A chara, – The victory of innocence and truth over British state murder and cover-up on Tuesday in Derry was welcome beyond words.
It gives hope and courage to all other victims of the conflict from all backgrounds, and affected by all actors, that, no matter how deep the hurt and complete the cover-up, truth can be achieved and acknowledgment can be delivered at the highest level.
The Saville inquiry was a standalone inquiry regarding 14 murders, but all families who were bereaved as a result of our conflict were interested, touched and in agony thinking about their loved ones. There is an undoubted complexity and individuality about that pain. However it is a universal pain, which must be addressed.
We must have a process for all victims. Both governments must move urgently towards the establishment of an independent international truth commission for Ireland.
Derry’s families’ struggle and subsequent legacy could be even greater than the Saville report – it could provide the space and generosity to ensure a commitment for all victims to secure truth and acknowledgment. – Is mise,
Madam, – I was a seven-year-old boy in first class in primary school in Listowel when Bloody Sunday took place. Even at that age and at a remove of 250 miles, the events of that day had profound, lasting effects on me and many of my generation.
My abiding memory is of our headmaster, the late great Bryan MacMahon, coming into our classroom on the Monday and addressing the class. The only words I remember are “13 fine Irishmen”, but I will never forget the sadness, the passion, the disbelief and the anger in his voice.
I suspect I will remember equally well the outstanding response to the Saville report delivered by David Cameron in the House of Commons on Tuesday. I don’t ever recall any politician delivering such a powerful, convincing, unequivocal statement on such a sensitive issue, and he deserves great credit for it. It really is time to start moving on and looking ahead. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – We now know what happened on Bloody Sunday, but we still don’t know why it happened. On that same day, January 30th, 1972, Major Robin Alers-Hankey of the Royal Green Jackets died in London of wounds he had received from IRA gunfire while on duty on October 16th, 1971. He had been shot in Abbey Street in Derry’s Bogside, only yards away from where the Bloody Sunday dead would also be shot 15 weeks later.
He was, I believe, the first senior British army officer to be killed in the “Troubles”. I do not know what time of the day he died but have often wondered if reports of his death may have been behind the desperate action of the soldiers. – Yours, etc,
A chara, – David Cameron’s speech to Parliament was as surprising as it was commendable. Surprising in that it was made by a Conservative prime minister; commendable in that he acknowledged the truth after some 38 years. I believe his apology was utterly sincere.
That speech was in stark contrast to that of Gregory Campbell whose bile was clearly evident. At this most emotive time, he could not bring himself to acknowledge the fact that the victims of Bloody Sunday were killed by the very Crown forces sworn to uphold and protect the Union so cherished by his community.
Northern Ireland has moved on, it would appear that the British establishment has moved on, but in some parts of these islands plus ça change. – Is mise,
Madam, – Thankfully the British government has finally admitted to the murder of innocent people in Northern Ireland, an act that did so much to drive young men and women into the waiting arms of the Republican movement of the day.
Let us now hope that the IRA will be equally unequivocal in its forthcoming pronouncements about who shot, blew up, tortured and terrified the men, women and children in Northern Ireland and England during the same period. At this time, I cannot help but think of the beautiful young boys blown to pieces in Warrington by our brave men of arms.
Of course it is right and proper that that the soldiers who perpetrated these murders should be exposed and hopefully brought to justice, with the help of Mr McGuinness and the innocent victims’ families.
Let us look forward to Mr McGuinness opening his heart and mind to the judiciary on the many other acts of savagery during those black evil days. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – In announcing the establishment of the Saville inquiry to the House of Commons on January 29th 1998, the then prime minister Tony Blair re-affirmed a written statement by his predecessor, John Major, made with regard to the events of Bloody Sunday, “that those shot should be regarded as innocent of any allegation that they were shot while handling firearms or explosives”.
The inquiry itself has, 12 years later, arrived at essentially the same conclusion. To what end the inquiry? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Prosecutions must now follow the Saville report. The report stated that the Parachute Regiment’s soldiers fired first. They were acting on orders that “should not have been given” but shooting innocent civilians was never the order.
With the work of the report done, a prosecution should proceed now, as all witness statements have been taken and all this happened in a civilian city, not the battlefield, thus a civilian court would be legally capable of prosecuting. There is no excuse, now is the time. Most of the individual soldiers mentioned would now be between the ages of 60 and 70, indeed fit to stand trial.
Lord Saville tells of soldiers who deliberately falsified their accounts of the day. David Cameron must now follow up his apology with action, and with that finally put this event to rest. The innocent have been exonerated and now the guilty must be held to account. – Yours, etc,