Secular Café: Falkland Islands referendum

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Falkland Islands referendum Jun 13th 2012, 16:17 The Falkland Islanders will soon be voting in a referendum on their political future. This comes in the context of a lot of claims from Argentina and various political actions against the Falklands and the islanders. Here's a view from an Islander: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...ht-decide-fate Quote: Our future is neither for Argentina nor the UK to decide. We alone, the people of the Falkland Islands, can make that choice. The principle of self-determination is enshrined in the UN charter and is a human right applicable to all peoples, including us. We hope that this referendum will send a clear signal – not just to Argentina but to other members of the international community – that the attempts by Argentina's president, Cristina Kirchner to bully and harangue these islands are unacceptable in a region that values democracy and human rights. Argentina's efforts to damage our livelihoods through a policy of illegal and counter-productive blockades are unacceptable. Such crass efforts to railroad the Falkland Islanders, and the British government that stands beside us, are doomed to fail. It is time, 30 years after the restoration of our liberty, for Argentina to stop this nonsense and to talk to us directly. This is the message that our delegation will be presenting at the meeting of the UN decolonisation committee in New York on Thursday. Unusually, the meeting will be attended by President Kirchner herself. We welcome enthusiastically the opportunity this provides to challenge the president directly in front of the international community and global media. For the first time, our delegation will consist of more than just our democratically elected legislative assembly members. Six young Falkland Islanders, who can trace their heritage back seven generations in the islands, will be attending. This is the face of the Falkland Islands that the world needs to see. The Falkland Islanders are a peaceful, hard-working and resilient people. Our society is thriving and forward-looking. Self-governing, financially self-sufficient and with our own identity, we are a small place with a big future. All we ask of Argentina is that our rights be respected, that we be left in peace to choose our own future and to develop our home for our children and generations to come

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