USA APPEAL: Troubles victims group fighting conflict amnesty wants Biden’s help
Posted By: February 13, 2022
USA APPEAL: Troubles victims group fighting conflict amnesty wants Biden’s help after Taoiseach’s support
“Politicians in the South have done more for victims in the North in a period of months than politicians in our own backyard have ever done.”
Richard Sullivan. Sunday World. Dublin. Sunday, February 13, 2022
Victims campaigners are taking their fight for justice to the US.
Last week a group of victims representatives held a 90-minute meeting in Dublin with Taoiseach Michael Martin, emerging with renewed hope controversial amnesty plans for Conflict crimes can be overturned.
Thursday’s meeting with the Truth and Justice Movement comes in the wake of talks with Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney last month.
The British Government has put proposals for a Conflicts related amnesty on hold amid speculation the plans may be put in cold storage.
And now the Irish Government is firmly behind the campaign to have the proposed legislation dumped pressure on the Tory administration is growing.
Victims campaigner Raymond McCord said the meeting was encouraging and positive.
“Politicians in the South have done more for victims in the North in a period of months than politicians in our own backyard have ever done.”
The campaign against the controversial proposals which were designed to let British military personnel off the hook for alleged conflict-related crimes, has gathered huge momentum.
Political parties across the island including Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Sinn Fein, and the DUP have signed up to a declaration of opposition to the plans.
There is now increasing hope the proposals will, at the very least, be suspended, amended, or ditched.
The campaign which has drawn support from every political party in the UK and Ireland is now shifting its focus to Capitol Hill in Washington DC.
In an open letter to Father Sean McManus of the Irish National Caucus, Mr. McCord said he was calling on Irish-America to join the battle.
“Victims from both communities here in Northern Ireland need the massive support and influence of those who sit in Washington from both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party along with any independent politicians.”
The campaign has already drawn support from the US Senate with a cross-party letter of support sent to Downing Street
“The British Government is intent on betraying victims and their families by their amnesty proposals. Women raped and murdered, children shot dead or blown up by bombs or killed by rubber bullets, men shot dead or murdered by bombs, all carried out by paramilitaries from both communities or by the state’s security forces, agencies, and agents. Thousands of innocent victims,” said Mr. McCord.
“These proposals are unheard of in any democratic country or society. With these proposals, the British Government in one move would remove all aspects of truth and justice for victims and their families. Could anyone imagine if their son, daughter, grandchild, father, or mother, were murdered and the police told you that there will be no investigation into the murder, no inquest, no civil action, no prosecution, and by taking these actions put into law by the British Government it will help you move on and bring reconciliation? Reconciliation with whom, the murderers?”
And he made a direct appeal to President Joe Biden to intervene and put pressure on the British to row back on the proposals.
“I take this opportunity to call upon President Biden to not only take action to help us stop all these proposals but to meet with me and show solidarity with all victims.
“The Irish Government under Taoiseach Micheal Martin did that yesterday; and I, as someone from the Unionist community, see victims as one community and the Taoiseach as a friend alongside the likes of Father Sean McManus, Senator Mark Daly, Senator Emer Currie, Simon Coveney and every politician in Ireland and the UK supporting us.”
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