Caribbean calls for return of British Virgin Islands – and for King Charles to back decolonisation

Sir Hilary Beckles, chairman of the commission, insisted at a briefing in London that reparations and decolonisation should go hand in hand. Photograph: Francis Kokoroko/Reuters View image in fullscreen Sir Hilary Beckles, chairman of the commission, insisted at a briefing in London that reparations and decolonisation should go hand in hand. Photograph: Francis Kokoroko/Reuters Caribbean calls for return of British Virgin Islands – and for King Charles to back decolonisation At London briefing, Caricom Reparations Commission decries fact region remains ‘most colonised part of world’ The main reparations committee for Caribbean nations has called on the UK to return the British Virgin Islands and for King Charles to commit to decolonising Britain’s remaining overseas territories, warning of a “resurgence of colonisation” around the world. In a visit to the UK this week, the Caricom Reparations Commission – the body seeking reparative justice for enslavement, colonialism and its legacies on behalf of the alliance of Caribbean states – decried the fact that the Caribbean remained “the most colonised part of the world”. It recently launched a new manifesto outlining the “moral, ethical and legal case for reparations”, and at a briefing on Tuesday in London, David Comissiong, Barbados’ ambassador to Caricom, said “decolonisation has been inserted into this new manifesto … as a key demand”. The British overseas territories of Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos have internal self-governance but remain under the control of UK-appointed governors with authority over defence, international affairs and some security and legal matters. Sir Hilary Beckles, chair of the commission, said on Tuesday that the Caribbean was the most colonised part of the world, something that had to stop. “We are are saying to the world and to the United Nations,” he said, was to “bring an end to colonisation, because if we do not bring it into the framework of reparatory justice, we might see a resurgence of colonisation elsewhere. What is in the Caribbean’s new slavery reparations manifesto? Read more “And we’re beginning to see signs of that. People sending their armies and so on into other people’s territories and taking control. We begin to see how power can lead to a resurgence of colonisation.” Beckles added: “We object to the fact that when we leave our independent islands and we arrive in Martinique, there’s a sign at the airport that says, ‘Welcome to France’. “We object to the fact that in the Virgin Islands, our people cannot make fundamental decisions because they have to consult with the British governor and consult with Downing Street to make decisions … and we want to have it uprooted as part of the enlightenment that we’re calling for – democracy, freedom, sovereignty for everyone.” Comissiong said it was “inconceivable” that having transcended the oppression of slavery and being “sucked dry” by colonial