28 Jan 2012

UN on Malvinas: UK is the colonialist

While London accuses Argentina of colonialism, a look at the history and the international law shows Britain has always been a notorious colonizer whose dark practice persists in the present.

Last week, British Prime Minister David Cameron lashed out at Argentina for a “colonial” attitude on the South Atlantic Malvinas islands (the Falklands), which the British illegally occupied in 1833.

However, according to the United Nations' Special Committee on Decolonization, which is in charge of implementing the Declaration on Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, Britain has colonized the islands along with nine other territories, and should return them to its true owners.


Moreover, the committee's list of colonies contains only 16 entries, ten of which -- Bermuda, Malvinas, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, Gibraltar, Pitcairn and Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha -- are colonized by Britain.

Earlier this week, Argentine president Cristina Kirchner answered Cameron's accusations referering to the very UN list of colonies awaiting liberation.

"The United Nations Committee on Decolonization has 16 cases open on places that remain colonies, of which 10 are British colonies, and one of the best known is our beloved Malvinas islands," she said.

Kirchner also stressed Buenos Aires will continue its “diplomatic” efforts to secure the British withdrawal from the Malvinas.

However, British officials have in their latest comments accused Argentina of “saber-rattling” on the islands, threatening Buenos Aires with a military response.

"All the advice we have is that there is neither the capability nor the intention by the Argentines to repeat the folly of 1982 and that the military deterrent that we have is up to the task," British defense minister Gerald Howarth said on Friday.

Britain and Argentina fought a 74-day war in 1982 on the islands that ended with the British side using military might to crush Argentineans' uprising.

This comes as the facts on the ground raise serious questions about the capability of Britain, rather than Argentina, to repeat such a military adventure, in case Argentina launches a military operation to liberate the islands.

Britain deployed its Invincible class aircraft carriers near the Malvinas and was supported by the US back in 1982.

Now with the last British carriers off to scrap yards for dismantling, the US silently supporting the Argentineans' position and the Latin American powers including Brazil openly backing Buenos Aires on the issue, another military victory seems extremely far-fetched for Britain.



Source/UK banned Press TV