Page 130 - Conflitti Militari e Popolazioni Civili - Tomo II

632 XXXIV Congresso della CommIssIone InternazIonale dI storIa mIlItare • CIHm

across a narrow street, instantly killing two people, one of them a minor, and seriously injur-
ing a third person. The officers and soldiers from the residence crossed the street to assist the
possible victims.” two civilians were killed and a third one who was injured died later in
60
the hospital. They were the only civilians killed in the whole conflict. 61
As a result of these actions against Puerto Argentino, over at the continent the Military
Junta issued a series of communiqués to delimit responsibilities as regards the effects on
the civil population , and the Foreign Ministry complemented the move by presenting
62 63
a note of protest through the Brazilian embassy, which determined the issuance of another
communiqué. 64
In the meantime, the International Red Cross Delegation which had arrived at Puerto
Argentino on board of hospital ship ARA Bahía Paraíso met with the population and visited
a number of places of its own choice. The mission was authorized to talk freely with the is-
landers, and did so without receiving complaints about any serious incident or certifying any
violation by the Argentine forces to the laws and customs of war or regarding the protection
of civilians under such circumstances.
At the end of his visit, the Chief of the Red Cross mission expressed his approval and
satisfaction to the Military Governor for all he had seen in a day and night of stay in Puerto
Argentino, and both exchanged impressions about the best way to protect the population in
case of a British attack on the town. They agreed on the convenience of concentrating the
islanders in the Anglican church, as it was a building of good size and solidity which stood
out of the rest and would be easily avoided as a target by the artillery, as it really happened
afterwards.
On 14 June, after a series of harsh clashes on the hills that surrounded the capital, the
Argentine garrison finally surrendered without any armed fighting having occurred inside the
town between the Argentine and British forces.
“The shock, the nervousness and sadness were to continue for many days, but the con-
flict that had held us in suspense for weeks was over. We saw no celebrations, no cheering
amongst those islanders in the town; just a sense of relief. ... Many people suddenly aged
and I believe the conflict was to carry on in the minds of some for a long while after the sur-
render”. 65

60 Brigadier Carlos Bloomer Reeve, en Palazzi, op.cit. page 97.
61 Doreen Bowner; Sue Whitley; and Mary Goodwin.
62 Communiqué N° 149 of the Joint Staff, dated 11 June 1982. “The Malvinas Government has adopted all
measures to ensure that the inhabitants will not experience, as far as possible, the consequences of another
British attack like the one described”.
63 Communiqué N° 153 of the Joint Staff, dated 12 June 1982. “These citizens, British and islanders, killed
and injured by the British shrapnel, are the same ones that the British government pretends to protect and in
defense of whose interests it says to be waging this struggle for a land that it has usurped and therefore does
not belong to it”
64 Communiqué N° 155 of the Joint Staff dated 13 June 1982: “For all these reasons, the Argentine Go-
vernment wishes to report these actions which constitute serious violations to the Geneva agreements and
endanger the life and security of the civil population of Puerto Argentino, as well as that of the members of
the International Red Cross who are in the town complying with a mission of strictly humanitarian character
and with the knowledge and agreement of the British Government.”
65 Strange, Ian, op.cit., page289.