Sean Penn accuses Britain of 'colonialism' over Falklands

Sean Penn has accused Britain of colonialism and urged the government to open negotiations with Argentina over the Falkland Islands.



At a meeting with Argentine president Cristina Kirchner, the Left-wing Hollywood actor referred to the islands "the Malvinas Islands of Argentina" and said Britain should entered into a UN-sponsored dialogue over their sovereignty.

"The world today is not going to tolerate any ludicrous and archaic commitment to colonialist ideology," he said during the meeting in Buenos Aires.

“I know I came in a very sensitive moment in terms of diplomacy between Argentina and the UK over the Malvinas islands.

"And I hope that diplomats can establish true dialogue in order to solve the conflict as the world today cannot tolerate ridiculous demonstrations of colonialism.

"The way of dialogue is the only way to achieve a better solution for both nations,” he said, according to the Buenos Aires Herald.

The Oscar-nominated Penn has long been a friend of South American nationalism, visiting both Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and Cuba's

The government has consistently refused to take part in any negotiations over the status of the islands, saying that they will remain a British territory as long a majority of the 3,000 islanders wish them to.

Last week, Argentina submitted a formal complaint to the UN, accusing Britain of "militarising" the South Atlantic by sending HMS Dauntless, the Royal Navy's most advanced ship, to the region.

Tensions between the two nations are running high as the 30th anniversary of the Falklands War approaches.

Sean Penn should shut up and go back to what he does best: punching Madonna.

Why isn't he bitching about Gibraltar too? Cos, you know, the Falklands are hardly our only foreign dependency.

I think we should give them back. It's time the oppressed indigenous Argentinian population should be freed from British rule.

Wait there's no indigenous Argentinian population? Well the non indigenous Argentinian population and their settlements should at least be allowed a say in who governs them. Oh there's no Argentinian population or settlement, well the current population must surely want to be reunited with Buenos Aries.

They don't, well at least the Argentinians have a historic claim having discovered the islands and put in a claim since the 18th century. Wait the country didn't exist when the islands were discovered. Well then the British must have regonised the continuing claim of the islands by the Spanish and applied them to the newly independent state of Argentina in 1816 then. Wait your telling me they didn't. Well at least the Argentinian government has only pursued its claim through peaceful means since then. Wait your telling me that they invaded the Falkland islands and caused numerous deaths but it doesn't count because it was under an old military dictatorship. Got ya, so that therefore means that any implicit actions by the 1820s British government in allowing Argentinian explorations to the islands are also really too old to be considered. Oh wait they aren't?

How about you just strawberry float off then?

BREAKING: FIFA asks Argentina to explain plan to name league after Belgrano ship sunk during Falklands conflict.

I'm clearly not as intelligent as either you or turbs spinny. I bow to your greatness

I enjoyed that.

It's a sad state of affairs if the Malvinas are even being talked about any more. My mate works there and it's akin to living in Wales. Desolate outcrop with nothing happening.

That was good.

I fear another war though.

Oil Grab in Falkland Islands Seen Tripling U.K. Reserves: Energy

By Brian Swint - Jan 19, 2012 5:04 PM GMT

Thirty years after Margaret Thatcher fought a 74-day war with Argentina over the Falkland Islands, the prospect of an oil boom is reviving tensions.

Oil explorers are targeting 8.3 billion barrels in the waters around the islands this year, three times the U.K.’s reserves. Borders & Southern Petroleum Plc (BOR) will drill the Stebbing prospect next month, one of three Falkland wells that Morgan Stanley ranks among the world’s top 15 offshore prospects this year. Meanwhile, Rockhopper Exploration Plc (RKH) is seeking $2 billion from a larger oil company to develop the Sea Lion field, the islands’ first economically viable oil find.

“The area is underexplored and highly prospective,” said New York-based Morgan Stanley analyst Evan Calio. “These could be like the high-impact wells in Ghana and Brazil a few years ago that opened up a whole host of basins.”

A major drilling success will further raise the political temperature as Argentina maintains its claim over the U.K’s South Atlantic territory, 300 miles (483 kilometers) from the Latin American coast. President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said Britain is taking her country’s resources, while Thatcher’s successor David Cameron yesterday accused Argentina of a “colonialist” attitude that didn’t account for islanders’ rights.

Cameron has approved contingency plans to bolster U.K. troops on the islands, and Prince William, a search and rescue pilot and the second in line to the British throne, may spend six weeks there this year, the Times reported today in London.