MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Malvinas veterans deliver letter at UK embassy requesting to identify remains buried in the Falklands
Argentina Malvinas War veterans marched on Friday in Buenos Aires and protested before the UK embassy demanding London collaborates with the identification of the remains of Argentine soldiers buried at the Darwin cemetery in the Falkland Islands. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesWonder what the silly arses will do when they answer comes back;-
Oct 24th, 2015 - 09:29 am - Link - Report abuse 0!“Your Govt will have to ask the relevant authorities in the Falkland Islands Govt about this - here is the contact information”!.
One word solution, “Repatriation.”
Oct 24th, 2015 - 09:47 am - Link - Report abuse 0Come on Mercopress, there is a difference between “ requesting ” and “ demanding ”. Let them rest in peace. Another political stunt by Argentina so close to the elections.
Oct 24th, 2015 - 09:56 am - Link - Report abuse 0123 tombs without names. 123 tombs without being identified. 123 families that hope to know where their loved ones are”., you can't play with the grief of the relatives of the fallen combatants“ insisted Alonso.!!! Yea right
Oct 24th, 2015 - 10:21 am - Link - Report abuse 0Its so surprising that the families of these ware veterans - many of them young conscripts killed by their own Argentine officers for desertion - should want to take part in such a political stunt. Its very sad and disrespectful to those young guys that sadly lost their lives in the conflict.
Oct 24th, 2015 - 10:34 am - Link - Report abuse 0If those mums, dads, brothers and sisters really cared they would write to the Falkland Islands Government instead who would happily help. In truth they dont want help or talks, they just want land sadly. Such a shame and who would have thought they could debase their own family memories like this?
Whilst I understand the possible grief some families have 33 years later I have NO sympathy with this lot.
Oct 24th, 2015 - 11:11 am - Link - Report abuse 0It's time they woke up to the fact that TMBOA is just using them as pawns.
Looks like an awful lot of low-level Jibber-jabber on that letter the alleged “Malvinas Veteran” is holding just to say “please give us the answer”.
I wonder what positions in the new political strata these two have been offered?
So Argentina left their dead behind and never asked the FI to repatriate them? They don't seem to have any problem transporting Maximo from Calafate to Buenos Aires when he has a tummy ache in Tango 1.
Oct 24th, 2015 - 11:25 am - Link - Report abuse 0Surely a more positive contribution would be to write to their own government and ask for co-operation to repatriate their fallen ?
Oct 24th, 2015 - 11:51 am - Link - Report abuse 0It wasn't the UK who left their dead, it was Argentina.
Oct 24th, 2015 - 12:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0And stamping your little feet whilst dishing out demands will get you absolutely nowhere especially when you take in to consideration some of Argentina's recent stunts.
Seems to me, a country who cares about and respects the dead, would never sneak in to another country and train on a memorial for others who have died. Yet, Argentina did exactly that.
Piss off Argentina and grow the hell up.
There are millions of Unknown soldiers buried all over the world...Millions....
Oct 24th, 2015 - 01:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The relatives know they are dead...they know where they are buried....
By all means visit the area to pay your respects....
It is enough to remember them...
and let them rest in peace....
The UK embassy can tell them they will consider it if they come and dig up all the mines that they put down during the war. Once they have finished digging up their mines and taking them back to Argentina they can dig up their comrades to see who they are. It would stop the argument pretty quickly. Sounds too much like hard work.
Oct 24th, 2015 - 01:23 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Well where do we start?
Oct 24th, 2015 - 01:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Firstly there are 123 graves (not tombs) without names on them BECAUSE Argentine authorities REFUSED to cooperate with the British after the war. Where were all these so-called war veterans when the British were asking them to help identify the dead?
Secondly, no such requests have been received by the UK from the ICRC. Why? Because the Argentine government hasn't made ANY such requests to the ICRC. EVER! Check out their webpage. The ICRC duly notes every communication it has had with Argentina regarding the Falklands. Yet there is NO sign of a request being received by them. So the Argentine government is a liar too! (No great shock there though).
