MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands' Councillors reject Sovereignty talks.

Falkland Islands elected Councillors addressing the UN Decolonisation Committee, C 24, emphasized Islanders right to self determination and argued that Argentina's sovereignty negotiations claim means “asking us to change from an Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom to a prize colony of Argentina”.

Councillor Roger Edwards underlined that "without exception Falkland Islanders do not wish to see a change of British sovereign status", adding "we stand before the Committee to ask that we be granted a basic right that is enshrined in the very charter of the United Nations, ?and recognized by the United Nations in every non self governing territory other that the Falkland Islands, self determination".

Highlighting Islanders wishes to live in peace with neighbours, "it would be nice if the present Argentine government could at least recognise that the Falkland Islands governs itself with its own locally elected members", Mr. Edwards said that to date the present Argentine government refuses to admit its existence and chooses only to converse through the British government, "hardly conductive to furthering stable political progress between our two countries, I would suggest".

Councillor Mike Summers described how the Falklands has evolved into a self governed, prosperous, confident people "through the freely expressed democratic rights of Islanders to choose their own political destiny, the right to self determination", and was adamant towards Argentina's sovereignty claims.

"There can be and will be no negotiations on sovereignty, because negotiation implies a willingness change or to concede which amongst Falkland Islanders does not exist. A resolution therefore which calls for a "negotiated solution to the Falklands/Malvinas question" has no place in this Committee, since the inhabitants of the Falkland Islands have no wish of it", stressed Councillor Summers.

"For several decades the Falkland Islands Government has largely run its own affairs through democratically elected Government. We have a modern constitution, with full protection for the rights and freedoms of individuals, though there will be further amendments in due course, to ensure that we continue to have first rate and effective political institutions, a clearly independent judiciary, an efficient public service, and that the concept of internal self-government is defined and protected".

Councillor Summers also pointed out the fact that "though we guard closely our right to run our own affairs through our elected representatives, within the spirit of the partnership between the United Kingdom and the Falkland Islands, there is no movement in the Falkland Islands for independence, nor for a change in political allegiance".

Relationship with the UK.

"This is not because the Falklands people are in some way mentally deficient, or so brainwashed that they cannot see the benefit of association with some other territory or grouping. It is because the relationship with the UK is what is best and most appropriate for us".

"Every member of the Legislative Council in this Government, and every Government before it, is elected on a mandate of continuing allegiance to and close co-operation with the UK and, consequently, the European Union. And every member is elected on a mandate of no concessions to Argentina on sovereignty, although members are committed to taking forward co-operation in agreed areas of mutual interest, in particular the protection of the regions environment and fish stocks".

But how does this compare and contrast with the clearly expressed intentions of the Argentine Government.

"It declares that any "solution" to the Falklands "dispute" would respect the interests of the people of the Falkland Islands. Not the wishes, which concept enshrines the democratic principle, but the interests - interests determined no doubt by them from outside, and imposed from above. Indeed the Foreign Minister himself has publicly stated on more than one occasion that the views of the people of the Falkland Islands are "irrelevant". Furthermore, "Argentina actually actively seeks to frustrate self-government in the Falkland Islands. Fortunately it has had little success, but it still seeks to prevent Falkland Islanders representing themselves in international bodies and at trade fairs, protesting regularly to the UK Government and to other host Governments and organisations, about our presence".

"This is absolutely contrary to the notion of fostering internal self-government for the peoples of the world, which this Committee quite rightly has as one of its key goals and responsibilities. To this extent the Argentine stance over the Falklands directly challenges the very purpose of this Committee".

Eradication of colonialism.

"So is it any wonder that Falkland Islanders are determined to maintain the right to self-determination provided for by the Charter of the UN and supported by you. Because the doctrine of interests determined from afar and imposed on the natives, is the doctrine of colonialism, a mantle that we threw off many years ago and indeed, Honorable Members, so did many of your countries, supported by the right to self-determination. It is colonialism that you are appointed to eradicate, and I call upon all Honorable Members of this Committee to make sure that external authoritarian rule should never be re-imposed on any of us".

In direct reference to the claim that the principle of self-determination does not apply to the Falkland Islands, because it is over-ridden by the principle of territorial integrity Councillor Summers argued that "in UN doctrine and therefore in this Committee, there is no such thing as decolonization through the application of the principle of territorial integrity".

"Even if it had any place, the notion of territorial integrity could only apply in circumstances very different to ours. We in the Falklands are geographically, geologically, culturally, linguistically and historically wholly different from the Argentines. We are 400 miles from the coast of Argentina. The notion of territorial integrity simply cannot apply in these circumstances".

"Irresponsible actions"

Finally Councillor Summers addressed the current Argentine government's attitude towards the Islanders.

"Last year I said that with a new, and hopefully stable Government in Argentina, there was an opportunity to move forward - for Argentina to demonstrate a new political maturity on the world stage, by setting aside its claim to our country and working with us to create a safe and prosperous area in the SW Atlantic".

"We were encouraged therefore when the Foreign Minister recognised in a statement shortly thereafter that Argentina needed to demonstrate to the Falkland Islanders that it had become a reliable, credible and attractive partner.

Unfortunately since then the Argentine Government has: encouraged its fishing fleet to fish in large numbers on the edge of our EEZ with the stated intention of destroying our fish stocks; denied permission to Chilean commercial aircraft to over-fly its territory to service cruise vessels visiting the Islands, in an attempt to damage our tourism industry; dispatched a naval vessel to harass foreign vessels that were properly licensed to fish in our waters".

Hardly the actions of a reliable, credible and attractive partner. The purpose for such unfriendly and in first case particularly irresponsible actions, have been clearly stated - to bring us and the UK Government to the table to discuss sovereignty. Fortunately we are made of sterner stuff, and will resist".

"Mr Chairman self determination for the people of the Falkland Islands must be the guiding principle for the UK, for Argentina and for this Committee".