Some letters

Falkland Island feelings

SIR – Arnold Peters (Letters, March 1) complains that elected British Parliaments have been hostile to the Foreign Office’s desire to negotiate with Argentina, and that the unelected Falkland Islands Association is a strong lobbyist of Parliament.

Perhaps this is because the Falkland Islands Association has represented the views of about 99 per cent of the islanders.

When I had the privilege of being chaplain to British Forces Falkland Islands for a tour in 1986, I found nobody who wanted to swap British government for Argentine, probably because many had seen the inhumane treatment meted out by the Argentines, not just to the islanders, but also to their own poorly equipped conscripts, most of whose casualties were because of illness and hunger.

The motto of the Falkland Islands is “Desire the Right”; the motto of RAF Mount Pleasant is “Defend the Right”. Our servicemen will, to the utmost of their ability. Will our Government? I hope so.

Rev Bernard Rumbold
Great Tew, Oxfordshire