No.100 April 2011 IS Excellency the Governor of the Falkland Islands receives a 21 gun salute on Victory Green in Stanley Hprior to his fi nal departure. The Governor is fl anked by his wife Mrs Helen Huckle and his ADC Derek Clarke of the Defence Force and Marine Cadet Remelia Ped. Photo Penguin News. See page 4 for interview with the outgoing Governor. Caitlin Whitney and Racquel Francis at the Community School Sports. Go to page 18 for a Falklands sport four page special 1 Falkland Islands Editorial by FIA Chairman David Tatham CMG Association Newsletter A record of achievement Published by the I have real pride in presenting this issue of the Falkland Islands Association News Falkland Islands Letter. Association, Falkland House, Not simply because it is an exceptionally polished production. Our editor Lisa Watson, 14 Broadway, with her colleagues at SeAled in Stanley, and the co-operation of Cindy Buxton, who London handles the British end of the operation, has produced an excellent record of Falklands SW1H OBH achievement and a mirror to the rapidly developing society of the Islands. I don’t think the Newsletter has ever looked so good. Tel 0845 260 4884 But it’s not just surface polish. There are lots of good news stories about the ISSN 0262-9399 achievements of individual Islanders: the award to Patrick Watts; the graduation of Second Lieutenant Teraaka Middleton at Sandhurst; the fi rst Queen’s Certifi cate and EDITED BY: badge of Honour to Willie Bowles; the discovery of a new Warrah skull by 13 year-old Ms Lisa Watson, SeAled PR Dale Evans on his family farm. There is a useful summary of progress in oil prospection Brandon Road by the Department of Mineral Resources and an encouraging account of progress in Stanley agriculture by the Director Mac McArthur. The retiring governor, Alan Huckle, contributes Falkland Islands a thoughtful article on the current situation in the Islands, fundamentally optimistic, but pointing to the need to live within one’s means. Tel +500 22432 One article looks back to the Falklands contribution to the Commonwealth Games in [email protected] Delhi, last October, while another looks forward to the Island Games on the Isle of Wight next June/July. There are three stories about new commercial initiatives – Mamma Sue’s EDITORIAL pizza delivery, Alex Olmedo’s boutique V&A and Julie Halliday’s Studio 52. COMMITTEE Ms Cindy Buxton (Chair) Add to this the best GCSE results for 18 years, the presentation of the national Mr David Tatham CMG Stamp collection to the Stanley Museum, and I believe this is a record of astonishing Mr D G Ainslie activity for a community of about 3,000 people. It is something to bear in mind when Major R Spafford Argentine economic pressure is being applied in an attempt to stifl e Falklands’ links with Mrs M Christie the mainland and when the argentine President is reported to be planning to step up Mr Saul Pitaluga tension on the Falklands to boost her electoral chances. The Islands are a small society but they are well defended and they have their own vitality which will not be destroyed ADVERTISING by outside pressure. Full page £250 Facts and fi gments Half page £125 Quarter page £65 The newsletter also includes another detailed factual article by Graham Pascoe and Eighth page £35 Peter Pepper on recent Argentine claims that the British and Falklands Governments Short insert £3 have acted unilaterally in their contacts with Argentina. This same subject has recently per line led to a fascinating debate in the letters column of the Buenos Aires Herald and on the excellent Mercopress website mercopress.com with the former deputy Argentine Foreign www.fi association.com Minister, Andrés Cisneros. The exchange was marked by carefully researched history on the part of Peter and Graham, but distortion and venom from the former minister. The fact is that since Peter and Graham launched their attack on Argentine historical myth-making at a lecture at the London School of Economics in 2008, there has been no considered reply from the Argentine side. It is true that the Islanders’ case relies on self-determination, not history. It is what the people living in a country want their future to be which matters. But in addition it is good to know that Argentina’s historical case, which is regularly trotted out at the Committee of 24 and other UN and Latin American bodies, simply holds no water. Release of copyright The Editorial Committee releases all copyrights on the content of the Falkland Islands Newsletter except on pictures,cartoons and maps. Other publications are invited to quote freely. However, we ask that quotations are made in context and the Falkland Islands Newsletter acknowledged as the source. For further information turn to inside back page or alternatively contact Lisa Watson or Sarah Clement at SeAled PR. PRINTED BY: Platinum Press (UK) Ltd Tel 0844 880 4722 2 News - politics C24 Chair invited to Falklands October 2010 swearing in for new Governor following visit to Argentina THE Falkland Islands new Governor THE