By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, February 10 -- After Argentina's foreign minister Hector Timerman delivered to the UN Security Council a complaint against the United Kingdom about the Malvina a/k/a Falkland Islands, he told the press that this month's Council president, Kodjo Menan of Togo, would pass the complaint on to UK Permanent Representative Mark Lyall Grant and then report back to him.
This did take place, at least the first part. When Lyall Grant exited the Council chamber at 6 pm, he told Inner City Press that Argentina's filing with the Council was "the same slides" as Timerman should during his press conference.
Minutes later, Togo's Kodjo Menan came out. Inner City Press asked, what's next? He said, "There's nothing next. I received him, the main concerned member of the Council, he gave me his position.
Inner City Press asked, "Were you convinced?"
Kodjo Menan said, "I don't want to be convinced. He's just given me the position, I took good note of his position."
Key, of course, is that the UK has a veto in the Security Council. What could happen, really?
During Timerman's press conference he mentioned two other UK overseas situation, Diego Garcia and Hong Kong. Inner City Press asked Lyall Grant about these two, particularly Diego Garcia where the Chagossians won court decisions for a right to return, only to be blocked by Tony Blair who cited "royal prerogative."
Lyall Grant said "You have to distinguish these territories. Every situation is different. In Hong Kong for instance there was a treaty with China. It was on a lease hold." THere was not direct answer about Diego Garcia.
None of the Permanent Five members of the Council is without a skeleton in its closet.
Diego Garcia and the Chagossians seem to be one for the UK, and the argument was loudly made at the UN on Friday that the Malvinas Islands are another. But at the end of the day, the Security Council president said "there's nothing next." And so it goes at the UN.
From the UK Mission's transcript:
Inner City Press: Mr Timerman mentioned Hong Kong and also Diego Garcia as 2 examples of other places where the UK... How do you distinguish that... It seems like in Diego Garcia, with the Chagossians tried to get a right to return and the UK opposed it. So, in that light, how can we take your statement that UK always respects the desires of people in territories like this, or can you distinguish these territories?
Lyall Grant: You have to distinguish these territories. Every situation is different. In Hong Kong for instance there was a treaty with China. It was on a lease hold, etc. So the whole thing is different and I don't want to draw comparisons between this. The facts in the Falkland Islands are very clear. It is a question, in our view, of self determination, because there is no issue of sovereignty. The claim of sovereignty is an entirely manufactured claim that has no basis in law and no basis in history, and therefore it’s a manufactured claim. Why on earth should Argentina suddenly decide that it has sovereignty over the Falkland Islands just because they happen to be 300 miles away? On that basis Canada could claim sovereignty over Alaska. It just doesn't make any sense. There is no historic, there is no judicial basis for the claim of sovereignty.
Footnote: Inner City Press also asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky:
Inner City Press: on Argentina. The Foreign Minister, when he came out of the meeting, said to the media in Spanish that in the meeting with the Secretary-General, the Secretary-General had said that since the continent, the Latin American continent, is so supportive of the Argentina’s position that should make it easier to resolve. And that’s what he told the media when he came out of the meeting. And I just wanted to know, is that something that the Secretary-General said? Is that his view?
Spokesperson: We’ve...
Inner City Press: I see your readout --
Spokesperson: Yeah, well, the readout has said very clearly that we are concerned about the strong exchanges between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom. And it is his hope that both Governments will avoid an escalation of this dispute and resolve their differences peacefully and through dialogue. That’s what I have for you.
