‘British’ Falklands reasserted

Press, 26 December 1984, Page 6

‘British’ Falklands reasserted

NZPA-AP London The British Prime Minister, Mrs Margaret Thatcher, said in an uncompromising Christmas Day message that the Falkland Islands were British territory, not Argentinian, and that the islanders had the right of self-determination. She challenged Argentina’s elected Government to extend the same right of self-determination to the residents of the disputed islands.

Mrs Thatcher’s tough tone was in a broadcast to the islanders and some 4000 British servicemen stationed there less than two weeks after a House of Commons committee said that it had been unable to decide whether Britain or Argentina had the stronger legal claim to the Falklands.

One of Argentina’s former military Governments invaded the Falklands on April 2, 1982. A British naval and air task force won back possession of the islands after a 74-day war, in which 712 Argentines and 255 British servicemen were killed.

In the Christmas broadcast Mrs Thatcher said that she did not like some of the ideas for the Falklands’ future expounded by unspecified “visitors to the islands.”

“Let me tell you how I see the future. The Falkland Islands are British territory. The people have been there for many generations, often before families that went to the Argentine.

“And when people now tell me, ‘Ah well, there is democracy in the Argentine,’ I say, ‘Yes, and the people in the Government of the Argentine should know now they have democracy, they have self-determina-tion, and they should know that they must extend that same right to the people of the Falklands.’ “That is how I see your future — still as British territory, still as having the right to self-determination to decide your own future. “That is why I constantly say to everyone who comes to see me, ‘lt is the wishes of the Falkland Islanders that are paramount, and so it will continue to be.’ I hope that sets your minds at rest,” she said. Argentina also claims the islands, which are off its south-west coast and nearly 13,000 km from Britain, as an inheritance from the days of Spanish colonial rule. Britain has governed the Falklands as a colony since 1833. Argentina accuses Britain of stealing the islands it calls the Malvinas. The British-descended islanders are vehemently opposed to any suggestion of Argentinian sovereignty. British and Argentine officials met in Berne, Switzerland, in July, to try to normalise relations. But the discussions , broke down when Argentina insisted on raising the sovereignty issue. Britain has refused to discuss the Falklands issue, although it has offered to resume talks on trade links and other issues.