Click here to help Set the Truth Free and sign the petition in support of the Bloody Sunday families.  The text of the petition is as follows:

To:  British Government
We the undersigned support the following statement released by the Bloody Sunday families and call on British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to "Set The Truth Free" and instruct Lord Saville to publish his report independent of any government interference.

Please join IAUC members and more at tonight's fundraiser for Haiti sponsored by the Irish American Writers and Artists Association.  Tonight's event is a collaborative effort and a multicultural celebration of island nations.  One hundred percent of proceeds will go to Concern Worldwide's humanitarian efforts in Haiti. Highlights include Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!, National Book Award winner Colum McCann, Haitian band Brother High Kanaval, TJ English, Malachy McCourt, Michael Patrick McDonald, and Geraldine Hughes.  Concern CEO Tom Arnold will discuss their work in Haiti, and a representative from the Irish government will make a very special announcement.  Details on our Events page.

Statement from Bloody Sunday Families and Wounded
Lord Saville - Set the Truth Free!
 
It is now more than 12 years since the Bloody Sunday Inquiry was announced by Tony Blair in 1998.  It could be only a matter of weeks until the report from that Inquiry sees the light of day.  Lord Saville has indicated that the report will be ready in the week beginning 22nd March.  Time and timing are now very much of the essence.
 
The public will know that we have had discussions in recent months with the northern Ireland Secretary of State Shaun Woodward, An Taoiseach Brian Cowan, and officials from both the Irish and British states regarding the timing and modalities of the release of the report.  We have kept Lord Saville appraised of the content and import of these discussions at all stages.
 
At this moment in time we are gravely concerned regarding two critical issues:
 
Firstly, the NIO Secretary of State has indicated that he expects to hold the report for a period of up to 14 days to scrutinise it for breaches of Article 2 of the Human Rights Act 2000 and for breaches of ‘national security’ before he publishes it.  This means that the securocrats within the NIO and other government departments will see the report before we do.
 
Our second grave concern is around timing: with the proximity of the Easter Parliamentary recess and the imminence of an announcement of a general election in the week of or close to 22nd March, should the report be given to government at that time for the above-stated purpose, there is little or no chance of the families receiving it this side of an election.  To make matters worse, the report will be in the hands of officials within the NIO for a period of several months without any political control from above.  This is a frightening prospect for the families as we believe that the report will fall victim to selective leakage and other partisan usage long before the full report sees the light of day.
 

The BBC today reports that Irish language activist group Pobal will also challenge the 1737 ban on the use of Irish in the courts.  Pictured at left is solicitor Michael Flanagan making his presentation at NYU last October.

From BBC Northern Ireland:

Irish language activists are to challenge the ban on the use of Irish in the courts in Northern Ireland.

They are taking a case to the High Court on Monday in an effort to repeal the 1737 Administration of Justice Act.

Pobal, the umbrella group for Irish speakers, said the case is a litmus test for the Hillsborough Agreement.

Gerry Adams has unveiled a mural supporting the families involved in the Ballymurphy Massacre Campaign.  Article from Sinn Féin:

Sinn Féin west Belfast MP Gerry Adams today unveiled a mural in Beechmount Avenue in support of the campaign by the families of 11 people killed by the British Army in August 1971.

Speaking today Mr. Adams said:

“I want to commend the work of the families and their determination and courage in continuing to pursue this campaign over many difficult years.

The families have been engaged in a whole series of initiatives to raise public consciousness about those events.

The families of the 11 people killed by the British Army’s Parachute Regiment in the Ballymurphy area, in the three days following the introduction of internment in August 1971, want an independent international investigation into the deaths of their loved ones and an apology from the British government. The families want the truth.

We have met as a group with the British Secretary of State Shaun Woodward and we are seeking a meeting with the British Prime Minister.

We won’t take no for an answer. We think it’s important that the British establishment face up to what was done in its name in a little housing estate here almost 40 years ago.

All of these families deserve the full support and encouragement of the community, and of the Irish government, in their efforts to secure an independent international investigation in these deaths; and to have the British government acknowledge the truth surrounding the shooting dead of their loved ones.” CRÍOCH

The New York Irish Center presents an Evening with Máirtín Ó Muilleoir on Tuesday, February 16th at 7:30pm:

Beidh Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, príomhfheidhmeannach Ghrúpa Meán Bhéal Feirste agus foilsitheoir an Irish Echo & Andersontown News, ag léamh as a leabhar is deanaí, Stró an Ghnó, Parabail Fiontraíochta agus ag plé ábhair eile, mar shampla, iriseoireacht, an Ghaeilge sa Tuaisceart agus ceisteanna de gach saghas.

