No reports on state protection available to Mauritians, particularly Hindus, attacked by Muslim community members for having relationships with Muslim women could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

However, the following information may be useful. In his 1997 article "Tensions Between the Ethnic and the Post-Ethnic: Ethnicity, Change and Mixed Marriages in Mauritius," Thomas Hylland Eriksen, a social anthropologist based at the University of Oslo in Denmark, states that the incidence of mixed or interethnic marriages among Mauritians in the last 30 years has increased. Nonetheless, he also observes that "although the marriage pattern is changing and "individually based 'love marriages' as opposed to arranged marriages are now widespread, even among Hindus and Muslims, parental authority remains strong" (ibid.).

Additionally, Country Reports 1996 (1997, 185-186); 1998 (Apr. 1999, 281); 1999 (Apr. 2000, 341), and 2000 (2001, 412-413) states that religious and ethnic tensions among Mauritius' ethnic groups including Hindus, Muslims and Creoles remain high. Mauritian's population reportedly comprises of 51 per cent Hindu migrants from India, 18 per cent Muslims from India, 27 per cent Creoles, or descendants African slave, and Dutch and French colonists and the remainder Euro-Mauritians and Chinese (AP 19 Jan. 2001).

For additional information on mixed marriages in Mauritius, please consult the attached document.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Associated Press (AP). 19 January 2001. "Police Hope to Wind Up Death Squad Investigation Soon." (NEXIS)

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1995-2000. 1996-2001. United Stated Department of State. Washington, DC. United States Government Printing Office.

Eriksen, Thomas Hylland. "Tensions Between the Ethnic and the Post-ethnic: Ethnicity, Change and Mixed Marriages in Mauritius," In The Politics of Ethnic Consciousness.Edited by Hans Vermeulen and Cora Govers, eds. 1997. London: Macmillan.http://folk.uio.no/geirthe/Post-ethnic.html[Accessed 2 Apr. 2002]

Attachment

Eriksen, Thomas Hylland. "Tensions Between the Ethnic and the Post-ethnic: Ethnicity, Change and Mixed Marriages in Mauritius," In The Politics of Ethnic Consciousness.Edited by Hans Vermeulen and Cora Govers, eds. 1997. London: Macmillan.http://folk.uio.no/geirthe/Post-ethnic.html[Accessed 2 Apr. 2002]

Additional Sources Consulted

Africa Confidential

Africa Research Bulletin

Amnesty International

Th Indian Ocean Newsletter

IRB Databases

Keesing's Recorder of World Events

LEXIS/NEXIS

Internet sites including:

All Africa

Search engines including:

Google

Mamma