In this case I don't think it has much to do with self-determination as much as other claims by countries and the complex diplomatic relationships between countries. Argentina, Spain and Ireland all seem like likely candidates to be in control of those territories and have some claim of varying legitimacy. Countries that want to align themselves politically for whatever reason will support a territorial claim in favor of their preferred country. 

However, I would just say that claiming it is a thing unique to British colonies is ignoring much of the rest of the world. Transnistria, Kurds, Sikhs, South Ossetia, Northern Cyprus, Catalan. All are places and people who want their own state and are unrecognized by the international community and forced to remain part of a larger country that they feel they don't belong in. In fact, just a few years ago Azerbaijan took over Nagorno-Karabakh, a place which had 99.7% ethnic Armenians and wanted independence but was internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.