Tugann Máirtín leis stór taithí agus cúlrá saibhir mar ghníomhaí, iriseoir, Chomhairleoir Cathrach Bhéal Feirste le Sinn Féin, úrscéalaí, cholúnaí, fhoilsitheoir, fhiontraí agus bhlagálaí.

Gealltar oíche shuimiúl do chách!

Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, CEO of the Belfast Media Group and publisher of the Irish Echo & the Andersontown News, will be reading from his latest book on business and entrepreneurship, Stró an Ghnó, Parabail Fiontraíochta, and discussing other subjects, such as journalism, the Irish language in the North of Ireland, and issues of every kind.

Máirtín brings with him a wealth of experience and rich background as an activist, journalist, Belfast City Councillor with Sinn Féin, novelist, columnist, publisher, entrepreneur and blogger.

An interesting evening is promised for all!
 

The following article by Relatives for Justice Chair Clara Reilly appeared in yesterday's Andersonstown News:

Equality must be at the heart of and underpin any agreed political process yet for the vast majority of ordinary people who were bereaved and injured by the conflict this has not been the case. They have had to continually watch virtually every process to date address the ever increasing list of issues raised by political unionism on behalf of ‘their armed forces’ above and beyond the concerns of the silent majority of victims and survivors and their competing needs.

In the wake of this week’s announcement that every RUC family bereaved are to receive twenty thousand pounds we reflect on the preferential treatment to this constituency involved in the conflict - to date there has been;

·      Patten severance payments for the RUC estimated to reach the billion pound mark with an average payment of between 116k – 230k (Source- Irish Times April 22^nd 2009 & Freedom of Information requests);

·      11 million to the George RUC Cross Foundation;

·      RUC Widows pension scheme receiving a special dispensation in being permitted to retain their widows pensions in the event of remarrying;

·      Annual payment of 1.8 million for the NI Police Fund;

·      Payments totaling almost 11.5 million pounds up until September 2008 on hearing loss claims;

·      Five thousand serving and retired members of the RUC/PSNI, including its reserve, claiming for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with average claims from 5k to 300k – Nb. a PTSD diagnosis is not readily available or easy to access for the civilian population;

·      One British soldier after serving five tours of duty in the north received 620k;

·      UDR/RIR 250 million payment package for former members – average payment 42,470 for a private, Lance Corporal 77,314, and a Major 151,211;

·      Part-time RIR a further 6.7 million payment – with payments from 14k to 150k depending on rank – and the list goes on.

Nor does the above list consider the many specialist groups and organisations specifically funded to cater for former members of these forces, or the multiple groups that mushroomed in opposition to the Good Friday Agreement within their communities that are also funded. The phrase duplication of resources springs to mind.

It is also worth bearing in mind that numerous civilians who were threatened by non-state groupings, many whose details were ‘leaked’ to loyalists, have been continually refused financial support in terms of having to secure and/or up-root and move home.

Now that is not to say that anyone affected by the conflict within state groupings are not entitled to support. I am of the clear view that irrelevant of the circumstances everyone affected should receive adequate support to meet their needs.

However, this is not the case concerning state forces and the reality is that support is one-way in terms of addressing their needs. Those needs are  significantly less than the needs of those living with chronic pain, amputees, those paralyzed, blind and partially sighted to list some. A justifiable argument is that the situation is beyond that of being absolutely ridiculous with even ordinary unionists affected by the conflict now questioning the hierarchy within their own community.

In this latest agreement Arlene Foster announced that twenty million pounds would be made available to the RUC Reserve with Sammy Wilson further stating on the BBC that this was ‘a reward for their service’. And with parading at the heart of recent talks the irony that it was the RUC Reserve that were involved in some of the worst human rights violations and who assisted the forcing through of sectarian parades was not lost.

A further 12 million pounds has been set aside for the next financial year from the budget agreed at Hillsborough to address hearing loss claims by members of the RUC/PSNI.

This is quite a lucrative gravy train to be on as many can obtain their severance claims, PTSD claims, and hearing loss claims in addition to pensions – huge payments to people who have not been bereaved nor have life diminishing injuries and yet who played contentious role in the conflict creating thousands of victims.

I am not going to rehearse all of the systemic human rights abuses that these same forces were involved in during the course of their ‘duties’. Our community, and indeed to an extent from a differing perspective loyalist working class areas, know it only too well. Groups like Relatives for Justice and the Pat Finucane Centre are supporting families and individuals from across the community to seek the truth and support people living, and coping, with the traumatic after affects of their experiences.

