The Falkland Islanders Reply To Argentina

Following is a response from the Falkland Islands to the President of Argentina's continued belligerent colonialist threats to the freedom and self-determination of the Islands:

 

FALKLAND ISLANDS
Falkland Islands Government Reaction to Open Letter from President Fernandez de Kirchner

It is disappointing that today the Government of Argentina is once again ignoring the rights and wishes of the Falkland Islands people. The open letter sent by President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to David Cameron is not only historically inaccurate, but fails to mention the most significant aspect of our recent history – the attempt by the Argentine Government to take away our home by military force when they invaded thirty years ago. The people of the Falkland Islands, who for nine generations have lived and worked these lands, would like to take the opportunity to clarify some points raised by President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

The Falkland Islands had no indigenous population prior to their settlement by our ancestors – the Islands were unoccupied. Argentina claims the Falkland Islands form part of the province of Tierra del Fuego – an area that was not claimed as a part of the Republic of Argentina until after two generations of Falkland Islanders had been born and raised in our Islands.

There is no truth to Argentine claims that a civilian population was expelled by Britain in 1833. The people who were returned to Argentina were an illegal Argentine military garrison, who had arrived three months earlier. The civilian population in the Islands, who had sought permission from Britain to live there, were invited to stay. All but two of them, with their partners, did so.

We are not an implanted population. Our community has been formed through voluntary immigration and settlement over the course of nearly two hundred years. We are a diverse society, with people from around the world having made the Islands their home.

The UN Charter enshrines the right of all people to determine their own future, a principle known as self-determination. It is in exercising this right that we have chosen to retain our links with the UK. It is this fundamental right that is being ignored by the Argentine Government, who are denying our right to exist as a people, and denying our right to live in our home.

As a modern, self-governing Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom, we enjoy a relationship based on the shared ideals of democracy, freedom and self-reliance. We are not a colony of the United Kingdom; we are a British Overseas Territory by choice, which is something entirely different. We are not governed by Britain: we are entirely self-governing, except for defence and foreign affairs. We democratically elect our Legislative Assembly Members; they are chosen by the people of the Falkland Islands to represent them and to determine and administer our own policies and legislation. In March we will be holding a referendum on our political status, so that as a people we can make our views heard in a clear, democratic and incontestable way.

The Honourable Dick Sawle

Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands

History is a subject I love but there are times when we have to look at a situation and say that history is largely irrelevant. The Falkland Islands fall into that category. Yes, posession has changed hands at times in the last few centuries, but there is now a clear Falklands culture and population. It is up to the population of the Falklands to decide their future, not the United Kingdom and most definitely not Argentina.

We visited Argentina in 1991 and had a fantastic time. The people are generous and hospitable and the country is beautiful.

Despite reports before we travelled into Argentina, a wonderful train journey from La Paz in Bolivia, we experienced absolutely no anti-English sentiment and we travelled extensively for about three weeks.

At the border there were signs declaring 'Las Malvinas' to be Argentinian, as there were on the side of some buildings in the docks of Buenos Aires, but that was it. We even met an ex-soldier who had been captured in the Falklands. He still couldn't understand why his government had invaded and had nothing but admiration for our armed forces.

Seeing the so-called demonstrators on the streets of Buenos Aires I couldn't help thinking that they looked like a small group of misfits playing to the camera, probably at the behest of the media desperate to ramp up interest in the story. Indeed a friend who has a son currently working in Buenos Aires supported my view.

By and large the population seem to be more interested in finding out the true evils of recent Argentine dictators than marching into Port Stanley again. I'm sure the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo would rather find out what happened to their loved ones under Argentine military dictators than see more young Argentinians sent to their deaths over a group of islands over 300 miles away.

As ever these bouts of love for the Falklands shown by the Argentine government have more to do with government greed than democracy. The easy answer to any disputes such as this, or the current situation in Scotland, is to let the people decide, not governments through power crazed politicians. It's quite simple really.

Argentina, Tango and Astor Piazzola, Milonga del Angel

After travelling from Mexico, through Central America and much of South America, reaching Argentina is very refreshing, or it was in 1991. Times may have changed, but despite the Falklands War less than a decade earlier, Buenos Aires was a welcoming and comfortable place to spend some time. And with music like this how could you not enjoy Argentina? And if this doesn't get you fancying a trip over there then consider the prospect of the finest, most succulent steaks in the world, washed down with some of the world's finest, affordable wine. I give you, Astor Piazzola:

Falklands War II?

Not militant Islamists, Argentinians!

