Statement on Recent Public Commentary Concerning Diego Garcia

Recent public commentary concerning Diego Garcia reflects renewed international attention to developments affecting the Chagos Archipelago. While such remarks underscore the strategic sensitivity of the territory, they do not alter the legal, historical, and procedural issues that remain unresolved.

The position of Pen for Rights is consistent and principled. The Chagos question cannot be resolved through bilateral arrangements, political rhetoric, or security-driven narratives. It must be addressed within the framework of the United Nations decolonization process and in accordance with established principles of international law.

A central and continuing concern is the longstanding procedural defect in the decolonization record, namely the non-listing of the Maldives as a Non-Self-Governing Territory and the resulting exclusion of the Maldives from decolonization processes relating to the Chagos Archipelago. This omission has material legal consequences and requires formal examination and rectification.

Any lawful and durable resolution must be grounded in historical accuracy, due process, and inclusivity. This necessarily requires meaningful consultation with all affected communities, including the Maldives and the Chagossian people, within an appropriate UN-mandated framework.

Our work is not aligned with any political figure, government, or geopolitical agenda. It is directed toward ensuring that the Chagos question is addressed through transparent, inclusive, and procedurally sound United Nations mechanisms, consistent with the purposes and principles of decolonization.

Pen for Rights
Maldivians for Chagos – An Indian Ocean decolonization initiative