I don’t think it’s accurate to say they lost the right to separate. I think they never had it to begin with. Secession or separation is usually not a right a state or province has. It is a political objective based on a desired objective. That’s why these types of moves are not easy and don’t happen often or quickly. They require much negotiation and balancing of interests. In some cases parties agree and a separation occurs. In others accommodations are made and no separation happens. And in some, violence results.