That famous old Churchill quote: "those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it", is as relevant today as it was all those years ago.  But it seems that this government is continuing to treat the armed services with the same level of contempt that the last shower did.

From the Telegraph Online:

Scrapping Britain’s flagship aircraft carrier made no financial sense and leaves the Falkland Islands vulnerable to a new attack, former senior Navy commanders have claimed.  

Lord West of Spithead and Sir Julian Oswald, Admiral of the Fleet, are among a number of officers to have urged David Cameron to reverse the cost-cutting announced in last month’s defence review.

The irresponsible action of this Coalition/Tory government follows increasing militancy from the Argentinians over their claim to the Falklands, against the clear wishes of the islanders. The following comes from The Grauniad  in February this year:

Buenos Aires moves ahead with sovereignty claim following mobilising of Latin American support against Britain last night intensified its diplomatic offensive against Britain's oil exploration off the Falkland Islands by taking the case to the United Nations.

There is absolutely no justification for the Argentine claim to the Falklands. The only justification for them becoming sovereign Argentinian territory would be if the majority of Falkland Islanders wanted the change. They are firm in their wish to maintain the status quo. So why is this government leaving them vulnerable to a second invasion? Would our Anglo-French navy stand any chance of repeating the heroics of 1982? I doubt it, the French would be as supportive now as they were in 1982.

On the Saturday in 1982 when the House of Lords debated the response to the Argentinian invasion that led to the sending of the Task Force, I was in Westminster at a Freedom Association meeting. One of those present was a member of the House of Lords and returned from the House occasionally to update us on the debate. It was extremely exciting at the time, but I would prefer it not to be repeated. Sadly the Coalition/Tory government don't seem to remember those distant days.

It is not for us or the Argentines to decide the future of the Falkland Islands, it is for the Falkland Islanders to decide their own future.

The Falklands/Las Malvinas

The rumpus over the Falklands brings back some memories, mostly from the year of the conflict 1982, and then when I was in Argentina with Mrs B in 1991. Nine years seemed like a lifetime then, it's gone in a flash now.

The weekend in 1982 that the Argentinian invasion was being discussed in Parliament I was at a Freedom Association meeting at the Commonwealth Club in London. One of the senior figures, a retired Rear Admiral I think, kept popping back from the House of Lords to update us on the debates. It was incredibly exciting and all of us there sensed being at the heart of a great event that would live long in our history.

Soon after I was responsible for organising a counter demo to an anti-war demo in Manchester led by, amongst others, the then MP for Manchester Central Bob Litherland, one of their more left-wing MPs as I remember. There were some pretty unsavoury characters on the anti-war march including Sinn Fein and the National Union of Mineworkers and scuffles were breaking out all along the route of the march as counter demonstrators, our numbers swelled by sympatetic members of the public, became increasingly angry and vociferous. Several arrests were made, even among our Young Conservative ranks!

Now it's time to fast forward to 1991. We had been working in Mexico in 1990 then set off travelling, mainly overland, down Central and around South America. We had been warned by other travellers that British tourists were still being given a hard time in Argentina over 'Las Malvinas'. But we wanted to see the country so decided to go anyway.

We took an overnight train from La Paz in Bolivia and the following day arrived in Argentina to be greeted, at the border, by huge billboards proclaiming 'Las Malvinas son Agentinas'. Of course they aren't, and never will be, unless our forces are so overstretched fighting illegal wars of aggression we can no longer defend our own territory. The next time we saw the Malvinas billboards were round the docks of Buenos Aires.

We spent about three weeks in Argentina and came across absolutely no animosity at all from anybody, be that local people, immigration officials, hotel staff or anybody else. The people were without exception friendly and hospitable, and the steaks are the best you will find anywhere in the world, worth the trip for the steaks alone.

We met one man who, we discovered during a conversation, had been taken prisoner in the Falklands by the Paras. I must admit this information did make me gulp as I wondered how he felt then about his experience nearly 10 years earlier. He just smiled and told me that they should never try anything like that again if for one reason only. His only reason was that in his view we British are all crazy people. He meant it in the nicest possible way, after all who expected us to send a taskforce to the South Atlantic and kick the arse of a military dictator? Not the Argentinians that's for sure.

So its with a strange sense of deja vu that many of us are keeping an eye on the current developments in the South Atlantic. It's amazing what hated, authoritarian governments will do when there is oil about and they are suffering in the opinion polls. Isn't it Tony and Gordon?

Wonder who more resembles the deperate despot General Galtieri, Gordon Brown or Cristina Fernandez De Kirchner? It's Gordon Brown for me.