My country must 尊敬（する）・点 the wishes of the Falkland Islanders: A week before the historic 国民投票, the last 見解（をとる） you would 推定する／予想する to hear from an Argentine 退役軍人

By Roberto Herrscher

Published: 23:26 BST, 2 March 2013 | Updated: 13:01 BST, 5 March 2013

Thirty years ago, on an island in the South 大西洋 (called Isla Soledad for me and East Falkland to you),? I was a 19-year-old 海軍 徴集兵 and my friend, sailor Juan Ramon Turano, was 17. Even for a kid like me, Turano looked and behaved like a child ? he was wiry and hyperkinetic; he moved, talked and joked 非，不，無-stop. But he was sent to war before he could 運動 or 投票（する）. 井戸／弁護士席, 非，不，無 of us could 投票（する）, because we were living under the 血まみれの 独裁政治 of? General Leopoldo Galtieri.

That night, May 26, 1982, the war was reaching its 最高潮? and the British フリゲート艦s had started to 砲撃する our position in Fox Bay. I was trembling with 冷淡な or 恐れる in a 一時しのぎの物，策? foxhole when the news （機の）カム that Turano had lost 支配（する）／統制する of? himself, 解雇する／砲火／射撃ing in different directions before 落ちるing over his ライフル銃／探して盗む and blowing his を回避する. I couldn’t believe it. If there was anyone so alive ? 十分な of the energy and unconsciousness of adolescence ? it was him.

The night was long and I couldn’t get his 直面する out of my mind. The に引き続いて morning, I was sent to collect water at the 井戸／弁護士席 and there he was. A muddy green 一面に覆う／毛布 had been placed over his 死体, but it was too short and his brown boots stuck out. They still come 支援する in? my nightmares.

兵士 Robeto Herrscher as an 18-year-old in his uniform, with his sister. He believes Argentina must 尊敬（する）・点 the wishes of Falkland Islanders, whatever the result of next week's 国民投票

Yes, I am a Falklands war? 退役軍人, who fought for Argentina. Paraphrasing Wilfred Owen, for those of you who have read Strange 会合, I am the enemy you almost killed, my friend. When I （機の）カム home, on June 21, I felt angry, sad, lost. I 設立する it painful to sleep, hard to communicate my feelings, and, when I started talking, I couldn’t make myself shut up. I was too young to be a 退役軍人, yet much older than my friends. I hated almost everyone.

A week from today, about 1,500 Falkland Islanders (from a? 全住民 of around 2,500) will decide in a 国民投票 whether they want to continue 存在 a British Overseas 領土, as they have been since 1833. If? the answer is ‘no’, there will? be another 投票（する） to decide an 代案／選択肢 合法的な status. But that will not happen: the islanders consider themselves British and all the 地元の 議員s have called for a ‘yes’ 投票（する）.

And every time a new episode occurs, such as this 国民投票, in the 明らかに never-ending 戦う／戦い of shouts, sabre-動揺させるing and what we call in Spanish a ‘対話 of two deaf men’, I feel sad, angry and disillusioned all over again.

My country had sent me to fight a war I felt was 不正な and unnecessary. I had seen comrades like Turano die. I 借りがあるd? my life to a few good men in? the Argentine 軍の 軍隊s, but I still believed the 軍の 独裁政治 had 鎮圧するd our country, terrifying the 全住民 into silence.

Not going 負かす／撃墜する without a fight: Masked デモ参加者／実演宣伝者s march past an abandoned Harrods 蓄える／店 in Buenos 空気／公表するs in 2012

A プロの／賛成の-British farm on the Falkland Islands. All 地元の 議員s will 投票（する） 'yes' in the 国民投票 next week as to whether the island should remain a British Overseas 領土

After that 血まみれの war, we Argentines 回復するd our 僕主主義, and it is about 僕主主義 that I would like to 雑談（する） with you today. I belong to a 世代 that dreamed of having the 権利 to 投票（する）, to choose, to have a 発言する／表明する. 支援する then, we had no 権利s. We couldn’t choose our 政府 or the way we 手配中の，お尋ね者 to be 治める／統治するd, and we had no personal or 集団の／共同の freedom.

