Is UK’s Foreign Minister in support of Sikh separatists’ self determination, fact check
On October 2, 2023, a Twitter account called Sikh Federation UK, which describes itself as a Sikh non-governmental organization and political advocacy group, shared a tweet. The tweet included a video featuring James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom. In the video, he can be seen saying,” Now I believe in the right of people having self-determination.”
What claim was shared with the video?
Twitter account Sikh fed UK, claimed,” The Foreign Secretary last night at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester confirms his support for self-determination.” Along with the claim they shared his video.
They further called out for the UK’s support for Foreign Sikh separatist demand for a separate Sikh homeland.
Fact Check
We investigated the claim associated with the shared video. We found the full video of James Cleverly on the website of express.co.uk. Here he is at a late-night drinks reception at the Conservative Party Conference.
What was his full speech about?
In the full video, you see him stating, “Now, I believe in the right of people having self-determination and the people of the Falklands have made their position clear and we need to return a Conservative government to make sure they and others around the world are protected.”
Additionally, he stated that” I’m going to visit the Falklands because I believe it is my job to make it absolutely clear that a Conservative government – and it’s only a Conservative government – that can be trusted to look after the best interests of this country and those others around the world who rely on British good governance”
Thus he is talking in reference to Falkland Island and not self-determination as a whole concept to be applied.
The Sikh Federation account selectively edited the video to only include the part where he talks about self-determination, leaving out the rest of his statement about the Falkland Islands.
Media Coverage
In addition, it was discovered that other media outlets also published articles about James Cleverly’s statement on the Falkland Islands.
Why did he refer to Falkland Island?
The Falkland Islands are a self-governing British Overseas Territory. Under the 2009 Constitution, the islands have full internal self-government; the UK is responsible for foreign affairs, retaining the power “to protect UK interests and to ensure the overall good governance of the territory”.
Conclusion
The fact check reveals that the Twitter account Sikh Fed UK shared a misleading statement. The video has been edited in a deceptive manner. In the complete video, James Cleverly is actually discussing the Falkland Islands.
