Colonial British rule in Cyprus… today!

By Dr. Marios Matsakis

MEP for Cyprus (partly occupied by Britain and Turkey)

 

Britain retains sovereignty over two areas totalling 99 sq. miles in Cyprus. The above British Occupied Areas are referred to as “Sovereign Base Areas”. This is a misleading name, as in reality only a small percentage of these areas are used for military purposes. Most of these areas are civilian areas. In fact, 21 Cypriot villages are wholly or partly within these areas, and many thousands of Cypriot civilians live, work or travel through these areas daily.

Britain has excluded these areas from being in the EU. This means that, although both Britain and Cyprus are in the EU, these areas are outside the EU! Consequently the acquis communitaire is not applicable in these areas.

These areas are administered by a military British Governor and an Administrator, both appointed by the Queen of England. However, the civilian population in these areas have Cypriot and not British nationality.

These areas have “laws” made and implemented by the Administrator; and they have no elected representatives’ body of any shape or form. Civilians living or passing through these areas may be tried by British Service Courts, operating in military camps; the official language of these courts is English. Law and order is applied through British soldiers, British military police and a paramilitary civilian police force acting under orders of the Governor. Any convicted civilian may be put in prisons that have been purposefully built in these military areas.

All this is in accordance with the Treaty of Establishment of the Republic of Cyprus concluded in London on the 19th February 1959 and “presented to the (UK) Parliament by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defence by Command of Her Majority, July 1960″.

Apart from the above two areas, Britain retains a large number of other sites throughout the island, where it has a military presence or which are used for military exercises including sea/air bombardment and land forces’ live firing activities.

British troops and other British Defence personnel have complete freedom of movement in the Republic of Cyprus and their vehicles pay no taxes, such as road tax, to the Cyprus authorities.

British military aircraft have the right to overfly whenever they wish the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.

The United Kingdom authorities have the right to use all the airports and sea ports of the Republic at any time and for any reason so long as they consider this to be associated with their Defence needs.

The United Kingdom authorities also have the right to install and operate communication systems and postal services, to employ Cypriot nationals and to undertake surveys in Cyprus.

The parliament of Cyprus has unanimously called for the withdrawal of British occupation forces from Cyprus. But, the Cyprus Government is hesitant to do the same, at this point in time, as it considers it difficult to open a second “front” with Britain — the first “front” being with Turkey which also occupies a part of Cyprus.

The Government of Cyprus rather hopes that the matter can be resolved amicably and quietly within the EU, with Britain abiding by the principles and values on which the EU is founded. This, so far, was proven to be a false hope.

But, irrespective of the stance of the Cyprus Government, we have a duty towards the thousands of Cypriot EU citizens whose rights are violated by Britain.

The EU Parliament stands for Freedom, Democracy, Justice and protection of civilians who are under undemocratic governance. We often issue strong condemnations and justifiably so, when the rights of civilians are violated in communist and other totalitarian regimes. Why don’t we do the same for the case of the gross violation by Britain of the rights of Cypriot people, especially those living under British military rule in the British Occupied Areas of Cyprus? Why do we close our eyes to the continued (since 1878) shameful colonial occupation by Britain of Cyprus?

It is inconceivable that an EU member state occupies another EU member state in this manner and it is tolerated by the EU.

Colleagues, please help the Cypriot people (both Turkish and Greek) to get rid of the British colonial presence in Cyprus. Please send letters of protest to the British Prime Minister or raise this issue in other relevant and appropriate fora.