“We All Must Have the Same Treatment”

“Chagossians are not asking for charity,” said Louis Olivier Bancoult, the elected leader of the exiled people of the Indian Ocean’s Chagos Archipelago. “Chagossians are asking for our due for what has happened since we were deracinated. … For all the damages that we’ve suffered, to recognize, to give reparation. To give reparation for all the suffering that we have experienced during these years.” But, he added, “We are not only asking for money. We are asking for money, compensation for our suffering, but we are also asking for our islands, our fundamental rights, and our dignity.”