MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina blockading the Falklands with “no respect for Islanders human rights”

Roger Spink, president of the Falkland Islands Chamber of Commerce

The Falklands Chamber of Commerce claims that Argentina has in effect imposed a sea-blockade of the civilian population of the Falklands with no respect whatsoever for the human rights of the Falkland Islanders, while at the same time it cynically promotes commitment to human rights on the world stage.

Roger Spink president of the Chamber of Commerce in an interview with the local radio station FIRS said that the direct consequence of constant Argentine harassment and the latest decree controlling high seas shipping to the Falklands and South Georgia, designed to disrupt the economy of the Falklands, “is part of an orchestrated campaign to achieve by so called peaceful means what the Argentines failed to achieve by military means in the 1982 conflict”.

“This aggressive bullying of 3000 people (who also happen to be European Union citizens) by a nation of 40 million shows the Argentine Republic has no respect whatsoever for the human rights of the Falkland Islanders while at the same time Argentina cynically promotes its commitment to Human Rights on the world stage”, underlined the FICC president.

As a result of the latest Argentine government decree (controlling an internationally agreed sea route to vessels of all nationalities) Falklands’ vessels have ceased to link with Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile which was a traditional source of supplies for the Islands.

“The FICC believes that as a direct result of the Argentine Decree it would appear our suppliers of goods and services in Chile will lose a considerable amount of business several million pounds worth. This will significantly impact Punta Arenas traders and service providers to a far greater extent than on Falkland businesses since many Falklands’ businesses have already taken steps to obtain alternative sources of supply from the UK” pointed out Spinks.

“This is regrettable because good and long standing trading relationships have built up and matured with Punta Arenas since 1982. Many Magallanes businesses are cutting back after losing trade with the Falklands due to the Argentine decree and they and their employees must feel penalised by their Argentine neighbours”.

The FICC “is very disappointed that we have not seen a higher level of support for the Falklands from the world in response to what is in effect a sea-blockade of the civilian population and this contrasts with the strong support for the citizens of the Gaza strip and Berlin who also have had to withstand blockades by large powerful neighbours”.

On 6th April 2010 British Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant MP told the House of Commons that he had “conversations with the Argentine Foreign Secretary during the inauguration of the new President of Chile in Santiago a couple of weeks ago, and it is very clear from those conversations that the Argentines have no intention of blockading the Falklands”. However for Falkland businesses “it is clear that the Argentines have every intention of economically blockading the Falklands”.

Spinks said that the closure and control by Argentina of an internationally agreed sea route to vessels of all nationalities coming to or leaving the Falklands and South Georgia “is of justifiable concern, not only to us here who have to put up with continued and aggressive Argentine harassment, but also we assume the British Government is getting weary of this nonsense too”.

The Argentine government decision to sea-blockading the Falkland Islands and trying to bully its small population into instant submission will only harden the stance of everyone living in the Falklands towards Argentina.

“There are no doubt the continuing blatant acts of Argentine aggression and harassment towards us will adversely affect south-west Atlantic relations for a great many more decades than those which have passed since 1982 and will stiffen our resolve not to become subservient to a nation run by politicians not elected by the people living in the Falklands who are determined to ride roughshod over us”.

Spinks underlined that if the Falklands “move into production of oil in our waters we trust our elected leaders will remember who our friends are and those who supported us when confronted by this oppressive action of Argentina”.

Finally the FICC president said that “blockading and bullying the population of the Falklands has merely alienated Argentina to the younger members of our population and demonstrated to them and the younger generation in Chile, who may have relatives in the Falklands, that the Argentina of today is no different to that of 1982”.