TNAG-1144-FCO40-1424-Hong-Kong-and-the-Falkland-Islands-crisis-1982 — Page 106

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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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