The Falkland Islands' long journey from a colony to a self governing, financially autonomous territory, was underlined on Thursday, by lawmaker Phyl Rendell in her presentation to the United Nations Special Decolonization Committee. But so was the fact that advancing development, and relations with the continent are always under threat from Argentina, “who makes no secret of wanting to control our territory against our wishes”.
The myths surrounding Alexander Betts are beginning to unravel. He is the Falkland Islander who went to Argentina at the end of the 1982 Falklands war; adopted the Spanish version of his name, and portrayed himself as an honourable man who had carefully studied Falklands’ history and reached the conclusion that the Falklands belonged to Argentina.
Falkland Islands' elected lawmakers received assurances in Washington that US neutrality in the sovereign dispute with Argentina does not imply any denial of the Falkland Islanders right to self determination.
The Falkland Islands are very pleased with their current political and democratic status based on the UN charter and confirmed in the 2013 referendum, enjoy a prosperous economy with emphasis on social policies and environment conservation and have good neighborly relations with nearby countries, except for Argentina that “continues to ignore our people's right to self-determination and covet our territory”.
A statement from UK Defense secretary Michael Fallon relative to the Falkland Islands' garrison is expected sometime this week, according to reports in the British media. The Falklands' military response capacity has been a matter of much ongoing debate among analysts and former officers, as Argentina allegedly is involved in increased military expenditure.
Britain ’s ambassador to the United Nations has hit out at the UN’s Special Committee on Decolonisation (C24) for its “outdated” approach to dealing with overseas territories.
By Jaime Trobo (*) - Parlasur, acronym for Mercosur Parliament, decided to approve a declaration relative to the Malvinas Islands situation, and more specifically on the sovereignty conflict between the Argentine Republic and Great Britain, which has been ongoing for over 180 years with no reasonable accord.
Since 1961 the UN Committee of 24 has brought almost 750 million people out of a colonial status, based on their right of self-determination, but “what a shame it won’t extend this same right to another 2,500 people of the Falkland Islands”, said US born Luke Coffey, member of the Heritage Foundation and one time advisor to the UK Defense ministry.
Foreign minister Hector Timerman and Malvinas affairs Secretary Daniel Filmus, made the official presentation of the book “Malvinas Argentine sovereignty; 50 years since ambassador Ruda's speech” which recalls the fiftieth anniversary of the first Argentine presentation on the question of the Malvinas Islands before the UN Decolonization Committee, or C24.
Foreign minister Heraldo Muñoz reiterated on Wednesday Chile's support for Argentina sovereign rights over the Falkland Islands, Georgia and South Sandwich Islands during a meeting with visiting Daniel Filmus, head of Argentina's desk relative to Malvinas and other South Atlantic Islands affairs.