Dispute brings Argentina's Falklands claim to surface

Published on Wednesday 28 June 2006 01:14

A ROW over fishing licences has reignited Argentinian demands over the Falkland Islands, with the government of president Nestor Kirchner promising to press the nation's claims with new vigour.

Tomorrow, the Argentine Congress will establish a group of legislators to move the country's claims to the islands up the political agenda and launch an international campaign to isolate Britain. This was begun last week by Argentina's foreign secretary, Jorge Taiana, who brought up the Falklands in front of the UN's Decolonialisation Committee, calling UK actions there "illegitimate".

Argentina has asked the UN to intervene and rule on the ownership of the islands, something unlikely to make any progress because of Britain's power of veto on the Security Council.

"What is coming is a big fight over fishing and petroleum," an Argentinian diplomat said yesterday. "The Malvinas [as Argentina calls the islands] will become a top priority again."

The reason for the sudden burst of Argentinian activity over the Falklands was Britain's decision to grant fishing concessions around the islands for 25 years. The Argentinian government insists that Britain has no right to decide who can fish in what it insists are Argentinian waters, or at least waters under dispute.

The UK does not recognise any claims over the Falklands and believes that it is free to do as it wishes with British sovereign territory.

There is, however, some co-operation over the islands with a commission from Britain due in Buenos Aires this week to discuss the removal of land mines that the 1982 conflict left scattered around the Falklands. There are an estimated 20,000 anti-personnel mines still buried, laid by the Argentinian military, principally along the beaches, to thwart British landing plans. More than 1,000 soldiers died during the liberation of the islands, the vast majority Argentineans. Next year is the 25th anniversary of the war and Britain has already announced a "major celebration", which will no doubt further antagonise Argentina.

The Falklands issue still awakens passion in Argentina and is an emotive subject that politicians have seldom been able to resist exploiting. While president Kirchner has preferred to adopt a lower profile strategy with regards to the islands, that is set to change as he sets his sights on next year's elections where he is hoping to win a second term. He will be challenged again, it seems, by Carlos Menem, in exile in Chile.

The islanders themselves want to remain part of Britain and the British position is one of self-determination. As long as the inhabitants of the islands want to remain part of the UK then Britain will respect their wishes.

"At the moment we have not even considered the claims of sovereignty that Argentina is putting forward," said Richard Davies, a Falklands councillor . "There was a small Argentine presence on the islands at the end of the 19th century, but since then we have developed the place and we have the right to self-determination."

The islanders also have another ace up their sleeves, should the Argentinian government make any progress pressing its claims: independence. This could not only end once and for all attempts to take over the islands but could present a way out of the perennial tug of war between the UK and Argentina.

Mr Davies said: "There is no reason, in my opinion, why we could not seek full independence in the future."