|
In the coming weeks and months people will be remembering
the big anniversaries of World War Two - the 60th anniversary
of VE-Day - Victory in Europe - and VJ-Day - Victory over
Japan.
There will be special prayers of thanksgiving for those brave
men and women of HM Forces, and the other Allied Forces, who
gave their lives for freedom and liberty.
Many people have also been thinking about the terrible suffering
and deaths of so many innocent people at the hands of Nazi
Germany. The liberation of the appalling death camps like
Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen by the Red Army and British Army
respectively, have already been in the headlines.
All this underlines the fact that while 60 years have passed
since the guns fell silent in World War Two it has not diminished
the feeling of loss and sorrow on the death of so many innocent
people.
Indeed, the British people have not forgotten the sacrifice
of the men and women of the nation and British Empire who
fell in the Great War (1914-18). That is proved by the poignant
observance at Remembrance Sunday, when the dead of both World
Wars are honoured with great feeling and respect.
All this proves the fact that the passing of time does not
ease the hurt and the loss sustained by people and the nation
over the deaths of so many people.
If that is the case in the United Kingdom as a whole, it
has to be the same in Northern Ireland as the law-abiding
people of this Province remember the murder of so many soldiers,
police officers, and civilians at the hands of the Provisional
IRA and its co-organisations during the 30-year campaign of
violence to try and destroy the Province and force the people
into a United Ireland.
Statistics show that the majority of murders were carried
out by the IRA and other republicans. But a minority were
carried out by loyalist terrorist organisations, and their
murders are just as horrific and to be equally condemned.
The killings of 3,500 people cannot be brushed under the
carpet and erased quickly from the memory. Of course, it is
necessary to move on, but those families who have experienced
so much loss must be remembered.
There have been a number of high profile murders in the headlines,
and special tribunals and inquiries are being set up to investigate
those. Millions and millions have already been spent on the
Bloody Sunday incidents in Londonderry, but not a penny has
been spent on establishing the proof in a public inquiry as
to the appalling atrocity of Bloody Friday in Belfast.
Thousands of families in Northern Ireland are entitled to
have investigations carried out into the murders of their
loved ones.
It was pointed out recently that of nearly 120 murders carried
out in Co. Fermanagh during the 30 years of the 'Troubles'
the vast majority were carried out by the IRA. Yet hardly
anyone has stood trial for their murders.
It is time the Government listened to the feelings and expressions
of the huge number of families who have not had the justice
of seeing people stand trial for the murders of their loved
ones.
If there is to be continued calls and appeals for inquiries
and tribunals, then these must relate to all the 3,500 killings,
and not just a few. The few deserve the spotlight of inquiries
- that must be stressed - but it must be the same for the
other cases which have not had full investigation.
|
