Britain's Cameron defends self-determiantion for Falkland Islands

Jan 18, 2012, 16:24 GMT

London - Commemorations in Britain to mark the 30th anniversary of the Falkland Islands conflict later this year will send a 'strong message' to Argentina that London will continue to defend the islanders' right to self-determination, Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday.

Cameron confirmed in parliament that Britain's National Security Council (NSC) had discussed the issue of the Falkland Islands earlier this week.

British sovereignty over the island in the South Atlantic continues to be disputed by Argentina. In 1982, former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher went to war with Argentina over the conflict, in which 649 Argentinians and 255 Britons died.

Referring to recent Argentinian accusations that Britain was involved in some form of 'colonisalism' in the Falklands, Cameron said: 'What the Argentinians have been saying recently, I would argue, is far more like colonialism because these people want to remain British and the Argentinians want them to do something else.

Cameron said it was 'very important' for Britain to commemorate the Falklands conflict in June this year.

'The absolutely vital point is that we are clear that the future of the Falkland Islands is a matter for the people themselves. As long as they want to remain part of the United Kingdom and be British, they should be able to do so.'

The reason why the issue was discussed at the NSC was to 'make sure nobody is in any doubt that Britain supports that right of self-determination, and we will go on doing so for as long as people in the Falklands want to continue in that way.'

A source close to Cameron said later there had been 'a lot of rhetoric going on from Argentina' recently and the prime minister was 'keen to show how important the protection of the Falklanders and their self-determination is to him.'

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