But if you're going to tell lies, you should at least try to tell ones that can't be so easily exposed.
These stupid people need to realise that saying you're going to do something publicly and actually doing it are NOT the same thing at all.
So IF Argentina wants 'movement' on this 'issue' they will actually have to speak to the ICRC, and then they'll have to speak to the Falkland Islands Government.
And if they want the remains identified, then an INDEPENDENT body will do it, not some ham fisted so-called investigators from Argentina, who still can't decide if Nisman committed suicide or was murdered.
And if these remains are disinterred then they will all be put on a boat back to Argentina, where the Argentine people can see just how well their own government will look after them. Which is not at all.
The Argentine government, and these so-called war veterans, should be ashamed of themselves to use the war dead for political purposes. It wouldn't happen in a civilised country.
But of course, this is another 'grievance' that the Argentine government doesn't want resolved, hence why they actually haven't asked the ICRC anything, in order to distract the great unwashed (and obviously) brain dead masses from the fact that they are a devolving country. Soon Somalia will overtake Argentina.
A problem with the banners. Where were the “HEROES”? Oh, I remember. But they weren't argies who only had to travel about 400 miles to attack, invade, occupy, oppress and attempt to STEAL. The HEROES were the British troops that sailed 8,000 miles and fought at the end of that tenuous supply line. Lucky for argies that they surrendered when they did. Otherwise British troops might only have been using bayonets!
Oct 24th, 2015 - 02:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0But let's check the “issues”. How civilised of the British and Falkland Islands Governments to use precious land to bury invaders. I would have taken the corpses out and dropped them in the ocean.
Do the argies pay rent? No? But they're “using” the land. Attempt “reburial”. Dig the scum up. Place in lifting net attached to helicopter. Drop into minefield. Check whether they head for heaven. Helps with minefield clearance. Why isn't argieland paying rent for its mines? Were they given permission to leave them?
ALL applications must be directed to the Falkland Islands Government. It has an office in London.
If the begging is successful, no argies will be permitted. No gravediggers, anthropologists, no “scientists”. Argieland can have the dripping coffins. But they have to take them all. A location at sea will be specified. Argies to arrive in large rowing boats. The crap can be thrown on board. Then the argies can depart. If they sink on the way back to argieland, tough! The cemetary will probably be bulldozed. It will probably be an appropriate site for a landfill. It may be made radioactive.
Lt Jorge Castro lost his life during the attack on HMS Coventry. His remains were found and returned to Buenos Aires for DNA identification at the request of his family his body was then returned to be interred with full military honours in the Argentine cemetery in the Falklandsas was fitting for a gallant pilot.
Oct 24th, 2015 - 02:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Obviously negotiations occurred for this to happen between the family and authorities in the Falklands.
My question. Who authorised the return of the remains? Fig, UK govt or was it purely a Service matter?
This article uses the word “Allegedly” for Argentina's request via the Red Cross.
Oct 24th, 2015 - 04:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Sort of weakens the subject doesn't it.
@ 14 redp0ll
Oct 24th, 2015 - 06:55 pm - Link - Report abuse 0That is interesting, when were the remains found because the very first use in DNA identification started in 1994?
But you are correct, cooler heads must have been used then.
@ 16: Can't find info on Lt Castro. but Capitán Fernando Casado, whose remains were found in 1986 and identified in 2008, was buried in n the Malvinas mausoleum of Villa Carlos Paz cemetery in Cordoba Province.
Oct 24th, 2015 - 09:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Reading the comments from both sides on the page ,i can see both sides of the stories.But no one cannot forget all the british whom died are interred on the falklands islands ,they like the world war one and two were all buried on the place of battles..OK some were returned home ,depending on whom/what they were.So the idea of argentines wanting to visit or returned of anyone is a no NO.Its cant be done,So argentine families and associates must accept that what they ask cant be allowed to continue.So london through the ambassador in Buenos Aires must relay the notice that Sorry what you ask cant be done.
