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‘We will not be silenced’, Buttigieg tells UN

The Self Determination of Gibraltar Group yesterday urged the UN Committee of 24 not to be “fooled by Spain’s callous and malicious swipes” at Gibraltar.
SDGG Chairman Richard Buttigieg claimed the Committee had stood “idly” by, allowing Spain to “pull the wool” over their eyes.
Addressing the Committee, Mr Buttigieg said the SDGG had repeatedly tried to persuade the UN to send a visiting mission to the Rock, a plea he reiterated yesterday during a five minute intervention.
“None of you should be fooled. Spain says one thing here, but then acts very differently towards us in Gibraltar,” he said.
“Of course, this Committee has not been able to see that for itself because it continuously fails in its duty to send a visiting mission to our country.”
He argued if the UN were to visit the Rock they would see, first hand, evidence of the unnecessary queues Spain generates at the border and the frequent illegal incursions into British Gibraltar territorial waters.
“Spain is not extending the hand of friendship to Gibraltar,” Mr Buttigieg told the Committee, referring to Spain’s proposal for joint sovereignty.
“Spain simply wishes to obtain sovereignty over our land totally against the democratically expressed wishes of the people of Gibraltar and in doing so run roughshod over the right of self determination enshrined in the UN charter,” Mr Buttigieg said.
“You therefore have to see the Spanish claim for what it really is. A callous and perverse attempt to violate the right of a peaceful people to live in their homeland.”
“But let Spain continue to act in a hostile way towards us. Perhaps that will show the world and hopefully this Committee what Spain is truly like.”
Mr Buttigieg then posed a question: what else can Gibraltar do to achieve decolonization?
He said the Committee should do more than simply pass a “stale resolution” year on year.
“We will nevertheless fight for the rights of Gibraltarians,” he said.
“The right to remain British. The right to our own identity. The right to choose.” “And we will pay whatever price is necessary to enforce that right.”
“We will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced. We will never be silenced.”

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