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Irish Northern Aid Committee |
Irish peace talks halted
by Caoimhin O'Conchuir, Apr 1, 1999 NEW YORK - Paul Doris, the national Chairperson of the Irish Northern Aid Committee, condemned today the Unionist-lead halting of the Irish Peace Process. "We are a year into the Good Friday agreement and have seen little progress", said Doris. "Unionists like David Trimble, hailed as a peacemaker throughout the world, have disrupted progress at every turn. "Trimble is no better than the hard line anti-Agreement unionists like Ian Paisley," said Doris. "Make no mistake, the Buck stops with David Trimble. He holds the key to a peaceful future in Ireland, but refuses to take it from his pocket." "Trimble seeks to place the blame on the IRA and Sinn Fein, but his arguments are specious. Sinn Fein does not control the IRA and cannot deliver an early IRA decommissioning of weapons. Sinn Fein, abiding by the Good Friday Agreement, has done what it can to influence peace, unlike unionist parties that stand by while civilians like human rights advocate, Rosemary Nelson, are killed by pro-British forces. "David Trimble has failed to live up to the agreement he signed last year." "The British government, warned that it must persuade unionists to join the peace efforts, has once again folded under pressure of the Unionist Veto. The Dublin government, forever seeking to appease unionism at any price, has abandoned the 86 percent of the Irish people, north and south of the British border who voted for the Good Friday Agreement. The Agreement, if worth anything, cannot be turned on and off like a tap. Too many deadlines have been missed and with them perhaps the last best opportunity for peace in Ireland in out lifetime," said Doris. David Fanning, Chairman of the local Columbus INA, also places the blame squarely at the feet of Trimble. "David Trimble has had difficulty accepting the agreement and the justice that goes with it. The agreement can only be interpreted the way it is written. There are no exceptions. There has been no excuse for the delays. I only hope Mr. Trimble comes to his senses before it is too late," said Fanning.
The New York-based Irish Northern Aid Committee, founded in 1971, is a non-profit humanitarian organizations which raises funds for the families of Irish political prisoners in British, Irish and American jails.
Vol. Diarmuid O'Neill Unit, Irish Northern Aid Committee
Irish Northern Aid Committee
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