Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Marching for truth
Troubles families call for action from government
THOUSANDS took to the streets yesterday calling for the truth about why their loved ones were killed in the Troubles.
People set off from South, North and West Belfast before converging on City Hall at a rally aimed at pressing the Government to deal with legacy issues.
John Teggart, one of those involved in organising the “March For Truth”, insisted it was for “everyone”, despite some suggestions the event was heavily weighted towards victims of loyalist and State violence.
He added: “This is about telling the Government that people’s right to the truth is not some bargaining chip for political talks.
“People have the right to the truth and it should be completely de-coupled from any talks process. The Lord Chief Justice has made it clear there needs to be funding for inquests so this should happen regardless of any political party.
“And it’s truth for everyone we want. There’s 96 deaths that need to be looked at and we’re talking about everyone, Kingsmill, RUC widows who have the right to know the truth.”
Mr Teggart, a leading member of the group campaigning for an inquiry into the shooting dead of 11 people by the Army in Ballymurphy, said the issue of an Historical Investigations Unit also remains unresolved.
Mark Thompson, director of the Relatives for Justice group said the Government “carries the responsibility” of ensuring legacy issues were addressed, and added: “You can’t use as a bargaining chip the rights of victims.
“It’s disingenuous of the Secretary of State and the UK Government to dangle as a carrot in front of political parties ‘If you guys can get a deal, we will give victims their rights’.
“These rights are obligations and rights that are held under the European Convention and the Human Rights Act.”
He said the weekend demonstration was about more than the sole issue of legacy inquest funding, reiterating a call for action on important elements of the 2014 Stormont House Agreement. A Historical Investigations Unit to examine unsolved murders is “crucially important” to bereaved families, he said.
Mr Thompson added: “That would look at all the unsolved issues for families right across the community and that will deal with approximately 1,800 to 2,000 cases.
While organisers of Sunday’s march had urged victims from across the community to attend, Mr Thompson blamed unionist politicians for making the issue of dealing with the past “a very divisive” one at times.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou Mcdonald, speaking after Stormont talks collapsed, said the party had secured a commitment from the UK Government to have a public consultation on stalled mechanisms to deal with the Troubles and to release funds needed to finance legacy inquests.