungen- und trotzdem sehr bewegten Geschichte, zahlenmäßig kleinen (ehemaligen) Bevölkerung, geographischen Isolation und dem Faktum, dass es inmitten des Dekolonialisierungsprozesses von Mauritius abgespalten wurde. III TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ...................................................................................................................... II Zusammenfassung ................................................................................................... III List of Abbreviations .............................................................................................. VII Part I: Introduction .................................................................................................... 1 A. Context and significance ..................................................................................... 1 B. General information ............................................................................................. 3 1. The Chagos Archipelago .................................................................................. 3 2. The Chagossians ............................................................................................... 4 3. The creation of the British Indian Ocean Territory .......................................... 6 4. The expulsion of the Chagossians .................................................................... 8 5. The Chagos case ............................................................................................. 11 UNGA Res 71/292 (2017) ...................................................................................................... 11 Legal Consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965 (Advisory Opinion) [2019] ..................................................................................................... 13 Part II: Chagos and self–determination ................................................................. 14 A. The right of a people to self-determination ....................................................... 14 1. Self-determination and statehood ................................................................... 14 Convention on rights and duties of States adopted by the seventh International Conference of American States (1933) .......................................................................................................... 15 2. Self-determination as a concept ..................................................................... 16 3. Self-determination as a right .......................................................................... 18 Charter of the United Nations (1945) Art 1 (2) and Art 55..................................................... 18 Statute of the International Court of Justice (1945) Art 38 lit b ............................................. 19 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966); ................................................. 19 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) .............................. 19 UNGA Res 2625 (XXV) (1970) ............................................................................................. 20 4. Decolonization ............................................................................................... 20 Charter of the United Nations (1945) Chapter XI ................................................................... 21 IV UNGA Res 1541 (XV) (1960) Principle IV ........................................................................... 22 UNGA Res 66(I) (1946) ......................................................................................................... 23 UNGA Res 146 (II) (1947); UNGA Res 219 (III) (1948); UNGA Res 332 (IV) (1949); UNGA Res 1654 (XVI) (1961); UNGA Res 1810 (XVII) (1962) ......................................... 23 UNGA Res 1514 (XV) (1960) ................................................................................................ 24 5. The exercise of colonial self-determination ................................................... 25 UNGA Res 1541 (XV) (1960) Principle VI ........................................................................... 25 6. The free and genuine will of the Chagossians ................................................ 27 UNGA Res 2625 (1970) Principle V ...................................................................................... 28 7. Possible consequences of free choice ............................................................. 30 B. The question of peoplehood .............................................................................. 31 1. People as the subject of self-determination ...................................................
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