"We hope, by voting overwhelmingly in favour of remaining British, the rest of the world will understand and support our right to self-determination."To say the Falklands War left a deep impression on John Fowler is perhaps an understatement.He witnessed the death of three women who were sheltering in his house during a botched British naval bombardment that was meant to help liberate his fellow islanders.Yet the 68-year-old deputy editor of the Penguin News, the territory’s main newspaper, is resolute about the islands remaining British."We Falkland Islanders know who we are and the kind of future we want - and it is definitely not as an Argentine colony,” he says defiantly, on the eve of this weekend’s historic first sovereignty referendum.
"We hope, by voting overwhelmingly in favour of remaining British, the rest of the world will understand and support our right to self-determination. The vote comes at a time when tensions between the UK and Argentina are becoming ever more heated.Since last year’s 30th anniversary of the 1982 war, Argentine protesters have repeatedly taken to the streets to demand the "return" of Las Malvinas – their name for the Falklands.Read More
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It wont matter to the Argentinians that it is inevitable that the Falkland Islanders will vote in favour of remaining a British territory but they simply have to respect the wishes of the Islanders, surely they are the ones that matter here. The Argentine s wont respect their wishes, but they can do nothing about it apart from frequent Nationalistic rhetoric, especially when the Country cant pay its debts and just shouts `Malvinas` louder. The fact is they are in a much worse position militarily to retake the Islands by force than they were in 1982, when the British Government gave the wrong impression about its hold on the Islands. They know that the UK will go to War to defend them and they cannot win any such War, they can keep on shouting Malvinas but it will forever be known as the Falklands.
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David Cameron demands that Argentina respect the referendum, which saw a massive 99.8% back staying under British rule.David Cameron has demanded that Argentina respect the result of a referendum in the Falklands which saw an overwhelming majority back staying under British rule.
Just three voted 'No' in the ballot about remaining a British Overseas Territory, with 99.8% supporting the status quo.
International observers ratified the poll, in which 92% of eligible voters - or 1,513 people - took part, as "free and fair"
The Prime Minister warned that Argentina should take "careful note" of the result, which he said was the clearest possible message.
"The Falkland Islands may be thousands of miles away but they are British through and through. That is how they want to stay," he said.
"They want to remain British and that view should be respected by everybody, including by Argentina."
Nigel Haywood, governor of the Falkland Islands, added: "You don't get a much clearer expression of the people's self-determination than such a large turn out and such a large yes vote."
Argentina has yet to officially react to the referendum but had already dismissed the vote as illegal and "pointless".
It claims the people have no voice in deciding what is a dispute about sovereignty that should be resolved directly with Britain.
But delighted residents, who sang Land Of Hope And Glory and Rule Britannia after the result, insisted they must be heard.
One woman celebrating in Stanley told Sky News: "It sends such a strong message to the world that we've been here for a long time.Read More HERE
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