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Falklands' new governor mystified by Argentine logic and 'welcomes illumination'

Thursday, May 1st 2014 - 05:43 UTC
Full article 38 comments

Asked at a press conference on Wednesday why the Argentine Government had appeared to be against his appointment to the Falkland Islands, while also attempting to vilify him as someone who had previously opposed the right to self-determination of the inhabitants of another small island community, the newly-arrived governor, Mr Colin Roberts CVO, said that he was mystified by the logic and “would welcome illumination”. Read full article

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  • Anglotino

    Pigeons meet the new cat!

    May 01st, 2014 - 07:08 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Mr Robert English

    Good !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    May 01st, 2014 - 07:21 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Buzzsaw

    'Falklands' new governor mystified by Argentine logic and 'welcomes illumination'....Colin, join the queue mate.

    May 01st, 2014 - 07:34 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Devolverislas

    A staged interview - like the 2013 referendum - and a deliberately crafted piece by Fowler.
    The irony is that Roberts didn't apply self-determination to Chagossians and the UN doesn't apply same to Kelpers. So Roberts may turn out to be Trojan horse doing FCO business.

    May 01st, 2014 - 08:18 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Buzzsaw

    @4 And there was me thinking he had just bumped into him in the street and answered a few 'off the cuff questions'.

    'UN doesn't apply same to Kelpers' should be easy for you to prove, must have a document that states that on the UN web site some where, I wait in anticipation....

    May 01st, 2014 - 09:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • golfcronie

    @4
    Not very intelligent are you.
    Read history before commenting.

    May 01st, 2014 - 09:17 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Buzzsaw

    @4 From a lecture by Peter Willetts, hope it helps to clarify your misunderstanding...
    “In 1961, a Special Committee on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples was established. This Committee still meets every year to consider the future of the remaining sixteen colonies, including the Falkland Islands. In June 2008, Argentina attended the Decolonisation Committee and obtained the addition of a new phrase to its standard resolution on eleven small island territories. For years, the Committee had affirmed ”the inalienable rights of the peoples of the Territories to self-determination“ and that ”in the process of decolonisation, there is no alternative to the principle of self-determination“. Suddenly, on 11 June 2008, without any debate, and waiving the rule that no decision should be taken on a draft resolution until at least the day after written copies have been circulated, new words were added. The text became

    ”in the process of decolonisation, and where there is no dispute over sovereignty, there is no alternative to the principle of self-determination”.[5]

    Because the Decolonisation Committee is a subsidiary body of the General Assembly, it has no decision-making powers. Its resolutions have no legal significance unless and until they are endorsed by the Assembly. As a result in October 2008, the British delegation proposed the deletion of the extra eight words. Apart from the Latin Americans, Morocco and Indonesia, the speakers all supported the British. In the Assembly's Fourth Committee, with Argentina in the chair, 61 countries voted to delete the reference to sovereignty disputes, 40 voted to retain it, 47 abstained and 44 were absent.[6]
    This represents the second occasion on which the General Assembly explicitly refused to endorse Argentina's position that self-determination does not apply to all colonial territories.

    May 01st, 2014 - 09:23 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Briton

    Mystified by Argentine logic

    To meet her illogical ideas she spend 5 minutes each day in front of the mirror,
    Using her logic to make sense…lol
    .

    May 01st, 2014 - 09:53 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Islander1

    4Devolver - OK -then speak out and justify your comments - Give us please the evidence/reasons as to HOW our referendum was “staged” as you call it?

    I am holding my breath and waiting.......

    May 01st, 2014 - 10:23 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • kelperabout

    It does not matter who comes to our islands in an administrative role. Argentina will as predictably as ever create a huge propaganda fuss.

    This is normal for them because they have not achieved in nearly 200 years what they set out to achieve, that is control the whole of the south Atlantic region.

    Just so happens that there are people in growing numbers living on what many in the world describe as a windswept rock which is my home and has been for many generations.

    It is time now in the world for people to stop these barbaric acts against one another and moved on. Has the world not learned anything from the many wars and conflicts they have started. No it appears not.
    The Falkland islanders on the other hand recognise that wars and terror will solve nothing. All it does is create hatred and further unrest.

    If the world is as many claim loyal to their religion then it does not say much for the act of faith in God.