Oct 24th, 2015 - 09:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The big thing here is that these people really believe that the islands are Argentine territory usurped by Britain, or “Inglaterra” as they are wont to call the United Kingdom! So their big complaint is that in spite of the fact that these casualties of the war which THEY started are buried in “Argentine” territory “los ingleses” are denying them access.
Oct 24th, 2015 - 09:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Well, of course they are wrong - again! If they desire access let them request the Falklands Islands Government to allow them to do what they want UNDER the vigilance of the authorities of the islands.
@16. My misprint and its Lt Casco whose remains were found about 2008 on the Jason Island and sent to BA for Dna analysis and then returned to the Falklands, through what channels I don't know and it would be interesting to find out how that was done.
Oct 24th, 2015 - 09:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Apart from that an argentine submariner killed when the ARA Santa Fe was captured and was buried with honours on South Georgia. Is he still there or has he been moved to the Falklands cemetery?
18 mikey48
Oct 24th, 2015 - 11:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You're missing the point. Anything is possible; it's just a question of asking the right people. In this case, there isn't much point asking David Cameron. It's FIG that need to be approached as this is an internal matter. I don't know the legal details, but presumably the coroner would have to issue an exhumation order. It can't be done by the 'UK'.
@14 and 20 Redpoll
Oct 24th, 2015 - 11:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0According to Santiago Rivas in his book Wings of the Malvinas page 120 Lt Casco disappeared along with Lt Farias on 9th May 1982 when they got lost in bad weather and although HMS Coventry claimed to have shot them down Rivas believes this was unlikely. Lt Casco was found on South Jason Island with the remains of his aircraft C-313. Rivas makes no mention of his body being returned to Argentina and then back to the FI. No sign of Lt Farias has ever been found.
Hope that helps to clear up this issue.
kind regards.
http://ca.wow.com/wiki/Lt_Jorge_Casco
Oct 25th, 2015 - 11:50 am - Link - Report abuse 0http://ca.wow.com/wiki/Lt_Jorge_Casco for info on Lt. Casco.
“At Argentine request, the remains were returned in July 2008 for DNA testing. Following confirmation that they belonged to Lt Casco, his family requested that he be buried at the Argentine Military Cemetery at Port Darwin. He was buried on 7 March 2009. His burial required the co-operation with the Falkland Islands and Argentine governments with arrangements handled with the utmost respect for the needs and wishes of Lt. Casco’s family”
It's worth noting that it was Lt. Casco's family and not veterans' organisations (or “veterans' organisations”) that were involved and that the Argentine government had no objection to cooperating with the government of the Falkland Islands on this occasion.
@23 thanks. That was the articule i was looking for. Interesting that the BA govt has kept quiet about their part in this.
Oct 25th, 2015 - 12:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I understand the cemetery was built by the British. Did Argentina contribute a single to the construction costs? While I understand that there is an islander who acts as curator is he paid by the Argentine govt when they remember to do so or does FIG contribute to its maintenance
Perhaps a minor legal detail but who holds the title deeds to the land where the cemetery is?
War dead should be left in peace but unfortunately Argentina has politicised the issue.
@18. Trying to follow your reasoning. However, I do agree with the end result. The UN declared the invasion illegal. Argies have no “right” to be on or in the Falkland Islands. An important feature is that Kirchner uses it as a political point. I can't recall any other country that has ever used war graves as an excuse for a territorial claim. Perhaps argies should be corrected by being able to watch television pictures of “their” cemetery being bombed. Coffins and corpses being blown sky-high. The result being bulldozed into the sea. The only people entitled to be buried on the Falkland Islands are the 255 British troops that died retaking the Islands. And 3 Falkland Islanders who died because argies acted illegally.
Oct 25th, 2015 - 01:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0No requests received from the Red Cross, and still no comment from the Red Cross.
Oct 25th, 2015 - 02:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Whose initial comment was “all the relatives would have to agree”, for them to do this.
With only 80 out of 123 so far agreeing, doesn’t look like it will be anytime soon.
Or are the British/FI governments now being asked to agree to this irrespective of the Red Cross?
