Falklands news: Why Islanders will always honour memory of UK veterans ‘Perfect memorial'
AS the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War draws closer, a senior diplomat and native of the remote archipelago has said Islanders will never forget the sacrifice made by UK veterans to preserve their British sovereignty.
Falklands: Official discusses the sacrifices made in 1982
And Michael Betts, assistant representative of the Falkland Islands Government, based at Falkland House in Westminster, said the way the thriving British overseas territory is today serves as “the perfect war memorial” for those who lost their lives. Mr Betts, a sixth-generation Islander on his father’s side whose family settled in the Falklands in 1885, was speaking at an event at Falkland House to mark the launch of a new LATAM flight between Sao Paolo in Brazil and Mount Pleasant airport on East Falkland, which had the wider aim of boosting tourism.
He told Express.co.uk: “It’s a really proud place, our history, our culture.
“If you want to visit somewhere that’s different, for a bit of an adventure, if you want to turn off from city life, and you want to go somewhere for friendship, the Falklands is a good place to go.”
The Falklands War, which lasted 80 days after an Argentinian invasion of the Islands, was ultimately repelled by a British task force dispatched by then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher - and Mr Betts, who was not born at the time, said nobody who lives there now will ever forget the conflict, which claimed the lives of almost 1,000 British and Argentinian servicemen.
He said: “It’s important to reinforce the fact that we would not be where we are now without the sacrifices made in 1982.
“That was a real dark time in our history.”
On the flip side, the net result was significant investment in the Islands, which is now home to almost double the 1,820 people who lived there in 1982.
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Mr Betts added: “A lot of veterans from the UK come over to visit.
“It’s incredibly important to them to see how far the Falklands have come and that we understand the sacrifices made.”
As the 40th anniversary of liberation approached on June 13, 2022, Mr Betts said the Falklands Islands Tourist Board (FITB) was hoping to attract a lot more veterans - including those from Argentina.
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He said: “They obviously have a lot of very memories of the time that were not positive and it’s important that they confront what they experienced.
“And it’s important they see the Falklands for how we are today, and take that message home as well.
“Obviously we are thankful that we were liberated.
“If you are of a certain generation, you will remember the war.
“I wouldn’t say it is a milestone but it was a key moment in the 1980s.
“One of the big roles of this office is to spread awareness to the younger generation.
“It’s important to explain to them who we are and why we are British.
“It’s not a question of choosing to be British - it’s just who we are.
“With the sovereignty dispute, that really places the emphasis on our identity.
“And with a lot of things coming out of Argentina about how they try and reinforce their own claim, and talk about how we’re not true Islanders, that’s why we reach back to try and reach our roots.”