London: Thirty years after its forces were evicted by a British expeditionary naval flotilla, Argentinian President Cristina Krichner has demanded that the disputed Falkland Islands be returned to them.
In a stinging letter to Prime Minister David Cameron published in the British Press today, Krichner said that the South Atlantic islands were "forcibly stripped" from Argentina.
"Malvinas were 8,700 miles from London," the Argentinian President said and claimed that after the 1982 war Britain had expelled Argentinian settlers and replaced them with British settlers.
Krichner said that the UN General Assembly had adopted a resolution in 1965 which considered the islands as a case of colonialism and had told Britain and Argentina to hold talks on their disputed claims.
Krichner`s demand comes at the beginning of the new year when Falkland Islanders are due to hold a referendum on its future political status. It also comes days after former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher labelled the Falkland confrontation as the worst moment of her life.
Thatcher, called the Iron Lady, in her memoirs, `The Downing Street Years` said she had persisted with sending the British armada as any turning back would have amounted to "greatest humiliation for Britain".
Tension between Argentina and Britain is on the rise since last year`s 30th anniversary of the bloody war which left 649 Argentinian soldiers and 255 British troops dead.
David Cameron, the British Prime Minster has steadfastly refused to discuss the issue of sovereignty of the islands and in a Christmas message to the people there, has accused Argentina of denying the 3,000 residents the right to choose how they are governed.
In response to Krichner`s letter, a foreign office spokesman was quoted by `Guardian` as saying that the Falkland Islanders "are British and have chosen to be so".
She added that "there can be no negotiations on the sovereignty of the islands until such time as the islanders so wish".
PTI
