Professor Des Rea (May 24) asks the question “Is now the appropriate time to draw a line under the past?” and suggests that northern society “should draw a line in a national act of contrition”.
Asking victims to forgo truth and justice and “draw a line” is an insult. How can any victim be asked to be silent and forgo their rights to truth and justice?
Rather, we should be asking why after nearly seven years the British government has failed to implement the Stormont House Agreement legacy mechanisms. It is clear their focus is not the needs of victims but more about facilitating an amnesty for their state forces who were involved in torture, collusion and state killing.
No victim should be asked to concede their right to truth and justice. Asking such questions masks the deeper, systemic and cynical intent by the British state which at all costs is to prevent any investigation into their forces’ role in the conflict.
Meaningfully engaging with the past must be on the basis of the rights and entitlements of all victims. Experience has shown that without truth, justice and accountability there will not be any healing. There will not be any moving on.
No family should be asked to concede their right to an investigation in line with human rights law, or an inquest, or a public inquiry. That is their right in law. Denying families their basic human rights is at the core of the British government’s approach to legacy.
When I meet with victims they tell me that they want to see their human rights upheld and respected. They tell me that they lead their campaigns to publicly show that their loved ones are not forgotten. They tell me they want to see the full human rights compliant implementation of the Stormont House Agreement. They are not seeking to draw a line under the past.
The British government’s focus is about prioritising the needs of British state forces over victims. It is about amnesties. It is about denying investigations. It is about avoiding accountability. That’s what drawing a line under the past means. Of that there is no doubt.
We now need to see the immediate delivery of the rights of all victims, not further delay and denial. We need to see accountability. We need to see the immediate implementation of the Stormont House Agreement in a human rights compliant manner, in a way that is victim-centred and which gives victims the answers they are entitled to.
Truth, justice and accountability are key to healing and building for the future, not asking victims “to draw a line under the past”.
GERRY KELLY MLA
Sinn Féin
Sickening bigotry
Is there a difference between sectarianism and racism? It seems the PSNI most certainly thinks there is. I ask the question in relation to the disgusting behaviour by so-called Rangers fans on the Shankill (May 17), displaying a banner with the words ‘Fenian Bastards’ depicted on it. To date no one has been charged with any offence. I have no doubt, had similar bile been directed at the black community, those hate-mongers involved, would have been arrested and handcuffed by now. As The Irish News reported, it was even worse in Glasgow, where more than 15,000 supporters went on yet another sectarian rampage, attacking police, trashing property and, of course, spouting their usual anti-Irish anti-Catholic venom.
Dozens of arrests were made. To add insult to injury Rangers FC claimed it was just a tiny minority. Then we had a social media clip appearing to show players and staff inside Ibrox singing and chanting, with the words f*** the Pope, clearly audible. The club claimed the video was not as it seemed. One apologised, even had the gall to suggest the players involved didn’t know what they were singing. Ex-Liverpool player, Steve Gerrard, is now manager at this club. Recently he expressed outrage when one of his team was racially abused. When it comes to the sickening bigotry attached to Rangers, Gerrard is strangely silent.
J DIAMOND
Coleraine, Co Derry
The days of the paramilitaries are numbered
When Jim Wilson talks about the millions that would be spent on the naming of streets in Irish, did he forget about the millions being asked for by the paramilitary organisations in our unionist community 23 years after the GFA? Is he saying it is perfectly alright to give millions of pounds to organisations engaged in drug dealing, extortion, murder, shootings, beatings and sectarianism?
He clearly has no problem with that. The LCC spokesperson David Campbell once again speaks of trouble during the summer and the NI Protocol problem which is an international agreement signed by our Boris Johnson. Is it treason if he or others encourages or incites violence on the streets of Northern Ireland? This is the result of the DUP and the paramilitaries refusing to accept that 56 per cent of our voters rejected Brexit.
The days of the paramilitaries are numbered and so are those of their representatives, who are nothing more than unelected ‘spokespersons’ who bring shame and embarrassment to our unionist community. These ‘spokespersons’ should stand in the next election so we can all watch the unionist people once again reject them at the ballot box.
RAYMOND McCORD
Victims Campaigner,
North Belfast
Exceptional athlete
For well over a year news items have been dominated by negativity - Covid-related, lockdowns, travel restrictions and the rest. On April 25 an exceptional athlete has in her own way broken the mould of that media long-playing doom and gloom record. At the Cheshire Elite Marathon running competition, Aoife Cooke won the women’s race in a time of 2 hours 28 minutes and 36 seconds, qualifying her to compete in the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Over the past year, with uncertainty in the air and many potential Olympians throwing in the towel, Aoife maintained her focus and composure on her multiple 10 miles-plus daily training runs.
Aoife has won her just reward. Well done and congratulations.
Aoife Cooke will brighten the spirits of the nation, when donned in an Ireland running vest. She competes in the Sapporo Olympic Games women’s marathon race.
JOE TERRY
Blarney, Co Cork
