U.K. rejects islands draft

Press, 2 September 1983, Page 6

U.K. rejects islands draft

NZPA-Reuter New York Britain and Argentina clashed yesterday when the United Nation’s Decolonisation Committee took up the question of the Falkland Islands dispute. Sir John Thomson, Britain’s United Nations representative, rejected a draft resolution, sponsored by Venezuela, calling for a resumption of talks on the auestion of sovereignty over ie islands, seized and briefly occupied by Argentina last year. He said that Argentina had shown no regret for the invasion and had appeared to preserve the option of a further resort to force.

The Argentinian Ambassador, Mr Carlos Manuel Muniz, told the committee

that the “decolonisation and recovery of the Malvinas” was a permanent priority objective of all Argentinians.

He said that the situation in the region of the islands had been aggravated by the British decision to maintain an exclusion zone “around the occupied territories” against Argentinian planes and ships. Argentina and Britain are not members of the 25nation committee but were allowed to address it as interested parties. A resolution that the committee is expected to adopt today is similar to one that the General Assembly overwhelming endorsed in November, over Britain’s objections.