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IN PART THE TENDENCY OF THE SOVIET UNION AND ITS ALLIES AND
OF OTHER AUTHORITARIAN AND EXPANSIONIST STATES TO MINIMISE
ITS SIGNIFICANCE WHEN IT SUITS THEM.
3. AN ACT OF SELF-DETERMINATION HAS COME TO BE GENERALLY
ACKNOWLEDGED AS THE CORRECT PRELIMINARY TO THE INTRODUCTION
OF TERRITORIAL CHANGES (EG. A PEOPLE'S INCORPORATION INTO
A NEIGHBOURING STATE). THE UN HAS NEVER COUNTENANCED THE
DECOLONISATION OF A TERRITORY BY AGREEING TO HAND OVER ITS
PEOPLE TO ALIEN RULE IN THE FACE OF THEIR PERSISTENT OPPOSITION.
4. THE PRINCIPLE OF SELF-DETERMINATION IS RECOGNISED IN
IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS:
(A) THE UN CHARTER, IN ARTICLE 1(2) AND
SPELT OUT IN ARTICLE 73. ATTEMPTS TO DRAW
UNFAVOURABLE INFERENCES FROM THE FACT THAT
THIS ARTICLE GIVES PARAMOUNTCY TO THE QUOTE
INTERESTS UNQUOTE RATHER THAN THE QUOTE
WISHES UNQUOTE OF PEOPLES SHOULD BE COUNTERED
ROBUSTLY BY POINTING OUT THAT QUOTE PEOPLES
UNQUOTE ARE THE BEST JUDGE OF THEIR OWN INTERESTS.
• SUGGESTIONS TO THE CONTRARY CAN ONLY ENCOURAGE
INTERFERENCE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF OTHER
STATES AND THE UNPRINCIPLED USE OF FORCE, AND HAVE
BEEN THE CLASSIC ARGUMENT ADVANCED BY THOSE OPPOSED
TO DECOLONISATION, PAST AND PRESENT.
(B) THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANTS ON CIVIL AND
POLITICAL RIGHTS AND ON ECONOMIC SOCIAL AND CULTURAL
RIGHTS. IN BOTH OF THESE ARTICLE 1 STATES THAT
QUOTE ALL PEOPLES HAVE THE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION
BY VIRTUE OF THAT RIGHT THEY FREELY DETERMINE THEIR
POLITICAL STATUS
UNQUOTE. SUGGESTIONS THAT THE
FALKLAND ISLANDERS ARE NOT A QUOTE PEOPLE UNQUOTE
IN THE SENSE INTENDED BY THESE COVENANTS OR BY THE
CHARTER SHOULD BE COUNTERED BY DRAWING ON THE POINTS
IN MY GUIDANCE TELEGRAMS UNDER REFERENCE, AND ON
PARAGRAPH 5 BELOW.
(C) THE FRIENDLY RELATIONS DECLARATION ADOPTED BY
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