    Many years ago in spite of the claim against our homeland , Falkland islanders enjoyed a level of growing friendship with genuine citizens of Argentina. Their politicians could not accept that friendliness so they brutally invaded our home and the result today is that almost every genuine Falkland slander no longer trusts or wants anything to do with the Argentines.
    So you could say that Argentina cut of it's own nose off to spite it's face.
    They still practice that theme today.

    To be honest they are more to be pitied than laughed at given their poor education in the twenty first century.

    May 01st, 2014 - 10:31 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Anti-Muppet

    I don't think we should be sending military units, the navy, RAF etc to the Falklands all the time, I think we need to send some teachers to Argentina with a big f**king map and history book...

    May 01st, 2014 - 10:48 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • GALlamosa

    Logic ? What logic ?

    May 01st, 2014 - 11:05 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • downunder

    “doing their stuff, developing their economy, being very successful and attracting massive international investors into the hydrocarbon sector.”

    It seems that the new Falkland’s Governor, Mr Roberts is going to prove more than a match for Christina and the rest of the serial whingers in her government in Argentina. The Roberts clan has a reputation for standing up to bullies and tyrants just ask Captain Morton.

    May 01st, 2014 - 12:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Briton

    We wonder how many of the Ten commandments CFK and her government have broken
    The Ten Commandments
    ............
    1.Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
    2.Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.
    3.Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
    4.Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
    5.Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
    6.Thou shalt not kill.
    7.Thou shalt not commit adultery.
    8.Thou shalt not steal.
    9.Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
    10.Thou shalt not covet... any thing that is thy neighbour's.

    anyone care to indulge...

    May 01st, 2014 - 12:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Benson

    @14
    Well 8, 9 and 10 go without saying.

    May 01st, 2014 - 12:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Briton

    7 to go..

    May 01st, 2014 - 12:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Troy Tempest

    1 and 6 have been ticked off as well

    May 01st, 2014 - 02:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • paulcedron

    so the british have accepted they were wrong when they depopulated chagos by force.
    and yet they do not give chagos back to the real owners, 50 years after the events.
    in lieu of that, this twat roberts created a “marine protected area” lol

    we have kirchner, who is a shame, but methinks this twat is not any better.

    May 01st, 2014 - 02:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Conqueror

    @4 What a shame that you don't have the intelligence that your parents, if any, might have had.

    I'll explain one more time. There are “Chagossians”. There never have been. They are the Ilois. They are individuals of African, Indian and Malay heritage. The primary constituent are the African slaves imported to the islands by the FRENCH. Subsequently, they became contract labourers for a MAURITIAN company. The Indian and Malay constituents come from fishermen and the like that floated in on the tide. Noe of them owned so much as a grain of sand. When Britain bought the islands, the islands were all it bought. The people remained the responsibility of the MAURITIAN company, that disappeared into the woodwork. The British government therefore gave the MAURITIAN government sums of money to resettle the islanders. The MAURITIAN government, being as bent as the argie government, pocketed the money, did nothing and denied everything. Despite later payments out of the goodness of its heart and foreseeing that the Ilois would continue to scrounge for years if given the opportunity, the British government took steps to see that they couldn't. The trough is empty and the Ilois have no further recourse. You can quit. Although we could try bringing up the illegalityof the argie attempts to seize all or parts of Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and so forth. What a pity that you tried to ignore the legal judgements of the islands in the Beagle Channel. What a shame that you know who was around to stop you succeeding with Uruguay. Although we might not bother next time. And, right up to date, unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of Paraguay. Not to mention waging war against it a couple of hundred years ago. Really not so “nice” are you?

    May 01st, 2014 - 02:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Klingon

    I live in Argentina and am mystified everyday by the complete lack of logic here.
    Whats new

    May 01st, 2014 - 03:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • FI_Frost

    @18 pauli

    Never let the repeated facts deter your ramblings.....but here goes again: Diago Garcia was, and still is an uninhapibtle coral attol*

    *You can of course survive there if you have the resources to ship in essential stuff.

    The Chargoans (former French slaves from Africa) made a living on the back of UK/USA activities on theses barren attols. When their services were no longer required there were told they had to leave or they were not going to be given any fresh drinking water -shipped/flown in by the UK/US.

    In those days, you could do that sort of thing without fear of been sued - might was right. Its all about context; just like when you stole South America from the native tribes. No?

    All very funny and ironic, the Chargonese joining forces with the same sort of people whose ancestor's would have butchered them wholesale; hey ho, my enemies enemy is my friend, regardless of the hypocrisy.....

