[Jamie]

(Original post by Snagprophet)
So what is your proposed conspiracy to keep Falklanders behind some kind of iron curtain? What does the government benefit from this? And don't mention oil because that is unrelated to events that happened 10 years ago, let alone 25.

Think you have misunderstood. My comment was on the Argentinians, not Falklands.

THere was a documentary a while back on Argentinians (many of them ex-forces) who support the Falklands claims for self-determination.

They are not treated well...

[Snagprophet]

(Original post by Jamie)
Think you have misunderstood. My comment was on the Argentinians, not Falklands.

THere was a documentary a while back on Argentinians (many of them ex-forces) who support the Falklands claims for self-determination.

They are not treated well...

Ah, sorry.

[Aj12]

Does not matter if this does not affect the Argie claim .What it will do is stop them from gaining support for their claim. No doubt yelling about imperlisim and colonialism will alwyas gain you support amongst South American nations. by holding a referendum it makes Britain look good to other countries and Argentinia look bad.

[Snagprophet]

I just want the mayor of Stanley or whatever to kick Sean Penn in the balls.

[UniOfLife]

(Original post by Jamie)
Because the Argentinians are trying to force their claims through the UN who will take a dim view if the native population who have links to the islands going back over 150 years are given free vote and reject Argentina.

Its a very powerful not escalation, non-violent retort to their claims.
Especially as many in Argentina seem to think that the inhabitants want to be 'reunited' and are being held 'hostage' by the Brits.

Firstly, the UN appears to be a collection of mostly Western hating countries who put little things like human rights and plain common sense way down on their list of priorities. Odd little things like having Libya sitting on the UN's human rights group while its government is suppressing a popular revolution, or electing Robert Mugabe to be a UN leader for tourism. So maybe we shouldn't think that logic and the rule of law and other such things hold any sway in the UN.

Secondly, the argument that Argentina puts forward is that decolonisation trumps self-determination. As such, the outcome of the referendum will make no difference to their argument. The only people it will sway are those who, for whatever reason, think that the Falkand Islanders are split between pro-Argentinians and pro-British. I doubt if anyone in Argentina thinks this.

[Toppy]

I think the Argentinians are being a bit illogical. I was interested in being open minded and decided to find what the popular view is there and their reasons and found this:


Worth a watch if you're interested. Even if it is ridiculously one-sided.

[L i b]

A pointless and futile exercise. Argentina's claims don't hinge on popular approval in the Falklands and its allies don't much care either.

[Gales]

(Original post by Aj12)
Does not matter if this does not affect the Argie claim .What it will do is stop them from gaining support for their claim. No doubt yelling about imperlisim and colonialism will alwyas gain you support amongst South American nations. by holding a referendum it makes Britain look good to other countries and Argentinia look bad.

??

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Anyway, OT, I think the referendum is a positive thing. It'll send concrete evidence to the UN that the Falkland Islanders want to remain British. The Argentines will have nothing to stand on.

[HampshireDave]

We can talk about Argentine sovereignty when Kirchner goes "home" on a plane back to Spain, if they're going to be like this.

Either that or just stick HMS Astute out there

[j0hn]

This is way overdue, it's outrageous that the Argentinians invaded the Island without even considering the wishes of the Islanders. I think it's idiotic that they are becoming once again agressive with a nation that has nuclear weaponry capacity and the support of most of world, including the EEC, UN and the US. I'd like to think that this will settle it once and for all but it probably won't, they'll still churn out the aggressive propaganda and trade embargoes. If the Islanders wish to become Argentinian then they should be allowed to, but only then should the Argentinians expect any negotiation.

[LETSJaM]

Well it's not as if the result isn't a forgone conclusion...

<3 x

[Steevee]

When the Argentines all vacate back to Europe, so will the Falklanders.

It's utterly ridiculous really. Argentina has zero claim to these Islands, and I don't understand why the International community isn't behind the legal answer or the popular answer of the Falkland Islanders.

[floridadad55]

(Original post by alex5455)
I think we should have done this a long time ago, prove comprehensively to argentina the people wish to remain british and will do so.

really wish i had checked the title before i posted this, it is obviously meant to be hold

I don't see the point of a referendum. We already know the people who live in the Falklands want to remain British. I am sure that the jews in Israel (I am jewish, by the way) would vote to remain part of Israel and not live in an arab state. It is the position of Argentina, and probably of all the arab nations, that such people are usurpers. I don't agree with that position, but a referendum would not change their minds, even if 100% voted against them.

[A Mysterious Lord]

I've been watching the UN Decolonisation Committee, the amount of ignorance a lot of countries have to the facts in their blind hatred for the UK is incredible.

[Cyanohydrin]

(Original post by A Mysterious Lord)
I've been watching the UN Decolonisation Committee, the amount of ignorance a lot of countries have to the facts in their blind hatred for the UK is incredible.

Have you got a link?

[A Mysterious Lord]

(Original post by Cyanohydrin)
Have you got a link?

Finished for today now, resumes at 10am New York time tomorrow: http://webtv.un.org/live-now/watch/t.../1655324974001

[Cyanohydrin]

(Original post by A Mysterious Lord)
Finished for today now, resumes at 10am New York time tomorrow: http://webtv.un.org/live-now/watch/t.../1655324974001

Ah cheers. Couldn't briefly summarise some of the highlights for me?

[AspiringGenius]

(Original post by A Mysterious Lord)
Easy way to settle it - give the Falklands independence but with a defence agreement like we did with Malta. We can claim moral high ground, the Falkland Islanders become the richest people on Earth per capita from oil revenue and if Argentina invades it's a breach of just about every international law, and consequently get bombed into oblivion.

Not possible. They are too small a dependancy to have full independence. They don't have the infrastructure.

Plus, Malta is relatively close, with no other territories making a significant claim.

[AspiringGenius]

(Original post by Gales)
??

--

Anyway, OT, I think the referendum is a positive thing. It'll send concrete evidence to the UN that the Falkland Islanders want to remain British. The Argentines will have nothing to stand on.

The argentines don't care about the islanders views. In their eyes, it isn't their land to have an opinion over.

[ForKicks]

They seem to think they should have it just because it is close to them. The only argument they have and it holds no merit, lol