Has the UN actually been paying attention - for once?
I ask, because it is considering decolonisation, again, and the list of places it features does not include Gibraltar. However, all the territories listed are either ruled by us or by our Uncle Sam so no surprises there.
Hidden deep in the text is this little gem about Pitcairn: "...according to a 2004 statement by a representative of the island Mayor, the people of Pitcairn did not fully understand all the possibilities or the significance of the various self-determination options available to them". Given that there are fewer than 50 Pitcairners (1), the individual concerned may well have conducted individual grillings on civics with all of them, but it is still pretty insulting.
Elsewhere, a range of dog bites man observations were made by Guamanian independence activists, including this shocking comment found in the archives : "In a secret memo issued on 21 November 1945, Vice Admiral G.D. Murray, then commander of the Marianas Navy Force, stated that “the economic development and administration of relatively few native inhabitants should be subordinate to the real purpose for which those islands are held”. Vice Admiral Murray had stated that the island’s commercial or industrial value were “of little or no relative importance to the welfare of the United States”. Erm, a war had just finished and that part of the Pacific is not exactly awash with deep water ports and the like.
(1) - Of no relevance to the foregoing, but some years back I engaged in a confectionery / film title competition with some friends, and by comment consent 'Mutiny on the Bounty' was the winner, followed by 'Mars Attacks'.
Hidden deep in the text is this little gem about Pitcairn: "...according to a 2004 statement by a representative of the island Mayor, the people of Pitcairn did not fully understand all the possibilities or the significance of the various self-determination options available to them". Given that there are fewer than 50 Pitcairners (1), the individual concerned may well have conducted individual grillings on civics with all of them, but it is still pretty insulting.
Elsewhere, a range of dog bites man observations were made by Guamanian independence activists, including this shocking comment found in the archives : "In a secret memo issued on 21 November 1945, Vice Admiral G.D. Murray, then commander of the Marianas Navy Force, stated that “the economic development and administration of relatively few native inhabitants should be subordinate to the real purpose for which those islands are held”. Vice Admiral Murray had stated that the island’s commercial or industrial value were “of little or no relative importance to the welfare of the United States”. Erm, a war had just finished and that part of the Pacific is not exactly awash with deep water ports and the like.
(1) - Of no relevance to the foregoing, but some years back I engaged in a confectionery / film title competition with some friends, and by comment consent 'Mutiny on the Bounty' was the winner, followed by 'Mars Attacks'.
Labels: Gibraltar, United Nations
This entry was posted
on Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 8:31 am.
You can skip to the end and leave a response.
Yeah but Pitcairners are inbred child abusers, aren't they?
The gene pool on Pitcairn does appear to lack a deep end, it must be said.
As an aside, I have been trying to update my links list for weeks and Blogger is having none of it. My apologies.
Surely the daft berks on that committee cannot be urging Independence for Pitcairn, which is what decolonisation would actually mean? If these "less than 50" persons declare their independence I trust Mr Broon will have a spare frigate or two to go down and sort them out! Although in fact it would make far more sense if the UK could offload them to New Zealand who provide all the support services nowadays anyway. NZ seems to provide a ready refuge for all manner of Pacific isladers so 49 more would not make a lot of difference.
N - Maybe the Fijian navy could go into action?
Mr C: An excellent suggestion - except I think the fuel sanctions are probably still in place and these boats would just about get beyond the nearest reef before having to go back to refuel.
I would not wish our Pitcairnian brethren to be under the 'iron heel' of the Fijians, I hasten to add.
» Post a Comment