DKI APCSS Professor Shyam Tekwani explores the evolving role of small island states in Indian Ocean geopolitics in his latest Security Nexus Perspective, “In This Ocean, Small States Learn to Speak.” Focusing on the sovereignty dispute over the Chagos Archipelago, Tekwani highlights how Mauritius and the Maldives are asserting their agency, transforming from objects to agents in regional geopolitics. The paper examines the implications of their actions for great-power dynamics, regional stability, and the broader strategic environment, including the role of Diego Garcia and the Chagossians’ unresolved history. This thought-provoking analysis sheds light on how small states are navigating complex relationships and shaping the future of the Indian Ocean.

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