Britain keeps silent on state violence in Ireland

February 17, 1999
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Britain keeps silent on state violence in Ireland

By Stuart Ross

On January 30, 1972, 13 unarmed civilians were gunned down by British soldiers on the streets of Derry. Another 14 were seriously wounded. One later died of his injuries. To this day, "Bloody Sunday" remains the greatest single act of state-sponsored terrorism committed in Ireland since partition.

No one has ever been brought to trial or convicted of the mass murder. The British government's original inquiry into the atrocity — the Widgery Tribunal — was little more than a cover-up.

This year, more than 20,000 people took to the streets of Derry to mark the anniversary. It was the first such commemoration since the sitting of Britain's new inquiry into Bloody Sunday. Yet, as the editorial of the protest's commemorative program points out, while in the past year there has been "tremendous advances in the pursuit of truth and justice [vis a vis Bloody Sunday] ... the need for vigilance remains".

"In terms of Bloody Sunday", said Tony Doherty of the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign, "nothing has been resolved apart from the fact that the British government has decided to reopen the investigation with the setting up of the Saville inquiry.

"It is only when the full truth is established and that justice is seen to be done on behalf of the families that this issue will ultimately be put to rest."

Such sentiments ring true not simply for the families of the Bloody Sunday dead, but for all the families who have lost loved ones to state violence during Ireland's "troubles".

Between 1969 and 1994, the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary (the police force in the six counties) killed 357 people in Northern Ireland. Even more have been killed as a result of collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and members of the "security forces". Only four soldiers have ever been convicted of murder, none have served more than six years of a life sentence and all have been reinstated to their regiments upon release.

The much-lauded Good Friday agreement states that "it is essential to acknowledge and address the suffering of the victims of violence as a necessary element of reconciliation". Yet a report drawn up by the government-appointed Northern Ireland Victims Commission completely ignores the victims of state violence.

In "official" discourse, only the victims of republican and loyalist violence are recognised by the British government. Even now, in the midst of the "peace process", the British government and its agents are reluctant to admit their role in creating and sustaining 30 years of war in Ireland.

Indeed, in the week of this year's Bloody Sunday commemoration, Britain's armed forces minister, Doug Henderson, met with the family of Peter McBride. The minister attempted to explain to the McBrides why the two Scots Guards convicted of murdering their 18-year-old son have been allowed to remain in the army.

According to a representative of the Pat Finucane Centre who accompanied the family to the meeting, Henderson "showed no understanding of the position of the family and insulted the memory of Peter McBride". The family walked out of the meeting.

A just and lasting peace in Ireland cannot be fostered by what some have termed a "sliding scale of victimhood". Inevitably, this leaves the victims of state violence — most of whom come from the nationalist community — at the bottom.

As this year's Bloody Sunday program reminds us: "Only when all the victims [of the conflict] are afforded equal acknowledgment can we hope to move forwards together." For all the victims of state violence, the time has come for the British government to live up to its responsibilities and tell the truth.

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