Even today, few in Argentina? dare to speak out in favour of the self-決意 of the Falkland Islanders. Last year, when a group of 17 Argentine 知識人s 調印するd a manifesto calling for the islanders to have a 発言する／表明する in their 未来, they were （刑事）被告 of 背信 or ridiculed.

Next week, on March 10 and 11, almost all of the adult Falkland Islanders will choose to remain British.

David Cameron’s 政府 will （人命などを）奪う，主張する that this 演習 of self-決意 強化するs Britain’s 解決する in supporting the 現在の 状況／情勢 and 辞退するing to 交渉する the 主権，独立 問題／発行する with Argentina.

一方／合間, the 行政 of Cristina Kirchner, Argentina’s 大統領，／社長, will 宣言する the 国民投票 無効の of any 合法的な 力／強力にする, （人命などを）奪う，主張するing that Britain’s 拒絶 to follow the UN’s calls for 二国間の／相互の 会談 is another example of its 軽蔑（する） for international 法律.

I know that 僕主主義 is not only the 権利 to 投票（する）, but of 存在 called to 表明する one’s opinion and to have that opinion 尊敬（する）・点d. I treasure it because I have not always experienced it ? I lived under a 独裁政治 which, without 協議するing anybody, sent me to fight a war in which I could have died or may have been 軍隊d to kill other human 存在s and live for ever with that 犯罪.

The war is over, but for the? 退役軍人s it will never end. More Falklands 退役軍人s both in? Britain and Argentina have committed 自殺 than those who 現実に died in the 1982 war.

A 王室の 海洋 特殊部隊員 目的（とする）s a surface to 空気／公表する ミサイル 発射台 in the during the Falklands War. Many Argentines lost their lives but Herrscher says it shouln't be forgotten British 兵士s did too

Yes, many Argentines lost their lives, their 四肢s, their sanity or their illusions in that damp, peaty 国／地域. I lost my innocence. But I believe our 苦しむing must not make us forget that many British 兵士s 苦しむd too, and that the islanders experienced a traumatic experience during the 侵略.

They did not want to be under the 支配する of General Galtieri’s 独裁政治; neither did we. After the 衝突 we 回復するd our 僕主主義.

We could 投票（する） and decide, and have our 発言する／表明するs heard. For my? compatriots, most of whom dream of having the ‘Malvinas’ as part of the 国家の 領土, I believe that the wishes, 利益／興味s, 願望（する）s and 明言する／公表するd choices of the islanders, even if there are few of them, have to be taken into consideration.

I know what it is to live in a country with no 権利s, no choices and no hope.

When I returned from the war I had to serve yet another month at the 海軍 （警察，軍隊などの）本部. The 軍の discipline and mindless 支配（する）／統制する were even m 鉱石 unbearable than before. Then, on the last day of my service, a worn-out woman （機の）カム into my office with a sheet of paper, shouting and crying.

I will never forget her. She? was the mother of sailor Turano. Her dead son had just been called to 従う with his 軍の service, as we had been when we turned 18. Of course, he never lived to be 18.

His mother was not angry: she was terrified. She could not 従う with the 軍の order. It was not her fault, she explained to us. What was she? to do, she asked with 涙／ほころびs in? her 注目する，もくろむs. That is what a 独裁政治 does to you.

When the bureaucratic machine called him to 武器, Turano had already died in a senseless war, ordered by a pompous general and a fanatic 海軍大将, the self-任命するd saviours of our fatherland.? We will hopefully have no more of those.

My 世代 fought hard and lost much to 回復する that 僕主主義. If we recognise it in others, one day we might have? a 実りの多い／有益な and 相互に 濃厚にするing 対話, and 結局 a 解答 to the 論争.

British through and through: The 資本／首都 of the Falkland Islands, Stanley