( CNN ) -- A British newspaper waded into the argument between Britain and Argentina over sovereignty of the Falkland Islands on Friday , publishing an open letter in a Buenos Aires newspaper saying `` hands off '' the disputed territory . The Sun 's letter , printed in the Buenos Aires Herald , was a riposte to an open letter published in the British press Thursday in which Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner called on the UK to hand back the islands , known in Argentina as Las Malvinas . What lies behind renewed tensions over the Falkland Islands ? Her open letter , addressed to British Prime Minister David Cameron and copied to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon , accused Britain of blatant colonialism . She wrote : `` The Argentines on the Islands were expelled by the Royal Navy and the United Kingdom subsequently began a population implantation process similar to that applied to other territories under colonial rule . `` Since then , Britain , the colonial power , has refused to return the territories to the Argentine Republic , thus preventing it from restoring its territorial integrity . '' Read more : Argentinian leader denounces 'militarization ' She cites a 1965 U.N. resolution inviting the two countries to negotiate a solution to the sovereignty dispute , and calls on the British to abide by the resolution . The Sun 's letter , addressed to Fernandez , rejects her assertions , saying : `` Claims that 180 years ago Argentina was stripped of the Falkland Islands are unfounded . Read more : Prince William deployed to Falkland Islands . `` No Argentinian civilian population was ever expelled . It was an Argentine garrison which had been sent to the islands to try to impose Argentine sovereignty over British sovereign territory . `` British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands dates back to 1765 -- before the Republica of Argentina even existed . '' The islands have never been governed by Argentina or formed part of its territory , the newspaper states , adding : `` Until the people of the Falkland Islands choose to become Argentinian , they remain resolutely British . `` In the name of our millions of readers , and to put it another way : 'HANDS OFF ! ' `` The Sun , Britain 's best-selling tabloid and part of Rupert Murdoch 's media empire , said in a story on its own pages that the Herald `` is an influential paper read by 50,000 people in the capital . '' The islanders , who are due to hold a referendum on their political status this March , were also quick to dismiss the Argentinian position . In photos : Britain and Argentina 's sovereignty standoff . `` We are not a colony , '' said Barry Elsby , a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands . `` Our relationship with the United Kingdom is by choice . '' The British government swiftly rejected Fernandez 's call for negotiations , saying the Falkland Islanders have chosen to be British . In a statement Thursday , the British Foreign Office said the islanders remain free to choose their own futures and `` have a right to self-determination as enshrined in the U.N. Charter . This is a fundamental right for all peoples . '' The statement added : `` There are three parties to this debate , not just two as Argentina likes to pretend . The islanders ca n't just be written out of history . `` As such , there can be no negotiations on the sovereignty of the Falklands Islands unless and until such time as the islanders so wish . '' Located in the South Atlantic Ocean , about 480 kilometers ( 298 miles ) east of the tip of South America , the Falklands have long been coveted as a strategic shipping stopover and potential wellspring of natural resources . The islands , which raise their own taxes but rely on the United Kingdom for defense and foreign policy , are one of 14 British overseas territories and have been under British rule since 1833 . The two countries went to war over the territory in 1982 , when the then-Argentinian military government landed troops on the islands . Argentina put its death toll from the conflict at around 645 . Britain 's civil and military losses amounted to 255 . The latest exchange of views comes amid rising tension over the islands , which are home to about 3,000 people .
British newspaper says Argentinian claims to the Falkland Islands are unfounded . The Sun 's open letter , saying ` ` hands off '' the islands , is printed in a Buenos Aires newspaper . It 's a response to an open letter from Argentina 's president in the media demanding sovereignty . The British government says there wo n't be sovereignty talks unless islanders want them .