Former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds participated in the launch of a major conference on
state violence by the campaign group Relatives for Justice this week.
Mr Reynolds was present alongside victims and families
affected by state violence in Belfast's Europa Hotel on Monday to
highlight the event, which will examine controversial topics like the
PSNI's new C8 historic crime review unit.
Declaring that issues relating to state violence "have to be
dealt with", Mr Reynolds added: "While there has been movement after a
long number of years, I hope the two governments make progress because
otherwise, in my view, you won't have a fully acceptable settlement of
all the issues dealing with those matters that have caused so much pain
and anxiety to families concerned.
"Leaving those matters undealt with for a long period does
not assist either community, for bringing closure to the various items
that are outstanding," Mr Reynolds said.
Welcoming the attendance of the former Taoiseach, Mark Thompson of
Relatives for Justice said Mr Reynolds is "acutely aware of the
necessity to ... resolve the many instances in which the British state
took life and in which collusion existed".
"It's time for the truth. The British government is using its
sovereignty as a shield to prevent the truth from emerging," Mr
Thompson said.
"The British government must stop the business of denying its
central role in the conflict. Attempting to silence the voices of
hundreds of families bereaved and injured by its forces, and its allies
in loyalist partamilitaries will not succeed," he added.
Clara Reilly of the United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets told
the launch that following the recent launch of historic crime review
proposals by PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde and Secretary of State Paul
Murphy, many victims of state violence "do not support or have any
confidence in any process that is not independent, transparent or
accountable".
"It is evident that the British government is seeking to
create a mechanism which controls and which safeguards its own
interests by preventing proper, independent examination of the role of
its forces and agents during the conflict.
"Officers involved in past abuses, particularly in Special
Branch, simply transferred from the RUC into the PSNI, and many of them
will, ultimately, have a final say in any internal process of
investigation. This is totally unacceptable.
"Persistent barriers to creating trust and confidence, and more
importantly delivering truth and justice, are still in place, including
the deliberate stalling of inquests and the use of public interest
immunity certificates in scores of state and loyalist killings to deny
justice," Ms Reilly said.
Among those in attendance at yesterday's launch were John
Finucane, son of murdered solicitor Pat, along with Caoimhe Hanna whose
brother Kevin Barry O'Donnell was shot dead by the SAS in 1992 and Paul
McIlwaine whose son David was murdered by the UVF in 2000.
Relatives for Justice's conference, headlined 'State Violence
- State the Truth', will take place on Saturday, April 30 in Belfast.
