(CNN) -- Falkland Islands lawmakers say they won't back down in the face of Argentina's efforts to claim the South Atlantic territory. Residents of the islands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas, voted earlier this month to remain under British rule. That leaves no room for debate, lawmakers from the islands wrote in a letter to the United Nations published online Monday. "The referendum result makes it clear that we have no desire to be governed by Argentina," they wrote. "Continued harassment of our economic development and intimidation of those who want to do business with us and invest in the islands will not change this fact. The more Argentina presses our small community, the harder will be our resolve."
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Lawmakers: "The more Argentina presses...the harder will be our resolve"
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"We have no desire to be governed by Argentina," Falklands lawmakers say
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Argentina says a referendum earlier this month was invalid
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British Prime Minister David Cameron praised the vote
"It's the clearest possible result there could be," he said, "and the fact is that the Falkland Islands may be thousands of miles away, but they are @placeholder through and through, and that is how they want to stay."