IAUC Calls British Response ‘Appalling’
By Irish Echo Staff
The Irish American Unity Conference has described as “appalling” a letter from the British government which, it says, “which lays bare the UK’s disdain for Irish America.’
The letter, penned by Lord Caine, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, is on behalf of the British government and, according to an IAUC release, “basically tells the U.S. and Ireland to stay out of Northern Ireland affairs.
Stated the release: “Caine’s letter, dated July 24, is in response to the IAUC’s June 29 letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, which asked the UK to withdraw the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill in toto, and to require the Democratic Unionist Party to re-enter the Northern Ireland Executive, or alternatively to exercise joint authority with the Irish Government.”
The release continued: “The British Government’s response insults the United States Government – including Congress, the Irish Government, the Irish American lobby, and even the UK’s own House of Lords.
“Lord Caine states that ‘the UK Government remains determined…[to pass] the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Bill,’ in effect doubling down on its determination to pass the execrable amnesty bill, which is fashioned to absolve British agents of murder.
“The UK justifies this by stating that ‘traditional criminal justice outcomes, such as prosecutions, are vanishingly rare.’ It is well known that the reason for this inexcusable situation is the British Government’s cynical policy of ‘delay and deny until victims die.’ The UK has deliberately stonewalled inquiries and derailed criminal justice proceedings for more than 50 years, thereby intentionally denying families the Truth about their loved ones.” IAUC National Secretary Sarah McAuliffe-Bellin said: “Mr. Caine’s statement serves as an in-your-face reminder of Britain’s callous dismissal of victims’ suffering.
“This is precisely why the amnesty bill is opposed by every political party in the North, the Irish Government, the Law Society of Northern Ireland, the Council of Europe, Amnesty International, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, bipartisan members of the U.S. Congress, the Catholic Primate of Ireland, the Church of Ireland, and significantly, by the UK’s own House of Lords committee. Even the Washington Post Editorial Board has weighed in, calling for the legislation to be ‘scrapped.'”
The letter, the IAUC release continues, “further states, disingenuously, that ‘[t]he UK Government has also, in response to concerns raised by interested parties, including in the U.S., brought forward a significant package of substantive amendments to the Bill. These amendments provide greater assurance regarding compliance with our international obligations….’ This statement is patently false. Contrary to Lord Caine’s alternative facts, the UK Government has killed virtually all amendments proposed by rights groups and its own House of Lords and has introduced only a few amendments which collectively make the bill worse for victims and their families.
“In addition, the British Government through Lord Caine summarily rejects the concept of ‘joint authority’ with Ireland ostensibly inconsistent with the Good Friday Agreement. He pontificates that ‘we are absolutely clear that the consent principle of the Agreement governs the constitutional position of Northern Ireland.'”
IAUC Executive Board Member Kevin Barry stated: “What is absolutely clear is that the UK has continuously repudiated the principle of consent by enabling one minority party – the DUP – to stonewall a democratically elected government against the expressed will of the people.”
The release stated that “Mr. Caine confuses constitutional status with the GFA, stating ‘As you will be aware, the [Good Friday] Agreement offers only two constitutional options for Northern Ireland; it either remains an integral part of the United Kingdom or it becomes part of a united Ireland. We will not, therefore, countenance any arrange-
ments, such as joint authority, that are inconsistent with the Agreement.’
“This displays a baffling ignorance of the GFA, as joint governance has nothing to do with Northern Ireland’s constitutional standing. The GFA, the Stormont House Agreement, St. Andrews Agreement, and New Decade, New Approach Agreement are all replete with unequivocal provisions explicitly countenancing joint consultation and cooperation between the Irish Government and the British Government regarding the affairs of the North.
“The British Government’s attitude that no one else can play any role in the North is a slap in the face to the U.S. Government, which facilitated the GFA and as an unofficial guarantor has a far more robust view of and stake in the GFA than Lord Caine presumes. Similarly, such a view is highly insulting to Irish Americans, who have a deep understanding of the GFA, the SHA, St. Andrews and the NDNA. It is also coldly dismissive of the rights of the majority of citizens in the North who voted for a functional, democratically elected government in Stormont (and also voted against Brexit).
“Further, it is a stunning rebuke to the Irish Government by apparently dismissing any consultative rights Ireland has under those agreements. In an interview with the Financial Times on August 8, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar lamented that there has been a ‘reluctance’ from London to work with Dublin, hampering the prospect of reaching a solution to end months of political crisis in Northern Ireland. The Taoiseach called on London to ensure the two governments ‘work hand-in-glove and apply both pressure and support … in a coordinated way’ to restore the Stormont executive.”
THE IAUC statement noted that “on June 15, the Ad Hoc Committee for the Protection of the Good Friday Agreement released a statement urging the Biden Administration to publicly condemn the proposed amnesty bill, saying the time has come for the Biden Administration ‘to put aside protocol and stand up.’
“The IAUC endorses the Ad Hoc Committee’s position. It is indeed time for all who value justice and democracy to stand up and let the anti-rights cabal in Westminster know that the time for prevarication, obfuscation, and alternative facts is over. Irish America is not fooled. It is time to free Northern Ireland from the suffocating grip of the British Government.”