MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands in UN reject sovereignty talks and claim self determination

Falkland Islands Councillors John Birmingham and Stephen Luxton addressed Wednesday morning the United Nations Decolonization Committee in New York underlining there is no “sovereignty” issue to discuss with Argentina and demanding the Committee concentrate in allowing the Islanders to choose their own future exercising their right to self determination.

A "bullying" administration out of touch with the 21st century

The current Argentine government is increasingly seen as a "bullying administration who don't seem to understand the realities of the 21st century", claimed today Falkland Islands Councillor John Birmingham in his speech before the United Nations Decolonization Committee in New York. Mr. Birmingham said that the sovereignty issue over the Islands, challenged by Argentina, remains "unchanged" because the Islands belong to the people who live there "and many families have lived in the Falklands for over 170 year" and as such, under the UN charter are entitled to the most fundamental right of all which is self-determination. He went on to say that when President Kirchner came into office the Falklands' elected councillors publicly wished him and his new administration well and hoped for further cooperation in areas of mutual interest and concern in the south-west Atlantic, not least the conservation of marine resources but "unfortunately, this has not happened and over the last two years this Argentine Administration has gone out of its way to make life difficult for the Falkland Islands" . Among the "bullying" actions against the Falklands, Councillor Birmingham enumerated, a ban on charter flights to the Islands, "attempting to damage our tourism industry"; encouraging the Argentine fishing fleet to fish in large numbers close to the Islands "attempting to undermine our fishing industry"; actively seeking to frustrate self government in the Islands and regularly protesting any Falkland Islanders presence in international bodies and trade fairs. However Councillor Birmingham also had strong words for the UN Decolonization Committee which he said sits not to persuade, to force or otherwise influence the people of the territories into changing their present arrangements or to urge them into independence. Rather "to provide the people of the territories with information about the options open to them and to work with the administering power to fulfil their mandates allowing people to exercise their right to self determination". Falkland Islanders understand this and "are happy to see former colonies moving from that status at their own pace and to a future of their own choice". Councillor Birmingham finally stated that Falkland Islanders have a lot of patience and as time goes by "I am confident that this committee will begin to see and accept that times have changed; that the remaining territories around the globe have rights under the UN charter; and surely the most fundamental right of all is self-determination".

Argentina intent in "colonizing" the Falklands

Self determination is about allowing the people of the Falkland Islands to choose their own future without any external influence and there will never be any negotiations in the current British sovereignty because there is no desire among Falklanders to change the status quo, Councillor Stephen Luxton told the UN Decolonization Committee. "Self determination is not about the sort of authoritarian colonial dominance and ownership that Argentina wishes to exert over my country" with total disregard for what the people of the Falklands think, added Councillor Luxton insisting that "such disregard directly challenges the purpose of this Committee". "It is plain that what the Argentine government is seeking from this process is nothing less than a change in sovereignty, to make the Falkland Islands a colony of Argentina so that they can impose their will on us while at the same time exploiting our natural wealth". Councillor Luxton highlighted that "if Argentina was truly democratic, it would recognise our right to determine our own future" and recalled that the Committee and United Nations purpose is not about territorial integrity or furthering the territorial aspirations of any state, it is about self-determination. "The Argentina government is confusing territorial integrity with geographical proximity". Further on Mr. Luxton emphasized there was no "colonial situation" since the Islands are an internally self governing and largely self sufficient British Overseas territory very happy to remain British and "we have nothing in common with Argentina culturally, linguistically, historically or politically". "We are a distinct and long established community with every right to choose our own future", said Councillor Luxton adding that "it's obvious that the Argentine sovereignty claim is time expired and that it should not in any way compromise the over-riding principle which is self-determination". Councillor Luxton recalled his family roots date back 150 years in the Falklands and insisted that Islanders will never be persuaded that the Argentine claim is valid. "The fact that Argentines are taught from a young age that the Falkland Islands have been illegally occupied by British settlers for 170 years does not make it true. The fact is that British settlers first settled in the Falkland Islands in the 1700s, which is a very long time before Argentina was granted independence