LEAD: Britain's Cameron defends self-determination for Falklands

Jan 18, 2012, 17:09 GMT

London/Buenos Aires - 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 islands in the South Atlantic, 480 kilometres from the Argentine mainland, continues to be disputed by Buenos Aires. In 1982, the two countries went to war over the issue, and 649 Argentinians and 255 Britons died in the conflict.

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.'

Argentine Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo criticized Cameron harshly for this comment.

'I find it totally offensive, particularly coming from the British government,' he said.

Randazzo said he hoped Britain will 'accept the UN resolution and sit down to negotiate' sovereignty over the islands.

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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