Public backs “Right to Self-Determination” for Chagos, Greenland, Falklands and Ahwaz, finds poll

A major new poll, commissioned by the Free Ahwaz Campaign and conducted by Whitestone Insight, reveals overwhelming support for the right to self-determination for the people of the Chagos and Falkland Islands, Greenland and the Ahwaz Region.

The data finds the British public is strongly supportive of people in these four territories deciding their own future and believes that official British Government policy should be to support the UN-enshrined right.

The poll of over 2,000 UK adults finds that three-quarters (76 per cent) of those surveyed support the principle of self-determination, the idea that a people should have the right to choose their own sovereignty and international political status, with just one in 25 (4 per cent) disagreeing.

The findings indicate a broad consensus across the political spectrum, though support is particularly pronounced among 2024 Labour voters (81 per cent), SNP voters 94 per cent and Plaid Cymru voters 82 per cent.

The high level of support came ahead of this week’s devastating Court ruling that the Chagos Islanders, who were expelled by the British Government in the 1960s, have the right to return and live on the British Indian Ocean Territory and the bizarre claims, made earlier this year, by President Trump that he was planning to annex Greenland.

By a ratio of 3:1 (53 per cent – 17 per cent), the British public believes the UK should support groups seeking independence in other countries, such as the persecuted Ahwaz people of Iran, who have been victimised, tortured and murdered in their thousands by the current regime in Tehran.

Asked: “The UK should back referendums for independence in regions of the world with a long history of groups seeking self-determination or independence?” 54 per cent agreed, while just 13 per cent disagreed.

The poll found strong backing for UN involvement and support for people asserting their right to self-determination. Asked: “The United Nations ought to give its backing to peoples and regions where a majority want to have the right to self-determination?”, fully two thirds (66 per cent) agreed, with just fewer than one in 14 (seven per cent) disagreeing.

While support for the general principle is high, the data revealed an “alarming” discrepancy regarding British Overseas Territories. When asked about specific groups:

• 75 per cent of UK adults support self-determination for Greenland.
• 70 per cent support it for Falkland Islanders.
• 63 per cent support it for the Chagos Islands.
• 50 per cent support it for the Ahwaz.

The fact that support for the Falklands and Chagos Islands, territories with direct historical and political links to the UK, is lower than support for Greenland (a territory of Denmark) is a point of interest. It suggests a potential “perception gap” regarding the specific struggles and rights of those living under British protection with strong historical and cultural links to the UK.

The slightly lower level of support for the Ahwazi Arabs in Iran, also suggests a lack of awareness of these persecuted people. While just half (50 per cent) of the public supported their right to self-determination, only one in 10 (11 per cent) opposed it. Once the “Don’t knows” were excluded, support for the people of the Ahwaz Region to be allowed to determine their own future skyrocketed to 81 per cent.

Among Labour voters, support for the Ahwazi Arabs is particularly robust, standing at 57 per cent in favour versus just 9 per cent against. This specific finding underscores a growing awareness of human rights issues in the Middle East and a desire for the UK to stand with oppressed minorities seeking autonomy.

Dr Aref Al-kaabi, a leading dissident and spokesperson of the Free Ahwaz Campaign, commented: “The results of this poll are a testament to the British public’s enduring sense of fair play and justice. They rightly believe in the fundamental right of people in places like Ahwaz, who have endured many horrific acts of violence, mistreatment and ethnic cleansing, to determine who and how they are governed. They understand that oppression or bullying tactics go against international law. Importantly, they expect the British Government to stand up against dictators and demagogues who think that might is right and inflict their poisonous ideology on to a peace-loving people.”