Our focus is the search for truth, but ordinary people affected by the conflict are also living in extreme poverty as a consequence of their experiences and they continually ask where the equality agenda is when they see the people responsible for their loss and injury being constantly rewarded whilst their needs as the injured and bereaved are not being met.

Reparations are an important part of transition and must happen within a process of recognition and acknowledgement in a way that is equal for all. Ideally this should happen within a truth recovery process. This has clearly not been the case and the equality agenda is not only absent but smacks of everything that is one-sided, political, and wrong.

The only scheme that can currently financially assist victims and survivors is the Memorial Fund which is limited and restrictive often only able to annually assist people at best with a couple of hundred pounds after jumping through a series of bureaucratic hoops and tape that acts as  a disincentive for many in need. And which applies its own definition of a ‘victim’ rather than the inclusive statutory definition even though it is in receipt of public finances. Of course many within the ‘security forces’, especially those with a PTSD diagnosis, also avail of this scheme too.

In terms of hearing loss it would be interesting to ascertain precisely the circumstances in which many of these cases are being taken. Presumably the core of the claims arises from training in the use of firearms and plastic bullets including actual deployment. Given that thousands of civilians have been hit and injured, including people killed, by plastic bullets could it be that any payments resulting from the negligent use resulting in compensation payments to civilians that those same officers responsible would not be entitled to make claims? And that this could by chain of command be extended to all those responsible in authorizing their use.

Or those civilians who heard shooting by the RUC or lived within ear-shot, no pun intended, in these same areas and who did not have helmets and earmuffs provided could be entitled to make claims from the Policing Board?

Or that civil actions against individual members of the RUC who are to benefit from these millions and who were involved in making threats, harassment, raiding and wrecking homes, leaking files to loyalists, not to mention running agents involved in murder and then covering up, could be pursued by those on the receiving end of these practices.

Might strike you as ridiculous but isn’t that exactly what is happening within the ranks currently whilst actual victims and survivors needs are not being met?

And yet when Eames/Bradley dared to raise the specter of this financial need through a Recognition Payment, albeit only for the bereaved, representatives of this same ‘security’ constituency, including political unionism, were the most vocal rejecting it - effectively having a veto.

There needs to be a radical rethink that takes into consideration the social and economic circumstances of all those affected by the conflict particularly those living with diminishing physically injuries from across the community.

The Eames/Bradley Recognition Payment needs to be back on the agenda and progressed in real consultation with those bereaved and injured. If millions can be made readily available for state organisations directly involved in the conflict – if the cause of savers and investors in the Presbyterian Mutual can even be championed - then surely we can create a special reparations fund, and a charter for victims’ rights, for those left out and left behind.

The issue of equality must underpin and be at the heart of any agreed process otherwise it is meaningless for victims and survivors of the conflict.

Click here to download the full text of the agreement between Sinn Féin and the DUP over the devolution of policing and justice powers.

IAUC Board member Michael Cummings responds to "Proposing a memorial for IRA terrorists":

February 3, 2010

Letter Editor
INDEPENDENT
Independent House
27-32 Talbot Street
Dublin  1, Ireland

Dear  Editor:

Kevin Meyers commentary on a proposed memorial  in Enniscorthy (“Proposing a memorial for IRA terrorists” 2/3)  is an example of the very selective memorialisation he derides. 

Those who erect political memorials such as that proposed in Enniscorthy do so for two reasons.  First,  there is the process of grieving and remembrance. Second,  is the need to challenge those who re-write history.  In the case of Ireland’s conflict, British historians have made this a cottage industry. Not far from your offices in 1974 the British Army and their loyalist allies committed the largest atrocity of the conflict.  The no-warning Dublin-Monaghan bombs  cost the lives  of 33, mostly women and children shopping.  With the smell of Bloody Sunday still in the air, this act of war transformed a civil rights protest to an armed conflict.  Any fair reading of both the facts and the numbers since 1920 proves without question it is the British and their loyalist subjects who have the “..deviant addiction to violence”…Meyers abhors. 

Those who lose their lives in struggle,  armed or otherwise, could never be accused of “..going with the flow.”  On the other hand,  there is an Irish expression to describe those who  would have people bury painful memories of  British malevolence in favor of  recalling those who fell in service to the British Army.  Can you guess it?   Anything for the quiet life.

Sincerely, 

Michael J. Cummings

Member, National Board