UK leader tells Argentina to respect Falklands vote

By Alice Ritchie, AFP
March 13, 2013, 12:15 am TWN

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LONDON--British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday urged Argentina to respect the wishes of the Falkland Islanders after they voted overwhelmingly in a referendum to remain a British territory.

A near unanimous 99.8 percent of the 1,672 eligible voters in the disputed South Atlantic archipelago voted "yes," according to official results, with a 92-percent turnout.

Only three of the 1,517 valid ballots were cast against staying an internally self-governing British territory.

The islanders organized the vote in response to increasingly vocal demands for sovereignty by Argentine President Cristina Kirchner, who claims Britain is illegally occupying the islands.

Her government has dismissed the referendum as meaningless and said it would not affect its claims on the Falklands, which sparked a brief but bloody war with Britain in 1982.

The announcement of the result overnight Monday was met with jubilation in the islands' tiny capital Stanley, and Cameron said he was personally "delighted" by the outcome.

The British prime minister urged Argentina to "take careful note."

"The Falkland Islanders couldn't have spoken more clearly. They want to remain British and that view should be respected by everybody, including by Argentina," he said in a statement.

Cameron also warned against any military action by Argentina.

"The Falkland Islands may be thousands of miles away but they are British through and through and that is how they want to stay. People should know we will always be there to defend them," he said.

Falklanders hope the referendum result will arm them with an unambiguous message to take to other capitals when pressing their case for acceptance on the international stage.

The United States, for example, has studiously avoided taking sides on the issue despite its close ties with Britain.

The resounding "yes" result, delivered at around 10:30 p.m. Monday (0130 GMT Tuesday), sparked massive celebrations.

"There's so much noise here, it's huge," said Barry Elsby, a member of the islands' legislative assembly. "There are hundreds of people outside the cathedral, celebrating, singing and waving flags."

'No legal value'

Argentina however maintained its position that the vote was illegal.

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