OAS calls for talks on Falkland sovereignty
LIMA, June 8 |
LIMA, June 8 (Reuters) - The Organization of American States called on Tuesday for Britain and Argentina to re-open talks on the sovereignty of the disputed Falkland Islands, where a British company has made a major oil find.
Argentina, which has claimed the South Atlantic islands since Britain established its rule in the 19th century, invaded them in 1982, sparking a two-month war that ended with Argentina's defeat and withdrawal from the archipelago.
The OAS -- a hemispheric forum that includes all nations in the Americas except Cuba and Honduras -- voted at a meeting in Lima, Peru in favor of a resolution demanding the two nations restart talks on the archipelago's sovereignty.
Peru's representative to the OAS announced that the vote was unanimous.
Argentina objects to plans by British oil explorer Rockhopper (RKH.L) to develop the Sea Lion well, the first oil discovery in the islands. [ID:nLDE6530AA]
"This illegal activity has many environmental risks for the region, as we're seeing now in the Gulf of Mexico," Argentina's foreign minister, Jorge Taina, told the OAS general assembly in Lima.
"In addition there is also the belligerent and aggressive attitude the British government has, which is also a cause of concern for the continent as a whole," he said.
In addition, the OAS general also decided that it was no yet the time to readmit Honduras, which was expelled from the group following a coup last June. [ID:nN07204027]
Instead the OAS decided to send a mission to Honduras that will assess the state of democracy in the Central American country and produce a report that would be used to decide whether to readmit Honduras at a future date.
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I am a New Zealander – a former part of the Empire – and i am getting more and more confused about this whole ‘Argentina owns the Islands’ stuff.
I dont think that the OAS and Argentina understand that the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is not for Britain to decide. The Islands do not ‘belong’ to Britain in the sense we think they do: they are self governing, so there is legally no way that Britain can give something it doesn’t own. If you like my brothers bike, i cant give it to you just because he’s my brother.
This sovereignty issue is truly bizarre. The Islands have been British longer than Argentina has existed as a country and, interestingly, longer than California, Texas and Hawaii have been part of the USA. The people that have lived there for several generations want to remain part of Britain, historical evidence points towards British ownership before Argentine ownership, and the islands can become independent at any point they wish. Only they need military support to help against their big scary neighbor.
The UN even states that ‘All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.’ amongst other things. (Part 1, Article 1 INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON
CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS)
Though i would like to say that: i dont know if i’m right, but i think its ridiculous that this is taking up so much time. Most other colony’s got what they wanted, why not the Falkland Islands?
If Californians where told that the US was giving the state back to the Mexico, how would they respond?
Where is the debate here?
/Confused
Give California back to Mexico.
Gringos go home.
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