Richard Gott (Asleep over the Falklands, 23 December) criticises the Foreign Office for failing to address the vexed question of sovereignty. He adds, somewhat contentiously, that Argentina and Britain "both have a good claim to the Islands". Given the United Nations-sanctioned principle of the self-determination of peoples, the strength of any sovereignty claim must surely rest with the populace of a territory. The British government should thus propose, via the UN, that referendums should be held at specific intervals to determine the wishes of the Falkland Islanders.
These referendums would offer the alternatives of accepting Argentine sovereignty, independence for the islands, remaining under British sovereignty or taking on any other sovereignty (Chilean?) that the islanders might choose. The British government would agree to be bound by whatever result ensued, and would put into effect any change of sovereignty indicated by a referendum as a matter of urgency.I believe that tThe above procedure would avert further difficulties with South American nations recently stirred up by the government's foolish decision to permit oil prospecting in the South Atlantic.
L Warwick-Haller
Durley, Hampshire
• For British people, the Falkland islands belong to UK and for Argentine people to Argentina, and it's a fact that currently they are under UK control. But are British people willing to pay more taxes or even to cut their children's education budgets to support the islands? How many British will really benefit from keeping those very distant islands?
Even if oil extraction becomes possible one day, it will demand a lot of support from Argentina, so is Britain's political position about the Malvinas a matter of principle or just the old kingdom's pride? Well, pride does not pay the bills and we both should learn how to give our people a good life. Use common sense. If not, as common sense comes from common people, let them know how many pounds they pay every year for supporting the islands and, please, tell me how they feel.
Alejandro Nine
Moreno, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
• Argentina's geographical claim on the Falklands rests on an 1881 treaty's arbitrary straight-line division of Tierra del Fuego between it and Chile, with the eastern part of the island closest to the Falklands quite separate from mainland Argentina. Geologically, considering that Cape Horn is in Chile and the way the whole curve of the southern tip of South America continues sub-sea from Chile into the South Atlantic towards the Falklands, one could make a better case for Chile's "ownership" than for Argentina's.
John Birkett
St Andrew's, Fife