    May 01st, 2014 - 03:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • paulcedron

    fi- frozen brain
    read a book once in a while.
    this one for example

    http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=3ankJb0skpwC&pg=PA171&lpg=PA171&dq=%E2%80%9Cone+of+the+most+sordid+and+morally+indefensible%E2%80%9D&source=bl&ots=81eiTbvwIl&sig=v6y-a7dp6NklnaSgy4J7bTCHJN0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Qd7RT46XMofU8QPf2dWHAw&ved=0CD0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%9Cone%20of%20the%20most%20sordid%20and%20morally%20indefensible%E2%80%9D&f=false

    it seems you all were brainwashed by the same techniques

    May 01st, 2014 - 04:22 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • HansNiesund

    @18

    You're out of date. Here's a chance to catch up :

    https://sites.google.com/site/thechagosarchipelago2/resettlement-studies/2014-resettlement-feasibility-study/final-inception-report

    It seems the only people who approve of British behaviour in Chagos are those Argentine Malvinistas who seem to regard it as a precedent for the Falklands. No wonder Roberts is mystified.

    May 01st, 2014 - 04:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Pugol-H

    @22
    So are you saying that the fact (UN produced their own environmental report) that the Islands are UNINHABITABLE is not relevant in this.

    Or

    What part of UNINHABITABLE, i.e. not returnable to, and survivable in, do you not understand.

    May 01st, 2014 - 04:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • paulcedron

    24
    any link for that “u.n. enviromental report”?

    surely for you, the uk govt did all that shit because they were taking care of the islanders.
    lol

    UNINHABITABLE?
    “Sea-level rise is bad news for many island nations, but it may not be severe enough to prevent Chagos islanders from returning home four decades after they were expelled by UK authorities.”

    ”Long term mean sea level in the Chagos Archipelago has been relatively stable over the ~ 20 year length of the available instrumental records. Tide-gauge data from Diego Garcia (1988–2000, and 2003–2011) show no statistically significant long-term rise, whilst the rates of rise obtained from the satellite altimeter record for 1993–2011 span the range of 0.16–4.56 mm yr− 1 in the surrounding sea areas (70–74°E and 4–9°S) and are also consistent with a zero rate except in the far south of the region.”

    brainwashing anyone?

    May 01st, 2014 - 05:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • FI_Frost

    @25

    Like I said, the Chagos got a bad deal during the cold world. Their colonial history is similar yet different to the Falkland Islanders: in the 60s/70s a small number of civil servants wanted to offload this troublesome people but been white, of mostly UK origin made it harder.

    Thanks to General Galtieri, and those lovely pictures of you chest beating supporters in Plazo del Mayo, they got lucky big time and now have one hell of a secure independent future. Such a shame so many had to die to achieve it, but cheers all the same Leopoldo.

    So there we are, its funny to see you use the Chagos as an example of what the UK should now do. Which of course it can't because it is morally and legally wrong.

    Your case is busted and buggered by its inherent, deeply flawed, contradictory conclusion.

    Yawn.....what's next, Hong Kong?......yawn......

    May 01st, 2014 - 05:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Pugol-H

    @25 paulcedron
    You can find the report for yourself, I’m sure. Not being funny.

    You will find Sea level rise is the predicted problem, a safe prediction by any standards.

    Ingress of seawater into freshwater aquifers is the present, and past, acute problem.

    Same thing as happened in parts of the Balearic Islands, hence the stationary windmills scattered about there.

    May 01st, 2014 - 06:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Briton

    You just cant win with anti British hatred,

    Example,
    if tomorrow Britain gave it back to them, then just left and said,, here it is, you wanted it, now enjoy it, then left and went home,
    within days these bloggers would be condemning us for leaving these poor destitute people without food , water , and shelter.

    still,
    should we try perhaps, just saying like

    May 01st, 2014 - 06:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Pugol-H

    @ 28 Briton
    Perhaps they want us to just “flying Nun” them somewhere over the Indian Ocean, and call it job done, or “Patagonian Repatriation”.

    May 01st, 2014 - 07:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Briton

    They want everything for nothing.

