MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
C24 ‘no longer relevant’ and is ‘insulting’ to describe BOT/London relations as colonial
Foreign Office flying the Falklands’ colours on 14 June, Liberation Day from the Argentine April 1982 military invasion The Decolonization Committee is no longer relevant and to describe the relation of British Overseas Territories with the UK as colonial is insulting both for the BOT and London, said a Foreign Office spokeswoman following Thursday session when the Falklands/Malvinas case was debated at the UN C24.
“Our view is that the Decolonisation Committee no longer has a relevant role to play with respect to British Overseas Territories. To describe our relationship with them as colonial is insulting to both them and us. We are committed to a modern relationship based on partnership and shared values.
“The people of each Territory have the right to choose whether or not to remain a British Overseas Territory. Any decision to sever the constitutional link between the UK and a Territory should be on the basis of the clear and constitutionally expressed wish of the people themselves. We believe that the UN Decolonisation Committee should de-list Territories where this is their wish.
“In the case of the Falkland Islands, the people there are British and wish to remain so - as clearly demonstrated by the 99.8% YES vote in the March referendum. The UK has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and surrounding maritime areas, or about the Falkland Islanders’ right to decide their own future: the right of self-determination as enshrined in the UN Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. There can be no negotiations on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands unless and until the Islanders so wish.”
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Read all commentsThere you go, less than an hour after the adoption of the C24 resolution. They have their answer, no negotiations on sovereignty without the islanders participation.
Jun 20th, 2013 - 04:51 pm 0Now that is what I call a rapid response.
“The UK has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands...”
Jun 20th, 2013 - 04:53 pm 0“It is not at all clear to me that we never ever held sovereignty over these islands”, Duke of Wellington, Prime Minister, 1829.
“The British occupation of 1833 was at the time an act of wanton aggression”, Memorandum of the British Foreign Office official, 1946.
“The only question was who had the best claim as we are attaching for the first time the islands. I think undoubtedly were the United Provinces of Buenos Aires”, Ronald Campbell, secretary of foreign affairs, 1911.
“Sitting down hard on the islands and avoid talking to the Argentines, because we could not sustain our arguments in court”, legal counsel for the Foreign Office, Gerald Fitzmaurice, 1936.
“If you carefully read the memorandum of December 1910, surely must have realized that Argentina's attitude is not ridiculous or childish. I had assumed that our right to the Malvinas Islands was irrefutable. This is far from being the case”, Sir Malcolm Robertson, ambassador to Argentina, 1927.
“While the Committee believes that the historical evidence is finely balanced, we are forced to conclude that the weight of evidence argues for the position of Argentine bonds to the islands, at least the eastern islands, which was, while the British occupation in 1833, more substance than it was or is accepted by government officials in the UK. In this conclusion we are supported not only by the evidence we were given during the investigation but also by doubts on this matter were repeatedly expressed by British officials during the early part of the century”, Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Commons, in 1982!
And there's plenty more liars!
No negotiations on sovereignty over the islands without the consent of the islanders.
Jun 20th, 2013 - 05:02 pm 0Not yours, never were, never will be. Same time, same place, same people, next year.
Same answer. No!
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