Falklands invasion 30th anniversary

Britain and Argentina have been marking the 30th anniversary of Argentina's invasion of the Falkland Islands, amid renewed tension in the South Atlantic. Hundreds died during the 74-day conflict. Remembrance services were set to take place in Britain, Argentina and the islands themselves on Monday. A "Falklands flame" was lit at Britain's National Memorial Arboretum in central England, which would burn for 74 days, mirroring the duration of the 1982 conflict. British Prime Minister David Cameron described the invasion as a "profound wrong" in a statement to mark the anniversary, reaffirming his government's commitment to the islanders. "Thirty years ago today the people of the Falkland Islands suffered an act of aggression that sought to rob them of their freedom and their way of life," Cameron said. Three islanders died in the invasion on April 2, 1982, which was ordered by Argentina's then-ruling military junta. In the war that ensued, 649 Argentines and 255 British troops died. The war is largely seen as a desperate attempt by the struggling Argentinian dictatorship to stoke nationalistic support. The dictatorship fell and democracy was restored the following year. Argentina's President Cristina Kirchner gave a 20-minute speech during a rememberance ceremony in the southern city of Ushuaia, where she unveiled a monument and eternal flame to the Argentinean dead. "It is absurd to claim control (of the islands) from 14,000 kilometers away when the territory is on our continental shelf," she said. "We are not asking for anything more than a dialogue between the two countries to discuss the issue of sovereignty, respecting the interests of the islanders as stated in UN resolutions." Kirchner has being increasingly vocal in her assertion of Argentina's claim to the sovereignty of the islands. Buenos Aires asserts that British forces took the Falklands - which in Spanish are called the Islas Malvinas - in an illegal annexation in 1833. However she has ruled out military force in the dispute and said in her speech that the war 30 years ago was carried out not by a democratically-elected government, but rather a dictatorship that oppressed Argentinians as well. "We don't have war drums, nor do we wear military helmets. Our only helmets are those of construction workers, working for the inclusion of all," she said. The discovery of oil off the islands has raised the stakes, with Argentina saying it will sue companies that become involved in oil exploration there. Britain has said the island's inhabitants should determine their own fate, with the overwhelming majority saying they want to remain British. The Falklands, with a population of around 3,000, lie some 300 miles (480 kilometers) from Argentina.