Falklands referendum: Islanders vote to remain British

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

The people of the Falkland Islands have voted overwhelmingly in favour of remaining a British overseas territory.

Of 1,517 votes cast in the two-day referendum, 1,513 were in favour of keeping the current status, while just three votes were against.

There was a turnout of more than 90% from 1,672 British citizens eligible to vote in a population of about 2,900.
...
Election observers from different countries have overseen the vote, including representatives of Chile and Mexico - despite an Argentine request for Latin American countries not to take part.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21750909

[loli phabay]

1. good finally the argies might get the message, if not then the rest of the world will hopefully ensu

Ensure the wishes of the islanders.

[Zorro]

4. You're dreamin'

Cristina needs her distraction.

[loli phabay]

6. yup i know but at least it might shut up some people who believe the islanders want to be

Argentinean.

[brooklynite]

2. I understand the Argentine vote was...oh right, there are no Argentines in the Falklands...

...and never have been.

[Ash_F]

11. Actually there were. They got kicked out.

~history~

PS - Too bad for them that they didn't get a vote when that happened either because there were 0 English on the island back then.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

13. The Falklands were formed before Argentina existed

And they were unoccupied as well, so the islanders are the natives here.

[Ash_F]

14. What I said was 100% factual

Start here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Falkland_Islands#British_return

[Violet_Crumble]

21. No the Islanders weren't natives there. The French settled it first...

So the Islanders are just another bunch of colonists. They're no more indigenous to the Falklands than I am to where I live, which is another very much larger example of British colonialism

[FunkyLeprechaun]

28. Seriously?

What have you been reading? The Falklanders are the natives in the islands.

[Violet_Crumble]

29. Yes, seriously.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkland_Islands_sovereignty_dispute#Historical_basis_of_the_dispute

[muriel_volestrangler]

32. As that says, France settled East Falkand one year before Britain settled West Falkland

and France gave it up one year after that, telling Spain they had to hold East Falkland to keep the British out. All in all, it's a squabble between European powers for a strategic site, until the British settlers actually made it permanent. Argentina's claim is just as colonial as the UK's; but the inhabitants want to remain a British dependency.

[Socal31]

3. Overwhelming.

Those won't be Argentina's rocks anytime soon.

[Nye Bevan]

5. Dear Argentina, shut up and go away.

Sincerely, the rest of the world.

[T_i_B]

9. +1

[Violet_Crumble]

12. The UK should shut up and go away as well and make the Falklanders look after themselves...

I'm sick of the whining of the whole bunch of them.


Sincerely, someone from the rest of the world...

[Nye Bevan]

16. You sound a little bitter.

Sorry if the result of the referendum disappointed you. It's heartening that your view is not held by the vast majority of DUers.

[Violet_Crumble]

17. Not at all. Just pointing out that the whining is well-rounded...

I'm sorry that it so disturbs you that someone points out that if the Falklanders want so badly to be British citizens, they really should move to Britain. Because it would make more sense for them to be citizens of the Falklands with a defence agreement with the UK like many other countries have done.

[Nye Bevan]

18. If both the islanders and the UK Government are perfectly happy with the status quo,

why not just leave them alone and let them get on with it?

[Violet_Crumble]

19. I'm happy to leave them alone, not sure why you think I shouldn't voice my opinion though...

My opinion is that the whining and carrying on about a tiny island on the other side of the world is pathetic. I'm sure voicing my opinion isn't going to be seen as interfering with the relationship between the Falkland Islanders and the UK...

[Nye Bevan]

20. Everyone was perfectly happy until Argentina started in with their whining.

I agree with you that Argentina should stop whining and crying.

[Violet_Crumble]

23. There's been a lot of all-round whining from all...

But I'm glad you now agree with me that I have every right to voice my opinion about the whininess of ALL without my opinion being seen as some sort of violation of British sovereignty!

[muriel_volestrangler]

33. It seems to me you're the one whining in this thread

Complaining that the Islanders aren't all heading off to Britain ...

[Bosonic]

22. The referendum wasn't about UK citizenship

It was if the islanders wished the islands to remain a British Overseas Territory (the two are not synonymous).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Overseas_Territories

[Violet_Crumble]

25. Thanks for the link. There's some far-flung places in that list...

I guess that's the last lingering remnants of British colonialism there, as the larger settler colonies either cut the apron strings themselves or had them cut by Britain (that's what happened with Australia) long ago. I can understand Gibraltar because of the geographical location, but the Pitcairn Islands? I always thought they were part of New Zealand for some reason...

[Nye Bevan]

27. Not so much geographical location as the wishes of the population.

Last edited Tue Mar 12, 2013, 02:10 PM - Edit history (2)

If the Gibraltarians wanted to become Spanish, they would become Spanish, the geographical location of Gibraltar notwithstanding.

Spain would be ecstatic to get Gibraltar, and the UK would be ecstatic not to have to pay the bill to defend it. It's just that pesky democracy that gets in the way.

[loli phabay]

30. as an australian you dont really have a say in it, the falklands are just as much british as the out

Isles, as an island nation brits get that brits live on many smaller islands that are just as much part of them as the peoples on the mainland. I guess you feel okay with them just being abandoned to their fate regardless of their feelings.

[ButterflyBlood]

7. Argentina has as much claim to those islands as the US does to Cuba

Actually Cuba is closer to the US than they are to Argentina so the Argentine claim is even more ridiculous.

[SwissTony]

10. Using that logic,....

Britain has less of a claim than Argentina. Britain is a LONG way from the Falklands. Just sayin'.

But Christina should STFU. The Falklanders have spoken.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

24. That's not using that "logic" at all.

He was saying distance was completely irrelevant and giving a specific example.

just sayin.

[SwissTony]

26. Yes and no.

He said "...the Argentine claim is even more ridiculous" implying distance does have a role.

Just sayin'.

[truebrit71]

34. Using that logic, don't we get to claim France as well?

...it's only 20+ miles across the Channel afterall...

[freshwest]

8. Looks like that's settled! Love your sig link, so true - had me LOL here!

[davidpdx]

15. Interesting...

I vaguely remember the Falkland Islands War back in the 80s (I was only around 10).

[loli phabay]

31. it would be a harder prospect for argentina to invade now with a beefed up british precense on the i

Islands, plus im pretty sure the response would be the same.