MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Identification of soldiers remains buried in Falklands has started, says Argentina
The proposal intends to settle a historic debt with the relatives of the fallen heroes who rest in the Darwin cemetery under the caption, 'Argentine soldier only known by God'. 
The release states that the identification of the remains involves the Red Cross Committee, and is based on “the agreement signed by Argentina and the UK”
The Argentine Justice ministry's Human Rights and Cultural Pluralism Desk, announced on Friday that the identification process of the remains of the “Argentine heroes” buried in the Falkland Islands Darwin cemetery has started, and is based on the “accord signed between Argentina and the UK”.
The ministry's release states that the identification of the remains involves the Red Cross International Committee, is based on the agreement signed by Argentina and the UK, and is estimated the task will be done between this month (March) and next December.
“The proposal intends to settle a historic debt with the relatives of the fallen heroes who rest in the Darwin cemetery under the caption, 'Argentine soldier only known by God'.
The mission, strictly humanitarian and confidential, does in no way affect the national claim of Argentine sovereignty rights over the Malvinas Islands”, adds the release.
It then points out that “the procedure is optional and will be addressed case by case, so that relatives interested in it, must consent and contribute with their DNA samples”.
“The whole task will be done with the utmost respect and the necessary cares from a specialized group, and the results of each identification, will only be communicated to the families when the Red Cross forwards them in a consolidated full report”.
Besides the “remains will not be taken to the continent following the identification process, because it is not part of the initiative”
The Justice ministry release emphasizes that the Argentine government “is committed to respect the will of the families facing such a delicate matter”, if any of them wishes to remove the remains in the future.
The data collected from the families and that referred to the Argentine fallen combatants, as well as the result of the DNA samples, “will not be publicly released”.
Finally the release gives two phone-number options to which interested families in more information can call since the government continues to work so that the “State reaches all Argentines”.
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Read all commentsWhile I have never agreed to the remains staying on our land I do agree with identification for those families that need to know but that the bodies , all of them, should be returned to the Country they came from because they did not die on Argentine soil as many claim they died as a true invader of our land. Their Country still uses aggression towards us and we all know that this operation will become another tool in their argument a bit further down the road. Argentina has already made it clear that they will not give up until we are removed from our land. They preach that we do not exist. They have no respect for their dead because they chucked thousands into the Atlantic during their own internal affairs when 20,000 disappeared. Folk are fooling themselves if they believe formal identification will end the arguments, it wont rest assured.
Mar 04th, 2017 - 11:13 pm +6aaaaaand... why are we having to do this? Because of the illegal invasion of a British Overseas Territory 35 years ago and the subsequent the arrogant stupidity of the Argentine officers who wouldn't assist with the identification of their own war dead. Dig them up; send them back
Mar 04th, 2017 - 10:06 pm +5I think they need repatriation
Mar 04th, 2017 - 03:40 pm +4Commenting for this story is now closed.
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