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| Resolving the Falklands issue | Resolving the Falklands issue |
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| Seumas Milne misrepresents the present situation when he says that British governments were prepared to negotiate the islands' sovereignty, so they should negotiate now (Comment, 13 March). Lease-back, joint sovereignty or any other form of compromise then considered would have been possible until 1994, when Argentina changed its constitution to say that it ratifies "its legitimate and imprescriptible sovereignty over the Islas Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and their maritime spaces. The recovery of those territories and the full exercise of sovereignty … are a permanent and unchangeable objective of the Argentinian people". | Seumas Milne misrepresents the present situation when he says that British governments were prepared to negotiate the islands' sovereignty, so they should negotiate now (Comment, 13 March). Lease-back, joint sovereignty or any other form of compromise then considered would have been possible until 1994, when Argentina changed its constitution to say that it ratifies "its legitimate and imprescriptible sovereignty over the Islas Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and their maritime spaces. The recovery of those territories and the full exercise of sovereignty … are a permanent and unchangeable objective of the Argentinian people". |
| In those terms, unless he violates the constitution and opens himself up to trial, no Argentinian negotiator, at any level, can discuss anything other than the date of full and unconditional handover of the islands by the British government. Guillermo Gil London | In those terms, unless he violates the constitution and opens himself up to trial, no Argentinian negotiator, at any level, can discuss anything other than the date of full and unconditional handover of the islands by the British government. Guillermo Gil London |
| • Seumas Milne neglects to mention one of the most pertinent issues: British public opinion. I bet a significant majority of British voters would be very strongly opposed to any negotiations with Argentina and media coverage of the referendum has only served to strengthen that opinion. With oil discovered near the islands and the Falklands war in living memory, the reality is that any UK government entering into negotiations with Argentina would be committing electoral suicide. Adam Sawyer High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire | • Seumas Milne neglects to mention one of the most pertinent issues: British public opinion. I bet a significant majority of British voters would be very strongly opposed to any negotiations with Argentina and media coverage of the referendum has only served to strengthen that opinion. With oil discovered near the islands and the Falklands war in living memory, the reality is that any UK government entering into negotiations with Argentina would be committing electoral suicide. Adam Sawyer High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire |
| • What about an agreement between the UK and Argentina that the islands are sovereign British territory but that the resources around the islands are shared, possibly 50% to the UK, 25% to Argentina and 25% donated to some of the regions of South America which suffered greatly during the cold war and still are far from recovery? There is some precedent: in the power-sharing arrangements in Northern Ireland, which demonstrated that people did not have to choose between "all or nothing". It might also be the best way to ensure that islanders' wishes are achieved for the long term, given the attitude of other countries in the region and the UN and the degree of uncertainty regarding the position of the US. B O'Brien London | • What about an agreement between the UK and Argentina that the islands are sovereign British territory but that the resources around the islands are shared, possibly 50% to the UK, 25% to Argentina and 25% donated to some of the regions of South America which suffered greatly during the cold war and still are far from recovery? There is some precedent: in the power-sharing arrangements in Northern Ireland, which demonstrated that people did not have to choose between "all or nothing". It might also be the best way to ensure that islanders' wishes are achieved for the long term, given the attitude of other countries in the region and the UN and the degree of uncertainty regarding the position of the US. B O'Brien London |
| • Seumas Milne puts forward the familiar, but wrong, line that the Falklands war "was a disaster for Britain, rescuing Thatcher from the depths of unpopularity". In fact, the Tory vote fell from 43.9% to 42.4% between 1979 and 1983. Thatcher was only returned to power because the SDP split the opposition vote. If we can overturn the popular idea that the war made her popular perhaps we can reduce the likelihood of politicians such as Blair launching follies like Iraq. And Cameron meddling in Syria. Alan Gray Brighton | • Seumas Milne puts forward the familiar, but wrong, line that the Falklands war "was a disaster for Britain, rescuing Thatcher from the depths of unpopularity". In fact, the Tory vote fell from 43.9% to 42.4% between 1979 and 1983. Thatcher was only returned to power because the SDP split the opposition vote. If we can overturn the popular idea that the war made her popular perhaps we can reduce the likelihood of politicians such as Blair launching follies like Iraq. And Cameron meddling in Syria. Alan Gray Brighton |
| • Congratulations to the Falklanders, who've voted 99.8% for their island to remain a British dependent territory (Report, 13 March). Given the opportunity, millions of people in Africa would also overwhelmingly vote for their so-called independent countries to become British dependent territories in order to escape the impacts of state-assisted wars, poverty, corruption, human rights abuse, population explosion, environmental degradation, disease and famine. Most African countries are already effectively British dependent countries anyway. | • Congratulations to the Falklanders, who've voted 99.8% for their island to remain a British dependent territory (Report, 13 March). Given the opportunity, millions of people in Africa would also overwhelmingly vote for their so-called independent countries to become British dependent territories in order to escape the impacts of state-assisted wars, poverty, corruption, human rights abuse, population explosion, environmental degradation, disease and famine. Most African countries are already effectively British dependent countries anyway. |
| It is the UK and other donor countries that provide direct budget support which keep the governments running, and the security and emergency food, health services and clean water that keep the population alive. Sam Akaki Director, Democratic Institutions for Poverty Reduction in Africa (Dipra) | It is the UK and other donor countries that provide direct budget support which keep the governments running, and the security and emergency food, health services and clean water that keep the population alive. Sam Akaki Director, Democratic Institutions for Poverty Reduction in Africa (Dipra) |
| • Richard Norton-Taylor points out that the UK cites a principle in the case of the Falkland Islands which it persistently violates in the case of the Chagos Islands (Report, 10 March). I believe that we should judge each case on its own merits. If the inhabitants' wishes are important, the UK is treating the Falklanders properly, while it has wronged (and continues to wrong) Chagosians. The UK ought to preserve its behaviour where that is right, and correct its behaviour where that is wrong. | • Richard Norton-Taylor points out that the UK cites a principle in the case of the Falkland Islands which it persistently violates in the case of the Chagos Islands (Report, 10 March). I believe that we should judge each case on its own merits. If the inhabitants' wishes are important, the UK is treating the Falklanders properly, while it has wronged (and continues to wrong) Chagosians. The UK ought to preserve its behaviour where that is right, and correct its behaviour where that is wrong. |
| Norton-Taylor's argument perversely claims that a person or state's inconsistency makes all principle irrelevant. The practical conclusion is that the UK should let the Falkland islanders down, and the Chagosians too. I hope no one listens to that reasoning. Richard Stallman Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA | Norton-Taylor's argument perversely claims that a person or state's inconsistency makes all principle irrelevant. The practical conclusion is that the UK should let the Falkland islanders down, and the Chagosians too. I hope no one listens to that reasoning. Richard Stallman Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA |
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