The Falkland/Malvinas islands represent a
classical TERRITORIAL DISPUTE in which several international agents claim
sovereign rights for different reasons over the same piece of land.
Argentineans, the Falkland/Malvinas islanders and Britons have an ongoing
argument. The solution seems to require a mutually exclusive relation amongst
them because it is assumed that the sovereignty over the third territory can be
granted to only one of them. Indeed, sovereignty is often regarded as an
absolute concept (that is to say, exclusive, and not shareable).
The
Falklands/Malvinas are a clear example of a zero sum game, with many negative
outcomes of different sorts (e.g. inefficient exploitation of natural
resources, tension in international relations, and threat to local and
international peace). Thus, while these conflicts are in principle confined to
specific areas and start with negative consequences primarily for the local
population, they tend quickly to expand to the regional and—even—the
international level (e.g. effects on international price of oil, war). There
are many issues at stake domestically and internationally.
Only to have a glimpse, today’s posts
includes below articles from the media covering this territorial dispute. The
reader will have a glimpse in relation to the dispute, natural resources,
Brexit, and some other key issues pertaining the Falklands/Malvinas. The articles
are all recent and and include media from Argentina, the Falkland/Malvinas
islands and the United Kingdom.
In all cases, although this sovereignty
conflict has been and is object of study of many sciences—law, political
sciences, international relations, only to name a few—these sciences do not
share their developments and both different approaches and different languages
were applied. Indeed, although multi and inter-disciplinary studies are
promoted in speeches everywhere, it is more a nominal aim rather than an actual
reality.
I
realised that the answer was very simple. Some problems are never solved
because most look for more problems, problems within a problem, or just simply
give up or are so self-centred they think that problem will not affect them and
hence, why would they even think about it. Ergo, the answer came to me: some
problems like Kashmir are never solved because people (or their
representatives) do not look for a solution.
THE
DISPUTE, THE 1982 WAR and ONGOING PROBLEMS SINCE THE WAR
The
Telegraph
Clarín
(in Spanish)
(The
removal of mines in the Falklands)
“The
British are advancing with the demining in Malvinas, and this is how it was
seen last week. Tal como informó recientemente la agencia Mercopress se va
terminando una fase y se reanudará la próxima en el verano austral del 2019
hasta 2020. As recently reported by the Mercopress agency, a phase is being
completed and the next one will resume in the austral summer of 2019 until 2020.”
Jewish
News
“Britain’s
Falklands Islands are to be protected by the same technology behind Israel’s
Iron Dome missile defence system.”
The
Guardian
“Until
they were invaded by Argentinian forces on 2 April 1982, the Falkland Islands
did not loom large in the nation’s consciousness. Most Britons would have been
hard-pressed to locate them on a map.”
“To
go to a place in which it’s legitimate to kill and maim people, to watch your
friends die in horrific ways, and then come back to a place where none of those
things is acceptable is not a journey the mind can easily make.”
ARGENTINA
and the UNITED KINGDOM
Telam
(in Spanish)
(The
claim over the Falklands is indeclinable)
MercoPress
MercoPress
“The
release follows underlining that the Argentine presentation ratifies the
competence of the UN General Assembly in issues regarding decolonization as
well as the principle of territorial integrity, and likewise the obligation of
holding negotiations and not taking unilateral actions contrary to the
decolonization process.”
NATURAL
RESOURCES
The
Times
“Banks
and big investors are showing new interest in the oil sector as prices rebound,
the boss of Premier Oil has said, improving options for funding its proposed
Falklands development.”
SMARTA
“[…]
the forecast long-term financial plan surplus for 17/18 is £26.595Million. If
fishing revenues all come in this year, the surplus could well be over
£30Million. FIG funds Market values which include pension, insurance and growth
funds that on 31 December 2017 totalled £371.3Million.”
MercoPress
BREXIT
The
Independent
“It
was laid bare when EU countries helped inflict a humiliating defeat on Britain
over the legal status of the Chagos Islands, in a UN vote in June, he told
MPs.”
“Lord
Hannay said the UK had traditionally been able to influence Washington and
shape EU policy at the UN, as a permanent member of the security council. “It
goes without saying, I’m afraid, that – since June of last year – those two
pillars of our influence at the United Nations have been shaken.”
The
Financial Times
WHEN
ALL PARTIES DECIDE TO COOPERATE
There
are some recent very good news. Argentina, the Falkland/Malvinas islands and
the United Kingdom show promising signs.
Reuters
“Scientists
analyzed 122 sets of human remains in 121 anonymous graves in the Darwin
Cemetery in the South Atlantic, an ICRC spokeswoman said. One of the graves,
which were all marked ‘Argentine soldier only known to God,’ had two bodies.”
The
Times
La
Nación (in Spanish)
(In
photos: the emotional ceremony in Malvinas)
The
New York Times
“I
was finally able to cry at his grave.”
The
Times
“An
RAF aircraft that was scrambled to join the search for a missing submarine
touched down in Argentina last night. It is understood to be the first RAF
plane to land there since the Falklands conflict.”
The
Santiago Times
FINALLY,
I can only agree with Summers and his comment below is a perfect way to
conclude this post. I wholeheartedly share his view. The time is now.
Penguin
News
The
message from outgoing Member of Legislative Assembly Mike Summers, in his final
Speech to the Motion for Adjournment. Speaking of the Falklands in 30 years’
time he said, “it’s not just up to them [Argentina] it’s up to all of us to fix
it if we can.”
Jorge
Emilio Nunez
29th
March 2018