Chairman of the United Nations Nigel Robert Haywood CVO reiterated Special Committee on Decolonisation the United Kingdom’s support of the (C24) Donatus Keith St. Aimee was Falklands right to self-determination, issued an invite by the Falkland during his speech at the offi cial Islands Legislative Assembly to visit swearing in ceremony in October the Falkland Islands following Mr St. 2010. Aimee’s visit to Argentina in October Mr Haywood also noted, “The of 2010. United Kingdom fully supports you in The latter visit was viewed by the taking (oil) exploration forward – it is Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly your legitimate business.” as giving the Argentine Government He and his wife Louise attended an unfair opportunity to make the Court and Council Chambers in statements to the press in favour of Stanley Town Hall for the traditional their sovereignty claim. ceremony that included him receiving Member of Legislative Assembly a sword as part of his uniform. (MLA) Gavin Short wrote, “The Referring to Argentina he added, Falkland Islands is aware of your “Yes, we want friendly relations recent visit to Argentina, where you but based on the principle of self spoke about the Falkland islands and determination.” the Decolonisation committee. After greeting assembled guests, “While the Falkland Islands including Members of Legislative Government appreciates that the Council, Heads of Government Argentine Government and media Departments, the press and have their own agendas, you are representatives of the Chilean and St. reported as making a number of Helenian communities in the Islands, statements which were either factually Mr Haywood inspected a Guard of incorrect or marginalised the people Honour on Ross Road opposite Victory of the Falkland Islands along with Green on Stanley’s waterfront. the founding principles of the United At the parade the Falklands’ fl ag Nations Charter and UN Resolution was lowered and the Governor’s 1514 (XV) on which the Decolonisation standard raised before the Governor Committee is based. received the Royal Salute. “The Falkland Islands Government therefore decided it would set out its position and offer you the chance to Argentine ‘pressure’ ends shipping link balance what you heard in Argentina SOUTH American Atlantic Services, Brazil. through a visit to the Falkland the company that provides a shipping The original SAAS service between Islands.” service to South America from the Stanley, Montevideo in Uruguay and Falklands announced in June that the Punta Arenas in Southern Chile was Navy denied entry service would be withdrawn. then abandoned. One of the company directors In mid January, after the FALKLANDS Patrol Vessel Clyde was Hamish Wylie told the Penguin News announcement that the service denied entry to Rio de Janeiro by the journalist John Fowler in January would be withdrawn, SAAS went Brazilian Government in early 2010 as that the reason was unacceptably on to announce that ‘recognising a “gesture of brotherhood,” according high shipping costs caused, he the importance of the service to the to the Argentine Foreign Ministry. believed, by pressure being exerted Islands’ economic development, Foreign Minister Hector Timerman on companies that also operate in the company was concentrating told the Argentine press, “This Argentina, which had in turn resulted efforts and resources on exploring measure shows the closeness of our in a failure to secure the volumes all possible commercial options on relationship and is part of a structure of cargo necessary to maintain the future shipping links, with the support of strategic alliance and brotherhood service. of Consolidated Fisheries Ltd. and the that we have created. This is not just Argentina’s policy of interference Falkland Islands Government. confi ned to the commercial sphere, with shipping between the Falkland This statement was reiterated in but also extends to the recognition Islands and Latin America culminated February when the FIA Newsletter of Argentine sovereignty over the in the Presidential Decree 256/10 contacted Falkland Islands Falkland Islands.” which requires all shipping bound for Development Corporation General At the time newly-elected Brazilian the Falklands to seek permission from Manager David Waugh (also a Director President Dilma Rousseff was the Argentine Government. of SAAS). scheduled to visit Buenos Aires for Although ‘operational reasons’ He said, “...a number of options are her fi rst meeting with the Argentine were cited, it is generally felt that fear being explored with all the resources President Cristina Kirchner. that the SAAS chartered vessel Anja currently available. The objective In the past the Uruguayan might face detention under the terms remains to fi nd a way forward if at all Government has also prevented of the decree, caused it to take a route possible.” British ships mooring in Montevideo in around Cape Horn in its last voyage Decree 256/10 was declared order to show solidarity with Buenos from Punta Arenas to Stanley.