Open letter to Argentina President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner

A group of Falkland Islanders have written a letter to Argentina President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner stating their own feelings on the territory dispute. Read the letter below.

Dear Ms Kirchner

For many years YOU have been publicly expressing far too readily what YOU think 

For many years YOU have been publicly expressing far too readily what YOU think should happen to OUR home, the Falkland Islands.

As Falkland Islanders we thought that we would take this moment to share our thoughts with you and correct some rather glaring factual mistakes on your part.

You haven't asked us to date, or even acknowledged us, but nonetheless we feel it is important that OUR voices are heard.

We have our own Government, Legislative Assembly, Executive Council, judiciary - we have OUR own voice. Our voice is a Falklands voice and not a Las Malvinas voice as you rather rudely insist in referring to us as.

We live here because we want to. Our home is a British Overseas Territory, not a Colony as you seemingly wish to convince people.

Through our right to self-determination as enshrined by the United Nations we can choose to associate ourselves with whomever we so choose.

We choose to maintain our relationship with the United Kingdom in this way.

Since the British reassertion of rule in 1833, through the wishes of the islands inhabitants (who have all immigrated and settled voluntarily for the past 180 years) we are a proud Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom sharing many values, traditions and customs including free choice - something you appear to have no regard for.

We asked our residents what they think. Krysteen Ormond, a Stanley local, echoes the thoughts of many of us that it is: "…our right as Falkland Islanders to self-determination. Our voice has to be the most important one in any conversation about the islands, as it is our home and our future being debated."

Another resident, Teslyn Barkman, explains: "[Your] government's hounding attempts to colonise our land armed only with ridiculous claims and a UN resolution from a charter that would only support our right to self-determination are exhausting to hear but we live in hope that one day they'll realise how absurd and undemocratic they sound."

We have never been prouder of our association with the United Kingdom and our unique relationship. Any decision to change that would be OUR and not YOUR choice.

In 1982 we didn't have a voice. In 2013 we do. We are OUR own people and we have a right to OUR own democracy and to where OUR sovereignty lies.

We look forward to our referendum in March of this year and failure on your part to accept the outcome will prove to the world that there is only one colonial power in the region.

Regards,
Falklands United