Argentine intellectuals say Falklands must remain British

A GROUP of Argentine intellectuals who believe the Falklands Islands should remain in British hands have been branded traitors after penning an open letter calling for their government to rethink its policy towards 'Las Malvinas'.

Seventeen academics, journalists and politicians have put their names to the document. They say the right to self-determination for the 3,000 or so people who live on the remote islands - and want to remain British - must be respected.

They also point out that returning Argentina's borders to what they were 200 years ago would mean relinquishing Patagonia.

Their paper, entitled 'Malvinas: an alternative view', was published online yesterday and the signatories came in for heavy criticism. "The mass-circulation populist daily Cronica featured pictures of members of the group against a red background under the headline In Favour of the Pirates, accusing them of accepting the British position," reports The Guardian.

Politician Fernando Iglesias who set up the group was attacked on Twitter. But he told the Guardian: "I don't see how our country can impose on a group of 3,000 people, whose ancestors arrived there 180 years ago, a government, a sovereignty and a citizenship they do not want.

"My own grandparents only arrived in Argentina from Spain in the 1930s while some families on the islands have been there since the 1840s."

Another signatory, historian Luis Alberto Roberto, warned of the dangers of another conflict. "In 1982 we resorted to force," he told The Daily Telegraph. "We destroyed what had been achieved over many years. We created perfectly justified hate and fear. We lost the Malvinas. And, furthermore, we lost many Argentinians."

However, president Cristina Kirchner and her supporters, who include Hollywood actor Sean Penn, believe the islands should be ruled by Argentina. They have accused Britain of militarising the South Atlantic by sending a warship to the region and deploying Prince William there on search-and-rescue duty. ·