Protest Strategy Change in the Case of the Chagossians Moniek van Lierop 3779904 Utrecht University 21st of September 2012 A Thesis submitted to The Board of Examiners In partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts in Conflict Studies & Human Rights 1 From the Chagossians Let my fight be your cause, my hope be your inspiration, my trust be your motivation and my faith be your determination. Olivier Bancoult (2012). ii Supervisor: Carolijn Terwindt Date of submission: 21st of September 2012 Programme trajectory followed: Research & Thesis Writing only (30 ECTS). Word count: 26140 *Picture first page: http://www.chagossupport.org.uk/photos (30th of July 2012). * Quote see: Bancoult (2012. iii Acknowledgements I would like to thank Paul Mesman, my parents Jet Verberne and Wil van Lierop, and Anton Kirkels for supporting me while I was conducting and writing this research. Furthermore, I would like to thank my classmates, especially Mieke Bakx, for all their support and recommendations. And I would like to thank Wil van Lierop and Dayn Kent, for the editing and second reading of some of my chapters. I would also like to thank my supervisor Carolijn Terwindt for her guidance, support and inspiration. You taught me so many things. I especially appreciated your honesty when my thesis did not meet your expectations. Thanks to your guidance, every aspect of my four years of study at university has suddenly started to make sense. Thank you! I would also like to thank in particular Marry Kooy for her assistance and support before, during and after my field research and in the writing process. Thank you for all the literature, contact information, advice and recommendations on my chapters you provided me with. Thank you for keeping an eye on me and becoming a good friend in the process. Thank you for making my field research unforgettable. People in Mauritius Mauritius is said to be paradise. I have to say that this country is indeed astonishingly beautiful. But not so much because of its luscious green mountains, its pristine white sand beaches or the serene lagoons that surround the island. It is the pure and overwhelming hospitality of the inhabitants that makes this tiny island unique and wonderful. I am obliged to so many people for their assistance. First of all, my interviewees; thank you for taking your time with me. The insight that my interviewees gave me is indispensable. Thank you Mr Hookoom for providing me with information about Mauritian law and NGO’s. I would like to thank professor Hookoomsing for all the information and articles he shared with me. Thank you Madame Mercure for showing me Roche Bois and for your assistance. Thank you iv Eddy Begué for your assistance in arranging the interviews and for all documentaries and videos that you gave me. Many thanks also to my host family for providing me with a place to stay and to all my neighbours and friends who made me feel at home and for sharing their culture with me. Thank you Madihah for your assistance as a translator. I would like to thank Madame Clara Raphael for providing me with crucial contacts, for showing me around in several disadvantaged neighbourhoods and for her personal care for me. I would like to thank Emilié Raphael for her assistance with the transcription of my interviews. Finally, I would like to express my special thanks to the Husnoo family. No words can ever describe how grateful I am for your assistance. You arranged housing and provided me with a home, welcomed me into your life and culture and made my stay in Mauritius unforgettable. Also, there was no end to your knowledge about the Chagossians and assistance with my research project. Thank you for showing me so many places and for letting me taste Mauritius' finest cuisine. My most astonishing experience on your island was your hospitality. It feels a bit meagre to end with just 'thank you'… So I would like to add: very much! v List of abbreviations BIOT British Indian Ocean Territory CRG Chagos Refugees Group CSC Chagossian Social Committee NGO Non Governmental Organization SMO Social Movement Organization UK United Kingdom UN United Nations US United States vi Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 2 Selected cases of change in this study............................................................................... 4 Cases of change that have not been selected …………………………………………………………………. 5 Chapter 1: Conceptualization ............................................................................................... 9 Chapter 2: Research design and methodology .............................................................. 18 2.1 Research aims and paradigm .................................................................................... 18 2.2 Methodology ............................................................................................................... 20 Chapter 3: The context ........................................................................................................ 24 3.1 The history of the Chagossians ................................................................................. 24 3.2 The Conflict.................................................................................................................. 26 Chapter 4: The role of identity .......................................................................................... 29 4.1 Theories on the role of identity ................................................................................. 30 4.2 How has the Chagossian identity been developed and which changes in identity occurred? ............................................................................................................. 32 4.3 What changes in protest strategies occurred? ........................................................ 42 4.4 Analysis and subconclusion ...................................................................................... 49 Chapter 5: The role of human rights ................................................................................ 53 5.1 Theories on the role of human rights ...................................................................... 54 5.2 The development of using human rights in the struggle of the Chagossians ... 55 5.3 What changes in protest strategies occurred? ........................................................ 61 5.4 Analysis and subconclusion ..................................................................................... 61 Chapter 6: The role of litigation …………………………………………………………65 vii 6.1 Theories on the role of litigation……………………………………………………65 6.2 The development of using litigation in the struggle of the Chagossians……….66 6.3 What changes in protest strategies occurred? ……………………………………..70 6.4 Analysis and subconclusion…………………………………………………………71 Chapter 7: Conclusion and reflection……………………………………………………75 7.1 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………..75 7.2 Reflections……………………………………………………………………………..80 References ............................................................................................................................. 81 Annex 1: Interviews and interviewees ............................................................................ 89 viii Introduction It is the third of November 2000. Olivier Bancoult leaves the courtroom. His face displays an immense smile. He puts his arms up in the air and his hands symbolize a ‘v’. Victory, at last. It is the first time in their struggle that the Chagossians have successfully challenged the denial of their right to return. Olivier Bancoult and a handful of supporters win a lawsuit against the British government; comparisons are made with David who defeats Goliath. It is a unique situation; indigenous social movement organizations rarely drag their former colonial ruler to court. The use of lawsuits as a protest form is also remarkable for the Chagossians. They tried lawsuits at earlier stages in their struggle, but failed. And some lawsuits following the 2000 Bancoult case led to negative results too. The Chagossians used and use a variety of protest forms. We can see changes in their protest strategies. There seems to be an ongoing process in which traditional protest forms as hunger strikes and demonstrations are being replaced by new protest forms, especially litigation. The protest strategies of the Chagossians have changed numerous times in the past decades. It is well-known in academic literature that social movement organizations adapt their strategies whenever this is necessary. It is interesting however to look why social movement organizations develop their strategies in certain directions and to see what the role is of specific elements in the process of strategy change. This thesis will focus on this process of change in protest forms in the struggle of the Chagossians. It discusses a number of cases that played an important role in this process. The Chagossian struggle started at the end of the 1960s, when these inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago were forcibly evicted from their home islands. They ended up displaced on either Mauritius or the Seychelles. Since their eviction, the Chagossians have been protesting against their forcible displacement and they claim to have the right to return to their precious archipelago. Protests continue to this present day. But protest forms and strategies have changed. Changes that have been observed are the replacement