“you can't play with the grief of the relatives of the fallen combatants”
Which is exactly what this Argy Gov is doing, and for what?
This is obviously a political gambit trying to show the British Government at its most imperious. And though a firm refusal for all the reasons outlined in these column would be entirely justified, I think perhaps there is no downside and a lot of upside to providing full co-operation with what the Argentines request, with perhaps an element of being surprised that the Argentines have taken so long to ask. The British Government can engineer a public relations coup by volunteering all the help necessary from the Falkland Islands Government that would of course make officials available to co-ordinate the process and suggest that the Argentine Government communicate directly with the Falkland Islands Government to make the necessary arrangements. That will make the Brits look appropriately humane, while at the same time ensuring that we never hear any more about the project.
Oct 25th, 2015 - 04:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@27. Just part way. Insist that argies approach by boat. Blow them out of the water. OR. Insist argies approach on prop-driven aircraft. Blow them out of the sky. Deny their presence. They just disappeared!
Oct 25th, 2015 - 05:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 027 Pontefractious
Oct 25th, 2015 - 05:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You've missed the point as well. The UK government can't and won't tell the FIG what to do in this matter, because that would play right into the Argentine's hands, and because it is an FIG matter. The correct response, as articulated by Hugo Swire in March, is that the Argentine Government need to communicate with FIG. I think if that were to happen, every assistance would be given. We wouldn't do it just to 'look appropriately humane'; we actually are humane.
Hugo Swire on behalf of the Falkland's government,
Oct 25th, 2015 - 07:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0could attend the UN and state publicly to the world,
Argentina has only to ask the Falkland's government,
and it will be attended to and given,
but if the argentine government is to arrogant selfish childish and none caring,
that is the argentine governments problem, not ours,
and thus the argentine veterans should in all fairness complain to their own government for action, rather than blame us.
we are here to help if we can,
thank you,
just Sunday again, and it sounds nice and polite.
“The National Commission of Malvinas Veterans, director Ernesto Alonso, complained that the UK has evaded answering requests made by the Argentine government”
Oct 25th, 2015 - 08:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Ok, so who's payroll is he on?
La Campora? KFC's? Surely he should be raging against his own government for dragging this issue out and then he should at least give his letter to the right people.......
You'd think that, after all this time, he would have done his homework.
Canadian soldiers buried in countries around the world...
Oct 25th, 2015 - 08:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0WORLDWIDE GRAVES
AUSTRALIA 19
ALGERIA 89
AUSTRIA 4
AZORES 7
BAHAMAS 7
BANGLADESH 38
BELGIUM 15,792
BERMUDA 16
BRAZIL 1
BULGARIA 2
CUBA 2
CZECH REPUBLIC 10
CYPRUS 6
CHINA 425
DENMARK 166
DJIBOUTI 2
EGYPT 313
ERITREA 5
FAROE ISLANDS 6
FRANCE 47,566
GAMBIA 10
GERMANY 3,395
GHANA 10
GIBRALTAR 19
GREECE AND ISLANDS 58
GUYANA 4
HUNGARY 6
ICELAND 50
INDIA 89
IRELAND 152
ISRAEL, PALESTINE incL GAZA 57
ITALY 5,918
JAMAICA 10
JAPAN 168
KENYA 8
KOREA 378
LEBANON 1
LIBYA 48
LUXEMBOURG 4
MACEDONIA 1
MALAYSIA 2
MALTA 348
MOROCCO 8
MYANMAR (BURMA) 81
NETHERLANDS 5,715
NIGERIA 2
NORWAY 36
PAKISTAN 7
PANAMA 4
POLAND 44
PORTUGAL 6
RUSSIAN FEDE 32
SERBIA 24
SIERRA LEONE 10
SINGAPORE 227
SOMALIA 1
SOUTH AFRICA 39
SPAIN 11
SRI LANKA 33
ST. LUCIA 9
SUDAN 9
SWEDEN 23
SWITERLAND 12
SYRIA 1
TANZANIA 8
THAILAND 9
TRINADAD & TOBAGO 7
TUNISIA 101
TURKEY & GALLIPOLI 106
UNITED KINGDOM 12,704
USA 394
YEMAN 9
ZIMBABWE 2
76 COUNTRIES > 94,886 FALLEN HEROES
And your point is.
