Letter To The Editor: Reaction on Falkland Island story

Dear Editor,

You carried a story on 1 April in The FREEMAN on the Falkland Island and the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War between the United Kingdom and Argentine. The article made a number of erroneous claims, which I will clarify in the interests of both balance and fact.

The people of the Falkland Islands are British. They have chosen to be so and consistently express that desire. They remain free to choose their own futures, both politically and economically, and have a right to self-determination. There are three parties to this debate, not just two as Argentina likes to pretend. The Islanders can’t just be written out of history. As such, three can be no negotiation on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands unless and until such time as the Islanders so wish.

The UK has administered the Falklands peacefully and effectively for nearly 180 years. Some of the people on the Islands can trace their Falklands ancestry back through nine generations, longer than many South Americans can trace back their own family roots in their own countries. The UK has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and surrounding maritime areas, not of the Falkland Islanders’ rights to decide their own future.

The UK wants to have a full and friendly relationship with Argentina, as neighbors in the South Atlantic and as responsible fellow members of the G20, but we will not negotiate away the human and political rights of the Falkland Islands’ people against their will or behind their backs.

We remain disappointed that, 30 years after its unjustified and illegal act of aggression against the Falkland, Argentina continues its policy of hostility towards the Falklands people with attempts to strangle the economic livelihood of the islands and its refusal to cooperate with the Falklands on a range of issues for the common good of the region.

We honor the sacrifices that our Armed Forces made 30 years ago, recognizing the losses on both sides. We remain committed to the defense of the Falkland Islands and its people. The prosperous and secure future for the Falkland is the legacy of the 1982 conflict, and it is the greatest memorial there can be the servicemen who gave their lives there.

The UK Armed Forces have the resolve, capability and flexibility to defend the Falkland Islands should this prove necessary. But we are not ‘militarizing’ the South Atlantic as some wrongly claim. Thirty years on, we are satisfied that the Falkland Islanders have turned their economic fortunes around, and are a self-sufficient and prosperous community with great economic potential.

The Falkland Islands Government is entitled to develop both fisheries and hydrocarbons industries within its own waters. Hydrocarbon exploration is a legitimate commercial venture and the British Government supports the rights of the Falkland Islanders to develop their hydrocarbons sector. This right is an integral part of the right of self-determination, which is expressly contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Thank you.

Trevor Lewis

Chargé d’ Affaires

British Embassy, Manila