It was a war that caused a sensation at the time. It was fought between Margaret Thatcher and the Argentinian junta in 1982 but Britain emerged victorious retaining the Falklands/Malvinas islands in the South Atlantic.
It led to the deepest rift between Ireland and Britain in generations when Irish leader Charles Haughey backed the Argentinians.
Now a generation later Argentinian leader Cristina Kirchner is demanding that Britain hand back the islands to Argentina.
British leader David Cameron is having none of it.
"The future of the Falkland Islands should be determined by the Falkland Islanders themselves, the people who live there," he said.
"Whenever they have been asked their opinion, they say they want to maintain their current status with the United Kingdom,...they're holding a referendum this year and I hope the president of Argentina will listen to that referendum and recognise it is for the Falkland Islanders to choose their future, and as long as they choose to stay with the United Kingdom they have my 100 per cent backing.
Kirchner made public the contents of a letter to Ban Ki-moon the U.N Secretary General calling for their return to Argentina
One hundred and eighty years ago on the same date, January 3rd, in a blatant exercise of 19th-century colonialism, Argentina was forcibly stripped of the Malvinas Islands, which are situated 14,000km (8700 miles) away from London.
The Argentines on the Islands were expelled by the Royal Navy and the United Kingdom subsequently began a population implantation process similar to that applied to other territories under colonial rule.
Since then, Britain, the colonial power, has refused to return the territories to the Argentine Republic, thus preventing it from restoring its territorial integrity.
The Question of the Malvinas Islands is also a cause embraced by Latin America and by a vast majority of peoples and governments around the world that reject colonialism.
In 1960, the United Nations proclaimed the necessity of "bringing to an end colonialism in all its forms and manifestations". In 1965, the General Assembly adopted, with no votes against (not even by the United Kingdom), a resolution considering the Malvinas Islands a colonial case and inviting the two countries to negotiate a solution to the sovereignty dispute between them.
This was followed by many other resolutions to that effect.
In the name of the Argentine people, I reiterate our invitation for us to abide by the resolutions of the United Nations."
16 Comments
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.IrelandNorth | Jan 07, 2013, 02:43 PM EST
Of course, perhaps not unlike a certain dependency closer to home, independence might be an amicable compromise. If British PMs demands that Argentine President Cristian Kirchner respect wishes of island inhabitants, does he also mean if they vote against being with UK? Or if he's so sure they'll vote for British connection, why run a referendum this year? Planting people on an dostant island is even more illogical than doing so closer to home. Imperialism and democracy are incompatible. And going to war over a glorified bird colony with a reputation for bad wine is more illogical still. Must be down to that fluoridation in the water.
Curitiba | Jan 06, 2013, 04:39 PM EST
If Kirchner was serious about claiming sovereignty of the Falklands, she would be sending as many illegal immigrants or asylum seekers there as she could to out-populate the natives. Clearly, she is not serious, merely trying to distract attention away from her own domestic problems.
curtisjohnson | Jan 06, 2013, 03:58 PM EST
Good stuff, IrelandNorth!
IrelandNorth | Jan 06, 2013, 03:23 PM EST
Imperially inspired British democracy is like a crap game at a mob run Las Vegas casino. Everyone knows the dice is loaded, yet everyone keeps on playing.
curtisjohnson | Jan 06, 2013, 09:45 AM EST
The british squatters living in the Malvinas should leave and the Argentinian population restored. Then you can have a proper election. The island was originaly colonised by the French and the Spanish legitimately obtained the French interest placing it under the governance of Buenos Aires. The british terror state withdrew from the island entirely in 1774 and their remaining sqatters were gone by 1811.
Mousemess | Jan 06, 2013, 03:18 AM EST
The people of the Falklands are Anglophones and they like being British. They might learn Spanish, but don't have much interest in living under Argentine rule.
seanomelb | Jan 06, 2013, 01:26 AM EST
I suppose its take last outpost of the bloodied empire ephRAim.You have very little to crow about.
Mousemess | Jan 05, 2013, 07:11 PM EST
Go mba Eire aontaithe arist! May Eire be united again!
ePHraimAg | Jan 05, 2013, 06:39 PM EST
@seanomelb. Yes The Falklands ejected the Argentinian People because they are an emigrant work force
ePHraimAg | Jan 05, 2013, 06:23 PM EST
Cameron is having none of it and So am I having none of it. The Falkland Isles have always been a Ship repair Station from the Days Of Discovery. Argentina, Spain, and Ireland have always rendered its Blood Money against The United Kingdom. The referendum will Be.. We are The United Kingdom !
seanomelb | Jan 05, 2013, 04:45 PM EST
The british took the Malvinas expelled the population and (as they do)re-populated the islands. A thief is thief is a thief!! "Los Islas Malvinas Argentina"
Happyhippo | Jan 05, 2013, 02:31 PM EST
@wounded knee,officially no but she sure acts like one.
WoundedKnee | Jan 05, 2013, 12:51 PM EST
happyhippo: Kirchner a " female dictator"? You're an idiot--you obviously know nothing about Argentina.
Happyhippo | Jan 05, 2013, 12:04 PM EST
A yes it looks like the female dictator is playing politics again,the ownership of the falklands has been disputed for many hundreds of years not only by the british but by various other countries that had fought over them but who all lost the arguement,the fact that oil has been found has to have a bearing on the latest Argentine interest.
71regiment | Jan 05, 2013, 10:52 AM EST
Argentine leader, Cristina Kirchneris is in trouble domestically, so what better to do, devert public attention to an outside cuase. 180 years ago, Argentina was only a few years away from Spanish rule when it effectivly became independent.
Joe Kelsall | Jan 05, 2013, 08:57 AM EST
I think the Irish can put that on the back burner until Ireland is united again.