Oct 25th, 2015 - 08:23 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@32 Mendoza Canadian
Oct 25th, 2015 - 09:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I have visited the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in Gradara, Italy. Here there are buried Commonwealth combatants, including Canadians, from the Allied invasion of Italy in the Second World War. My most overwhelming impression was the tender age of most of these brave young men.
http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/2006400/Gradara%20War%20Cemetery
send all the agi bodies home, let them sort it out and bury them in Argentina
Oct 26th, 2015 - 02:25 am - Link - Report abuse 0that is what they did with all Americans killed in Vietnam
The Argentine request should be made to the Governor of the Falkland Islands
Oct 26th, 2015 - 02:54 am - Link - Report abuse 0Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Colin Roberts, as the Falklands have not seceded from the UK he is the representative of the UK government, and is the real authority on the Islands
The UK will return the Malvinas within the next 25 years.
Oct 26th, 2015 - 04:29 am - Link - Report abuse 0@36 Paragon
Oct 26th, 2015 - 06:51 am - Link - Report abuse 0No the Governor is NOT the real authority on the Islands. He is there as the Queens representative, nothing more. Just like Her Majesty The Queen has no real authority in the UK, except in certain circumstance, the Governor, her representative also has no real authority in the Falkland Islands.
The people of the Falkland Islands elected their own government.
I know this goes against all the propaganda that you've been spoon fed all your life, but the truth is the truth.
Here is another truth. It's hard for the International Committee of the Red Cross to contact the Falkland Islands Government or even the UK regarding the DNA tests on Argentine soldiers buried in the Falkland Islands on behalf of the Argentine government, when the Argentine government has NEVER contacted them over it.
Don't you feel humiliated that your government, in front of the WHOLE world, tells such lies? Lies that can be easily outed and shown to the world. Just like when your president stated that Argentina had less poverty than Germany, when children are starving to death in Argentina, and millions live in squalor and poverty.
Don't you feel angry that your government USES Argentina's war dead in such a disrespectful manner?
Don't you feel angry at these so called war veterans, who REFUSED to help identify Argentina's war dead in 1982?
@37 Hepatia
Still 25 years? It's been 25 years for the last few years. Perhaps you know that Argentina will never get it's thieving imperialist colonising hands on the Falklands, hence why you always pick 25 years, which never gets any closer.
Just 'think' Hepatia. In 25 years the Falkland Islands will be far richer than Argentina, with a top line credit rating, and you Argentines will be kowtowing to your Chinese masters, and working 18 hours days in factories for the greater glory of the Chinese Empire.
And deep down inside yourself you know it's true.
@37 HEPATITIS
Oct 26th, 2015 - 07:11 am - Link - Report abuse 0Still going on about 25 years. By my reckoning and your nonsensical insistence it should now add up to about 30 years and counting. Your getting nowhere.
33...my point is that Canadians fought bravely in wars that they never started and Canadians are proud of their soldiers.
Oct 26th, 2015 - 11:31 am - Link - Report abuse 0@40 Mendoza Canadian
Oct 26th, 2015 - 01:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Canada has good reason, its soldiers took part in wars of liberation to free people from an oppressive military regime. The soldier's you're so “proud” of, were the oppressive military regime.
@40 Beamont Hamel 1st July 1916
Oct 26th, 2015 - 01:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Butchers bill The Royal Newfoundland Regiment
Killed 324, wounded 366. answered the roll call after the attack. 68. Newfoundland at the time was a self governing dominion but with the loss of so many of its young men it became unviable as such and eventually voted to become part of Canada.
I don't think ANY regiment in the whole war suffered 90%+ casualties in a single battle.
Hats off to you, Newfies
@41 JustinKuntz
Oct 26th, 2015 - 04:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“The soldier's you're so “proud” of, were the oppressive military regime.”
