Government decides to keep President's letter to UK regarding Chagos Islands confidential

The government has decided not to disclose the letter sent by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu to the United Kingdom regarding the transfer of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands

Speaking at the official Republic Day function, President Muizzu said that he sent the letter to the UK, expressing that transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to the Maldives would have been a preferable outcome.

President Muizzu stated that the Chagos Islands are closely tied to Maldivian history and that it would be more appropriate for the Maldives to have sovereignty over the islands rather than any other country. President Muizzu has sent a letter to the British government regarding the matter.

"The place [Chagos Islands] is more closely linked to Maldives than any other country, according to the old scriptures of our Sultans," he said.

Mihaaru News filed a Right to Information (RTI) request seeking a copy of the letter sent by President Muizzu to the UK.

However, after extending the 14 day response period, the President's Office declined the request, citing Article 31 of the Right to Information Act.

Under Article 31, state institutions have the discretion to withhold information if its disclosure would cause irrevocable damage.

The previous administration faced criticism over its handling of the Chagos Islands issue, particularly concerning a letter sent by then-President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to Mauritius. While the government had opted not to disclose the letter publicly, it was later "leaked" during the presidential election.

The opposition alleged that the letter influenced the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ruling, which recognized Mauritius' entitlement to the Chagos Islands. They claimed that this led to the Maldives losing part of its territorial waters.

After half a century, the islands were ceded to Mauritius after two years of negotiations.

The decision followed a previous advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) suggesting that the islands belong to Mauritius. At the time the United Nation's General Assembly also voted implement the recommendation.

The Chagos Islands include Diego Garcia, the closest island to the Maldives, where the U.S. currently operates a long-term leased military base. The island is designated for naval ships, bombers, and long-haul aircraft, and is part of a separate atoll in the Chagos Archipelago leased to the United States for an extended period.

The decision to handover Chagos islands was made in a joint statement issued by the Prime Ministers of the UK and Mauritius back in October.