1961. Sir Bruce Greatbatch, Governor of the Seychelles, gave the order that all the dogs on Diego Garcia were to be killed. These were much loved pets and the horror of their killing was taken as a warning by the Islanders. Almost 1000 pets were rounded up and gassed, using the exhaust fumes from American military vehicles. ‘They were absolutely destroyed by the fate reserved for their dogs and many of them told me, in no uncertain words - they were told that any objection to the depopulation – they would suffer the same fate’. (Robin Mardemootoo lawyer for Chagos Islanders)