TNAG-0926-FCO40-1144-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1980 — Page 46

CONFIDENTIAL

THE RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION

1. The United Kingdom Government respect the wishes of the peoples of our remaining Dependent Territories to determine their own future in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter. We give every encouragement and support to those Territories which seek independence, but we do not force it on those which, for reasons of their own, do not seek it.

2.

Despite this policy, we may still be criticised for the fact that we have not yet given independence to all our former colonies.

Those who make this criticism tend to assume that, because the

Territories remain dependent, they have not been allowed to exercise their right to self-determination. But this is a fallacy. Self-determination does not always lead to independence.

3. In our Dependent Territories we endeavour to find out, through the normal democratic process, what the majority of the population believe to be the most appropriate way for their Territory to develop. The pace of constitutional advance must be in line with what the people want, rather than with any artifical framework imposed by Britain as the administering power. Once the majority of the population of a Dependent Territory indicates, by means of a general election or a referendum, that they wish to move to independence, we help them achieve this in as rapid and orderly a manner as possible.

82.

CONFIDENTIAL