Letters to the Editor: ‘Destabilising the Peace Process behind the scenes’ | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

Letters to the Editor: ‘Destabilising the Peace Process behind the scenes’

Letters to the Editor, by Damian Herron

On 19th April 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was signed. It consisted of two documents, a multi-party agreement supported by the majority of political parties in the occupied counties of Ireland (opposed by the DUP) and an international agreement between the Irish and British Governments.

Then, on 23rd May 1998, the GFA was approved in referendums by the people across the 32 counties of Ireland. The people of Ireland supported peace. On 28th July 2005, the IRA announced an end to its armed campaign and this was followed by a statement on 26th September 2005 by the Arms Decommissioning Body that all IRA weapons have been put beyond use. It was these actions by the IRA which gave the people of Ireland the hope that there was a genuine and lasting peace process. On 7th March 2007, the assembly elections were held which led to the restoration of the devolved government at Stormont.

Quietly taking advantage of a crisis created by the British Government in 2005/2006 surrounding Paragraph 20 of the Weston Park Accord, the following day, 8th March 2007, Gerry McGeough was arrested outside the count centre in Omagh. Regardless of how this politically motivated arrest was dealt with ineffectively over the following years by our own elected politicians, which eventually led to Gerry’s incarceration at Maghaberry prison since 18th February 2011, the British Government, acting once again in bad faith and against the democratic wishes of the people of Ireland, is responsible for his arrest, his sentencing in a British Diplock Court and his incarceration.

Within 24 hours of the Irish people voting to bring about a power-sharing assembly at Stormont and political stability to the occupied counties, the British Government was beginning to destabilise and dismantle the peace process, aided by those Unionist politicians hoping for a return to the Protestant State for a Protestant People. They continued this destabilising process by revoking licenses, the latest form of internment without trial by the British in Ireland. The request for the Boston College Tapes to be handed over.

Former RUC officers being recruited into the PSNI. The indications from the British Government to the American Government to have the extradition treaty reopened. The British Government have not brought their war against the Irish people to an end. It continues quietly, behind the scenes. It’s not good enough to sit back or turn a blind eye and say it does not affect me. One day it will.

Damian Herron
Free Gerry McGeough Campaign

Short URL: https://newrytimes.com/?p=9589

Posted by on Apr 3 2012. Filed under Letters to the Editor. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Leave a Reply







Find us on Facebook

Log in | Designed by Gabfire themes