    May 01st, 2014 - 07:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • kelperabout

    The longer the Argentines squabble about us the firmer we are establishing ourselves. Within ten years we could have a huge population growth and that can only be good for us. Before we were few in numbers and still managed to hang on to our identity. Treble that number and the odds are much more on our side. Argentina just as well stop the winging because in almost 200 years they have achieved little or nothing with exception to visiting us in 1982 and leaving their filth behind for us to clean up. Is it any wonder the locals don't want you back your hygiene is pretty much non existent. Where in the real world does one use the kitchen floor or the post office floor to crap in when there are perfectly good working toilets. Just proves to us how backward some of them still are. So knowing all that why the hell would we want them back again. We seem to be doing very well by ourselves.

    May 01st, 2014 - 08:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marcos Alejandro

    Welcome to Argentina Mr. Englishman. I wonder if you will call the kelpers “Man Fridays” as you referred to the Chagos islanders.

    May 02nd, 2014 - 04:48 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Troy Tempest

    Marcos Malvinista

    “Welcome to Argentina Mr. Englishman.”
    Are you the fellow that organ-grinder that greets the British cruise passengers to BA ??
    Are you looking for more handouts for your begging bowl.

    “Please give us your islands, we can't feed our children... ”

    May 02nd, 2014 - 05:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Buzzsaw

    @32 Meat head:

    What he actually siad was..

    'However, Roberts stated that, according to the HGM,s current thinking on a reserve, there would be “no human footprints” or “Man Fridays” on the BIOT's uninhabited islands.

    He was refering to no human interventionor visits on the uninhabited islands if they created a marine reserve, by possible Chagossians acting as wardens.. Look at the defenition and origin of the name. It refers to someone who is very helpful regardless or cultural or ethnic back ground. In this case he was refering back to the book by Defoe when Crusoe discovers 'footprints' in the sand which signifies there is another human on the island. Quite apt for this scenario, but open to the sort of interpretation that people like you will always cry 'RACIST' without researching or understanding the origin or context of the statement.

    I would have thought you would be supporting him, as according to you, he is obviously against the right of self determination of implanted peoples, isn't that the basis of the malvinas argument. I assume you also do not recognise Sao Tome and Principe, East Timor etc etc as a sovereign nations either. Or is it just because he is British?

    May 02nd, 2014 - 07:56 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • FI_Frost

    @32 Marcos

    “Welcome to Argentina Mr. Englishman.”

    I generally don't wish to mock the mentally afflicted, but you people are like those sad desperate individuals you see in institutions and occasionally out in the community; sat all alone rocking backwards and forwards repeating some unintelligible comforting gibberish over and over again...“malvinas argentinas, malvinas argentinas, malvinas argentinas, ...malvinas argentinas....malvinas argentinas,....malvinas argentinas,...malvinas argentinas,....”

    Have you tried therapy or drugs yet?

    May 02nd, 2014 - 09:27 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • downunder

    Buzzsaw
    Your posts are very informative. You have taken a ‘buzz saw’ to two of the main myths that they have been trying to perpetrate, that the Falkland Islanders aren’t entitled to the protection of the UN resolutions, (because they claim that they are ‘implanted people!!) and the lies, distortions and confected fuss that they are trying to stir up over the Chagossians.
    Not that they will take any notice, the truth died a long time ago with the malvinists, but your posts are enlightening to others who are not across all the facts on these two issues.
    Keep up the good work.

    May 02nd, 2014 - 11:15 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Briton

    32 Marcos Alejandro
    Welcome to Argentina Mr. Englishman,

    Ha ha,
    You Argies got this from the original inhabitants did you not, but in totally unfriendly circumstances?
    //

    Indigenous people.

    Welcome to this friendly and friendly land –you must be Spanish the forerunners of the Argentines,

    Spanish invaders,
    Sod the friendship boy, this land is now ours, gives us all you have,
    For our descendents the Argies will learn from what we do here,
    And took it they did, ransacking slaughtering and the rest,
    But of course history says they did some good things??

    Now played out with modern Argies and the islanders,
    And Marco never changes, gimmi gimmy gimy ha ha ..

    no offence honestly boss...lol

    May 02nd, 2014 - 12:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Pete Bog

    @32
    “The longer the Argentines squabble about us the firmer we are establishing ourselves. Within ten years we could have a huge population growth and that can only be good for us.”

    And a deep water port that will expand your economy (including after the oil has gone).

    You must be really pleased the Argentines haven't helped you and that they don't seem to 'get it' that as Falkland Islanders have been genetically used to a certain form of isolation 1800s-1980s, that the threat of isolation will aid your self reliance rather than destroy your economy.

    May 05th, 2014 - 05:30 pm - Link - Report abuse 0

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