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When you find yourself looking on-line for a few of the remotest islands on the planet, it helps to get the identify proper. However a row has damaged out over the labelling of the Chagos Islands on Google maps.
The UK maintains that it nonetheless holds sovereignty over what it phrases British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) – one of many smallest of purple dots on the standard cartographic globe.
However Mauritius, which has been recognised as legit proprietor of the archipelago in a collection of worldwide courtroom judgments and United Nations votes since 2019, has formally requested Google to re-describe the islands as a part of its territory.
Letters seen by the Guardian have been despatched to the search engine’s California headquarters requesting that BIOT, which incorporates the strategic US navy base of Diego Garcia, be wiped off the map.
Mauritius first despatched a request in January 2020 to Sundar Pichai, the chief govt officer at Google. It requested the corporate to “rectify this error instantly” and included as proof references to the advisory opinion of the international court of justice in The Hague.
The judgment stated the UK “unlawfully” indifferent the Chagos Islands from Mauritius previous to granting it independence in 1968. Mauritius stated that an awesome majority vote by the United Nations General Assembly adopted the courtroom’s opinion and “demanded that the UK terminate its illegal colonial administration”.
The letter stated the “error might be interpreted as tacit approval … of the UK’s illegal administration”. The islands, it added, must be marked “Chagos Archipelago (Republic of Mauritius)”.
Two additional requests had been despatched by Mauritius criticising the “mislabelling”, however no change has but been made on-line. Authorized proceedings, Mauritius has warned, might be introduced in opposition to Google.
Jagdish Koonjul, the Mauritian ambassador to the United Nations, stated: “We by no means acquired a reply. It’s disappointing. One would have assumed that Google can be the perfect place to acquire data and that no matter they’re [displaying] can be correct. What they’re displaying is inaccurate.”
The Google Maps search engine, when it locates BIOT, merely explains that it’s “a disputed British Abroad Territory of the UK located within the Indian Ocean midway between Tanzania and Indonesia”.
After being approached by the Guardian, Google stated it was trying into the matter.
Apple Maps, against this, agreed to alter its labelling. Searches for each “BIOT” and “British Indian Ocean Territory” on Apple Maps produce the response “No outcomes discovered”.
The Overseas, Commonwealth and Growth Workplace (FCDO) stated: “The UK has little question as to our sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory, which we now have held repeatedly since 1814. Mauritius has by no means held sovereignty over the territory and the UK doesn’t recognise its declare.”
In the meantime, the previous Labour get together chief Jeremy Corbyn, a longtime supporter of exiled Chagossians, has published a letter of support following Mauritius’s first expedition to the Chagos Islands to claim its sovereignty.
He declared: “The British authorities should now have interaction with Mauritius and negotiate a settlement of those points. I name on the federal government instantly to revive the appropriate of return of the Chagossians to their homeland and work with Mauritius on a trial resettlement programme.”
Alyn Smith MP, overseas affairs spokesperson for the SNP in Westminster, stated: “The SNP stands four-square behind worldwide regulation and it’s clear that the Chagos Islands aren’t UK territory. In 2019, the UN common meeting voted overwhelmingly to sentence the UK’s persevering with, systematic occupation of the Chagos Islands. In the identical 12 months, the worldwide courtroom of justice additionally dominated the occupation unlawful. Final month, the UN’s worldwide tribunal for the regulation of the ocean upheld this verdict.
“It’s excessive time for the UK to finish its unlawful occupation of the Chagos Islands. The SNP will proceed honouring its longstanding manifesto dedication to supporting worldwide efforts for the Chagos Islands to be returned to their rightful homeowners and elevating the problem at residence.”
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