- Title: MAURITUIS: CURFEW IMPOSED AS BRITISH FORCES HELP WITH REFUGEE PROBLEM
- Date: 30th January 1968
- Summary: ARMED BRITISH SAILOR GUARDING CREOLE REFUGEE; CREOLE REFUGEES DRIVE AWAY; MOSLEMS WATCH; MOSLEM COMMUNITY; MOSLEM REFUGEES. Initials GEM/V/JF/ES Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 14th February 1968 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MAURITIUS
- Country: Mauritius
- Reuters ID: LVACYMBKB9ZT9QDX3L5FHQ2YR10Q
- Story Text: MAURITIUS HAS BEEN QUIET FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS FOLLOWING THE FIGHTING BETWEEN MOSLEMS AND CREOLE COMMUNITIES THAT HAS COST 24 LIVES. BUT NOW THE ISLAND IS FACING THE PROBLEM OF REFUGEES, AND THE BRITISH FORCES RUSHED THERE ARE HELPING LOCAL POLICE DEAL WITH IT.
BLOODY COMMUNAL RIOTING STARTED ON THE BRITISH ISLAND COLONY IN THE INDIAN OCEAN MORE THAN A WEEK AGO. THE SMALL LOCAL POLICE FORCE AND SPECIAL MOBILE FORCE WERE UNABLE TO RESTORE ORDER, AND THE GOVERNOR APPEALED TO BRITAIN FOR HELP. BRITISH SOLDIERS WERE FLOWN FROM SINGAPORE, AND SEVERAL ROYAL NAVY SHIPS STEAMED TO THE ISLAND.
THE SOLDIERS, WORKING WITH THE LOCAL FORCES, SOON QUELLED THE RIOTING. YESTERDAY, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THEY ARRIVED, THEY WERE GIVEN A REST, AND ARMED SAILORS TOOK OVER TO LEND A HAND WITH THE INEVITABLE RESULT OF THE TROUBLES... REFUGEES.
THE CREOLE AND MOSLEM COMMUNITIES HAVE ALWAYS SHARED THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS OF THE CAPITAL, PORT LOUIS, WITH CREOLE GROUPS LIVING IN THE MIDST OF MOSLEMS AND VICE VERSA. BUT NOW THE HOSTILE GROUPS ARE SEPARATING, CREOLES LEAVING THEIR HOMES IN MOSLEM DISTRICTS. OUR FILM SHOWS ONE FAMILY, GUARDED BY BRITISH SAILORS AND WATCHED BY THEIR MOSLEM NEIGHBOURS, PACKING THEIR POSSESSIONS ONTO A TRUCK AND MOVING TO A REFUGEE CENTRE.
THE TRAFFIC MOVES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. THERE ARE ALREADY AN ESTIMATED 1,500 MOSLEM REFUGEES CROWDED INTO A CENTRE SET UP IN A MOSLEM GIRL'S COLLEGE. AT A NEARBY MOAQUE, CLOTHING COLLECTED BY THE MOSLEM COMMUNITY IS DISTRIBUTED TO THE REFUGEES.
THE LATEST MOVE IN ENDING THE TROUBLE HAS BEEN A DUSK-TO-DAWN CURFEW THAT CAME INTO EFFECT TODAY (TUESDAY). THE POLICE COMMISSIONER, MR BERNARD MCCAFFREY, SAID IT WAS BEING IMPOSED BECAUSE SECURITY FORCES WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY IN DISTINGUISHING, AS HE PUT IT, BETWEEN GOOD AND BAD CHARACTERS, AND BECAUSE OF THE CONTINUED MOVEMENT OF HOOLIGANS AND BAD CHARACTERS AT NIGHT.
THE PRIME MINISTER, SIR SEEWOOSAGUR RAMGOOLAM, HAS STRESSED THAT THE DISTURBANCES ARE NOT POLITICAL AND ARE NOT CAUSED BY OPPOSITION TO MAURITIUS ATTAINING INDEPENDENCE ON 12 MARCH. HE SAID IT WAS A SERIOUS COMMUNAL CLASH BETWEEN MOSLEMS AND CREOLES WHICH BEGAN WITH GANGS TRYING TO PROTECT PROSTITUTES.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None