To whom is this remark addressed? it contradicts your first sentence,
@40 Mendoza Canadian
Oct 26th, 2015 - 04:51 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I personally thought you meant that Canada has lots of soldiers buried around the world but you don't see Canada trying to claim sovereignty over those countries because of it.
Unlike Argentina who seem to use the fact that they have Argentine dead buried on the islands as 'another' reason that the islands should be theirs.
Just like they have 'migrating' birds, and the 'continental' shelf fallacy.
If the Argentine government actually had a legitimate case for sovereignty they'd've taken it to the ICJ years ago.
@38 LEPREcon
Oct 26th, 2015 - 05:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Don't assume I am Argentine or for that matter Latin American I don't need a explanation of the UK Parlamentry system regarding the role of her Majesty
@37
Oct 26th, 2015 - 06:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Argentina will return Santa Cruz to the Falkland Islands within the next 25 years
37 Hepatia
Oct 26th, 2015 - 06:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“The UK will return the Malvinas within the next 25 years.”
Can anyone in your country get ANYTHING right? No wonder the K's found it easy to steal from you.
The actual quote, from Laughing boy timerman was:-
“Argentina 'will control Falklands within 20 years' ”
It was an interview he gave to the BBC on :- 6th February 2013
So you have got just under 18 years left, my dear intellectually challenged enemy.
If you are hedging your bets by misquoting him and saying it's 25 years instead, don't bother. We'll be ready for you WHENEVER you come ( and you will STILL lose ) .
hugs and kisses
from U.K.
40 Mendoza Canadian
Oct 26th, 2015 - 07:58 pm - Link - Report abuse 0point taken,
Britain and most of the worlds soldiers have fought and died in foreign places,
never nice, but nicely remembered,
unlike Argentina, the way they treat their soldiers and the dead for their own propaganda.
@45 Paragon
Oct 26th, 2015 - 10:58 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Well you obviously do need an explanation of the role of Her Majesty AND Her Representatives, as you appear to believe that the Governor has the 'real' authority on the Falkland Islands.
No he doesn't. The Falkland Islands Government, chosen by the people of the Falklands in a democratic election, have the 'real' and 'only' authority on the Falkland Islands.
And ONLY the Falkland Islands Government can give permission for the disinterment of bodies on their land.
Neither the UK Government or Her Majesty The Queen (or Her Representatives) can give permission to disinter bodies. The UK Constitution and the Falkland Islands Constitution do not allow such a thing. In fact the UK Government couldn't even overrule or demand that a local council in the UK disinters bodies. That's not how it works in the UK. And that's not how it works in the Falkland Islands.
This is really a none story as the Argentine Government hasn't even approached the International Committee of the Red Cross with any requests to disinter these bodies. And if they did, the ICRC would be told the same thing I'm telling you. That ONLY the Falkland Islands Government can give permission to disinter bodies on the Falkland Islands.
And since the Argentine Government refuses to acknowledge the existence of the people of the Falklands, and state that they are 'pirates', 'squatters' and 'not people', then this matter will never be resolved.
Of course Argentina may turn from being a loser of a country who uses their war dead for political gain and actually grow up.
But I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you, Paragon.
Fallands Govt Press release today - one of our MLA,s will meet with the ICRC in Geneva next week - to explain to them(with the support of UK Govt fully behind us) that all and any requests over the war graves will have to be addressed direct to the Falkland Islands Govt.
Oct 27th, 2015 - 03:10 am - Link - Report abuse 0@47:
Oct 27th, 2015 - 09:06 am - Link - Report abuse 0Don't you see, that's the beauty of it.
If Hepatia actually counted down like you suggest, he and the other adherents to the Malvinas Lie would have to eventually admit they'll never get the Falklands, and admit their claim is a fraud.
Since he keeps saying “25 years”, he keeps the issue from running out of time, and keeps hope alive for the fraudsters.
Same reason, I think, that he says “return” instead of “surrender”. “Return” implies that Argentina had legitimate ownership of the Falklands at one point, which we all know (including Hepatia) is false.
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