Andersonstown News, 03 December 2005
Come forward, state offenders are urged by victims’ group
"“On behalf of An Fhirinne I would like to make the appeal that all former
and serving members, whether it be the RUC, the PSNI, Special Branch, the
British Army, the UDR, RIR, those who have a conscience, now is the moment
in time to give the families the truth.”"
Campaign group An Fhirinne have called on members of the security forces to come forward with
the truth about state violence.
An Fhirinne delegates from across the North will travel to the European
Parliament in Brussels this week in a bid to internationally highlight cases
of state collusion with loyalist death squads.
Sharon Pickering from An Fhirinne said that it is time for the truth to come
out and justice to be done.
“The families want the truth, they need the truth and they deserve it,” said
Sharon.
“On behalf of An Fhirinne I would like to make the appeal that all former
and serving members, whether it be the RUC, the PSNI, Special Branch, the
British Army, the UDR, RIR, those who have a conscience, now is the moment
in time to give the families the truth.”
At a press conference held in the Cultúrlann on Friday, a panel including Fr
Des Wilson, John Finucane, Teresa Slane, Robin Livingstone, Mark Thompson
and Hugh Jordan spoke about their particular cases and called for the truth
about collusion to finally be told.
Fr Des Wilson, human rights activist and co-organiser of the Springhill
Massacre Inquiry, called for the truth to come out.
As a result of the Springhill massacre on July 9, 1972, five people were
gunned down by the British Army. “There are people in this room who have
suffered greatly from this evil,” said Fr Wilson.
“One of the issues that we must bring forward to the European Union and
everyone else is how far are they prepared to tolerate hoods and lawbreakers
being a normal part of the state apparatus. What we are saying is that the
loyalist groups were a normal part of the British reaction.
“There is a responsibility now not only for us but for the people of France
and Italy and Belgium and everywhere else to ensure that what happens to us
never happens again.
“Mrs Thatcher and Mr Blair were responsible and they were respected by the
European Union, now it must be told that they should not be respected
because this is what they were doing.
“The most important people here are the families and they need closure and
they need the truth,” he added.
Robin Livingstone, Group Editor of the Andersonstown News, spoke about the
murder of his 14-year-old sister Julie by the British Army on May 13, 1981.
“On behalf of my own family this isn’t about sticking people in jail,” said
Robin.
“I imagine the guy that killed my sister isn’t that much older than me, has
a young family, is living somewhere in Wales and is probably getting on with
his life and he is entitled to do that. But I think that I am entitled to
hear him tell me why he killed my sister.
“I would also like to hear from the witnesses who not only weren’t heard but
who were threatened with dire consequences if they went to Woodbourne
barracks to make statements about the killing. I would also like to know,
and this is where it gets even more shadowy, what was the media’s role in
all of this. This is not just a question of what happened 20 or 30 years
ago, but this is a question of what happened this week when we see the
forces of state conspiring with the media.”
John Finucane, son of murdered solicitor Pat Finucane, who was killed on
February 12, 1989 by the UDA, said that his family have been campaigning for
truth from the outset and have called for a full international judicial
public inquiry.
“Recent developments in the case are that the British government have
finally conceded that this case warrants an inquiry after years of being
told that there was no such thing as collusion,” said John.
“From my own family’s point of view, and for anyone who is demanding an
inquiry, it is very very important to demand an independent inquiry because
what we see the British government doing in my father’s case is removing all
independence and placing all the power and control in the hands of a
government minister.
“We have come a very, very long way and we are no longer at the stage where
nobody rolls their eyes or tuts when you mention collusion. Our own
community has known this for a long time but I think that the international
community needs to know this as well. We are at an advanced stage but that
doesn’t mean that the fight is any easier, it makes it more intense and more
acute. It is important that we go to Brussels and to America and to Dublin
so that everywhere the government turn they are faced with what they did in
Ireland,” added John.
Teresa Slane, whose husband Gerard was murdered by the UDA on September 23,
1988, said that she is determined to see justice.
“I don’t feel as if I am getting anywhere. All I want is the truth about why
Gerard was killed and I think that the British government are afraid to tell
the truth,” she said.
Mark Thompson’s brother Peter was killed by the British Army on January 13,
1990. Mark is a member of the Relatives For Justice campaign group.
“We are not after retribution, revenge or imprisonment,” said Mark.
“The key word here is independence. If you look at anything in relation to
Britain, anything that they try to do they take control and direct it and we
need to bring in independence.
“The object is truth recovery in the context of building a new society,” he
added.
Hugh Jordan, father of Pearse Jordan who was gunned down by the RUC on
November 25, 1992, said that his family had been from pillar to post in
trying to find out the truth about Pearse’s murder.
An inquest into the West Belfast man’s murder has never been concluded.
“Forget about British justice, forget about British courts, you will not get
any justice there, there has to be an independent inquiry,” said Hugh.
