I
am writing these lines in mid-air between the Falklands and Ascension Island
(at about the latitude of Montevideo, heading NE). Aldo and I were picked up by
Adrian from Kay’s this morning, together with Jacob (the Spanish ornithologist
from Barcelona, who had studied microbial pathogens in penguins) and headed to
RAF Mount Pleasant under a beautiful sunrise. We had an emotional farewell from
Kay, who had now for the 3rd time given us a nice home in the
Falklands, and we pledged to come back. Also Aldo was very nostalgic, he kept
saying over the last few days that this was probably his last big trip down
south (but he already told us this 2 years ago). At Mt. Pleasant, I briefly met
and said farewell to Sarah Browning (Lee).
This
is probably the moment to thank my great team members and those who have
supported this expedition – especially (but not only) Kay McCallum, Paul
Brickle, Paul Brewin, Sarah and Simon Browning, Stevie Cartwright, Graeme on
Sea Lion Island. Matt Benwell and Jacob Gonzalez were great company over the
last 10 days at SAERI. And special thanks to Dawn, Fiona, Ursula, John (x 2)
and my other colleagues at Aberdeen for keeping things going during my absence,
and to the School of Biological Sciences for letting me go in the middle of the
teaching term which is something one can’t take for granted.
Indeed,
leaving the Falklands behind and returning to the real world is not easy. The
islands are among those places that I would consider paradise on Earth – a
natural paradise, a largely intact, pristine environment, especially in the
sea, and a small human population with a very high quality of life. In the rest
of the world, the islands are mostly associated with the 1982 conflict, but it
really should be said that since then, their inhabitants have turned them into
a small model country. As a UK Overseas Territory with far-reaching autonomy,
they are self-governing and self-reliant for almost everything except defence
(which, for very obvious reasons, has to be provided by the UK). There is no
unemployment in the islands, no crime, no drugs, no government debt, housing
quality is good and very affordable, the economy has been buoyant for many
years and will get even stronger. The community is small and very tight-knit,
free of significant conflict or social issues, which makes this a very safe and
pleasant place to live.
The
only political statement that I am going to make in this blog is that I
profoundly wish that the Falklands will be able to retain their freedom, sovereignty
and self-determination as they are, and that they may never ever get annexed by
Argentina. I feel that I have to make such a strong statement considering that
the islands remain in the headlines throughout the world and the subject of
considerable debate and controversy – but also, considering how few people will
ever be able to visit the Falklands due to their remoteness and, thus,
considerable difficulty and cost of getting there.
The
Argentine claim is very far-fetched and unfounded indeed. I would consider it
being driven entirely by nationalist, expansionist motives. Argentine
governments have repeatedly used the Falklands “issue” whenever they needed to
distract and deflect public attention from more serious, domestic issues. In
recent years, the Argentine government – in particular under Nestor and
Cristina Kirchner - has taken an increasingly aggressive approach to the
Falklands once more, imposing trade and traffic embargoes, calling them a “colony”
and lately even denying the existence of the Falkland Islanders - calling them
“implanted colonists” (thus refusing to acknowledge that most Falkland Islanders
have had 5 or more generations of ancestors living in the islands, which is as
many or more than most residents of Argentina). The Argentine government
repeatedly brings the case of the Falklands to the UN Committee for
Decolonization in New York – refusing to acknowledge the right to
self-determination of the islands’ inhabitants (a fundamental human right!) and
even to discuss with their elected representatives. If anybody should decide
the destiny of these islands, it is the Falkland Islanders. One might ask, what
would actually be better if the islands were to be annexed by Argentina? Probably
nothing, I would argue, but a lot of things would become worse. Certainly the
situation of the Falkland Islanders would not improve, especially in terms of the
quality of life or the economy in the islands. It is very unclear who would
benefit from this, and likely the circumstances would be very unfair and
uncontrollable by the islands’ residents.. Argentina is a country with serious
problems in terms of its democratic culture (or rather, the lack of it), its
bumpy economy, government debt and bankruptcy, organized crime, corruption, human
rights record (the same dictatorship that invaded the Falklands in 1982,
sacrificing many mostly young lives, is responsible for the disappearance of
around 44,000 Argentine citizens) and still others. In the Falklands, these
issues do not exist, and it is unthinkable that they ever would as long as the
islands can retain their current political status. De facto, as they are, I
would consider the Falklands being very close to an ideal world.
It
also has to be remarked that there are no Argentine owners of land or other property
in the Falklands, no Argentines were ever evicted, the Falklands have never
been used as a basis for aggression against anybody, and there is no ethnic
minority that would wish union with Argentina. An annexation by Argentina would
force an alien sovereignty and identity upon a population that strongly rejects
and despises such a move, de facto making them aliens in their home of several
generations. In just a little over a month from now, the Falkland Islanders
will have the opportunity to express their wishes on sovereignty in a
referendum. This should send a clear message to the world community to accept
the Falkland Islanders’ fundamental human right to freedom and self-determination
without any further doubt. I wish the Falkland Islanders well in their
endeavours, may the islands continue to flourish. And I also wish that at least
some of our readers may be able to visit and experience this wonderful place
themselves.
Leaving Stanley at sunrise
Above the tropical S Atlantic on the way from the FI to Ascension
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