FALKLAND ISLANDS: SELF-DETERMINATION
THE FALKLANDS REFERENDUM: EXERCISING THE RIGHT TO SELF- DETERMINATION
Falkland Islanders were this year asked if they wanted their home to remain a British overseas territory. A senior Member of the Islands’ government reports the overwhelming response here and calls on the United Nations – and Argentina – to recognize their right to self-determination.
Hon. Dick Sawle, MLA, in Stanley. Mr Sawle has been a Member of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly since 2009 and is currently one of its three elected Members who have also been elected by the Assembly as Members of the Executive Council. He is a former teacher and fishing company owner who has lived in the Falklands since 1986.
Hon. Dick Sawle, MLA
The events of 11 and 12 March 2013 put down a marker in the history of the Falkland Islands. For the first time, we held a referendum on our political status. The result was incontrovertible – the people of the Falkland Islands wish, beyond any doubt whatsoever, to remain as an Overseas Territory of Great Britain. Three people voted no. Overall, 99.8 per cent voted yes and 92 per cent of our voters turned out to vote.
122 | The Parliamentarian | 2013: Issue Two
The right to self-determination That expression of self-determination does not preclude the right to change our political status at any time by means of another referendum. The right of a people to decide their own future is a fundamental human right that cannot have any conditions attached to it. In 2008, Argentina attempted to qualify the right to self- determination, but it was not accepted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly (Fourth Committee) which reiterated that the right to self- determination is a “universal right”. It is a right that Great Britain recognizes and wholeheartedly supports. Argentina would prefer to determine itself what is in the “best interests” of the Falkland Islanders, and evidently with no consultation with our people. Any country that is based on modern democratic principles cannot support that position and maintain a clear conscience. Argentina constantly refers to
UN Resolution 2065, and implies that Britain is somehow ignoring UN resolutions requiring sovereignty negotiations. Resolution 2065 (from 1965, 48 years ago) calls on Great Britain and Argentina to negotiate over the future of the Falkland Islands bearing in mind the “interests” of the Falkland Islanders. It does not mention sovereignty.
It does not promote any solution other than a peaceful one. Great Britain did not ignore Resolution 2065. As we have seen from recently released documents and as we know from history, Great Britain and Argentina did discuss a variety of peaceful solutions following Resolution 2065, none of which would have received any support whatsoever from Falkland Islanders. Regardless, 2065 is not a binding resolution. What are binding on all parties are UN Security Council resolutions. When Argentina invaded, all previous positions were
© All photographs courtesy of Sharon Jaffray
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