Ballymurphy Eleven Speaking Tour
Seán Mac Conmara | 24.01.2008 11:55 | Liverpool | London
Article on the families struggle for truth and justice for the eleven victims of the 1971 Ballymurphy massacre in West Belfast, who were shot dead by the British Army's Parachute Regiment - six months before that same regiment shot dead civil rights protesters on Bloody Sunday in Derry.
Ballymurphy Eleven Speaking Tour
Public Meeting held at St Michael's Irish Centre, Liverpool on Tuesday 22nd January.
Alice Harper, the daughter of Daniel Taggart, a father of 13 shot dead by the British army in Ballymurphy, West Belfast, and Seán Mac Conmara from the Troops Out Movement spoke at a public meeting in Liverpool on Tuesday evening.
Chaired by Neil Doolin, the Ballymurphy 11 meeting was brought together by the Troops Out Movement and the James Larkin Republican Flute Band and was part of a Troops Out Movement hosted speaking tour of England featuring relatives of the victims of the Ballymurphy massacre in August 1971.
The Ballymurphy 11 were murdered by the British Army's Parachute Regiment during the first three days of internment in 1971. No-one has ever been brought to justice for the killings, which were written out of history and never received the media focus demanded by the other victims of this regiment - the Bloody Sunday families.
Thirteen of the fourteen Bloody Sunday victims were shot dead within 20 minutes in full view of the world's media, whilst the Ballymurphy victims were shot dead over a three-day period in their own streets.
The families have now come together to demand justice.
Alice introduced herself and read details of the Ballymurphy 11 victims of the British Army Parachute Regiment - who they were, their work, their role in the community, the circumstances of their murders and the families they were taken from.
She spoke of her own and her family's personal circumstances following the murder of their father; how they struggled to cope in the immediate aftermath and in the years that followed.
The families want justice, Alice said. They want the British Government to admit the truth - that those shot dead were not gunmen and gunwomen, they were innocent victims shot dead by the British Army.
Alice explained that the victims' families didn't receive any compensation for the loss of their loved ones, for to award compensation the British Government would have to admit liability; admit that the victims were not gunmen and gunwomen.
Seán Mac Conmara said that there are those who support the recent political developments in the north of Ireland and those who oppose them. However, focus should not be distracted from achieving truth and justice for those who suffered the most during the conflict - the victims’ families.
"This is a campaign that we can all actively support, regardless of our thoughts on the current political situation", he said.
The Troops Out Movement Co-ordinating Committee member explained how the Consultative Group on the Past were appointed by the British Government to find ways of dealing with the legacy of the past - and is to report back to the British Government. He said the fact that a key protagonist in the conflict appointed, and is to receive the findings from this group won't come as a surprise to many nationalists and republicans.
Seán said Robin Eames and Denis Bradley were brought in to head up the group after unionists and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Hugh Orde complained too much time and money is being spent investigating the past and he spoke of recent media speculation that the group may recommend amnesties "recognising the last 30-odd years for what it was - a war".
He said: "I see those reports distracting from the real purpose of a truth and justice process. To be successful, a truth and justice process can't just deal with the recognised or discovered past. It has to deal with the unacknowledged and unreported past. For truth and justice to be achieved, those who still deny their part in the most recent phase of armed conflict in Ireland have to come clean."
Last week, victims groups released a statement saying they believe that the only way to bring truth to the greatest number of families is through an International Independent Truth Commission. They said the focus of such a commission should be on truth and acknowledgement rather than prosecutions, and that all combatant groups, British, republican and loyalist should co-operate in good faith - and have a moral duty to do so.
"Achieving truth and justice will be no easy task", Seán said, adding: "So it is crucial that as many people and as many groups as possible actively support the campaigning efforts of the people that really matter as far as this issue is concerned."
He said the Co-ordinating Committee of the Troops Out Movement has committed the organisation to campaign for the establishment of an International, Independent Truth Commission to achieve Truth and Justice for the families of the Ballymurphy Eleven "and all the other victims of the British state's ruthless occupation of Ireland."
Encouraging people to join with the Troops Out Movement in its campaigning efforts, he again emphasised: "This is a campaign that we can all support and I encourage you to do so."
As well as the Liverpool meeting, Alice spoke in Manchester on Monday and she was joined in Nottingham on Wednesday by Briege Voyle, the daughter of Joan Connolly, a mother of eight who was shot dead going to help another of the victims, 19-year-old Noel Phillips.
On Thursday they will be joined in Birmingham by Cahil McElhinney, whose brother Kevin was murdered on Bloody Sunday, and also Moazzam Begg, who was held prisoner at Guantanamo Bay.
On Friday and Saturday they are in the midlands to meet with Trade Union & Community Group and then on Sunday they will be at the annual Bloody Sunday meeting in London to join up with relatives of victims of that massacre.
Seán Mac Conmara
Troops Out Movement Co-ordinating Committee
www.troopsoutmovement.com
Troops Out Movement - Campaigning for British withdrawal from Ireland
Public Meeting held at St Michael's Irish Centre, Liverpool on Tuesday 22nd January.
Alice Harper, the daughter of Daniel Taggart, a father of 13 shot dead by the British army in Ballymurphy, West Belfast, and Seán Mac Conmara from the Troops Out Movement spoke at a public meeting in Liverpool on Tuesday evening.
Chaired by Neil Doolin, the Ballymurphy 11 meeting was brought together by the Troops Out Movement and the James Larkin Republican Flute Band and was part of a Troops Out Movement hosted speaking tour of England featuring relatives of the victims of the Ballymurphy massacre in August 1971.
The Ballymurphy 11 were murdered by the British Army's Parachute Regiment during the first three days of internment in 1971. No-one has ever been brought to justice for the killings, which were written out of history and never received the media focus demanded by the other victims of this regiment - the Bloody Sunday families.
Thirteen of the fourteen Bloody Sunday victims were shot dead within 20 minutes in full view of the world's media, whilst the Ballymurphy victims were shot dead over a three-day period in their own streets.
The families have now come together to demand justice.
Alice introduced herself and read details of the Ballymurphy 11 victims of the British Army Parachute Regiment - who they were, their work, their role in the community, the circumstances of their murders and the families they were taken from.
She spoke of her own and her family's personal circumstances following the murder of their father; how they struggled to cope in the immediate aftermath and in the years that followed.
The families want justice, Alice said. They want the British Government to admit the truth - that those shot dead were not gunmen and gunwomen, they were innocent victims shot dead by the British Army.
Alice explained that the victims' families didn't receive any compensation for the loss of their loved ones, for to award compensation the British Government would have to admit liability; admit that the victims were not gunmen and gunwomen.
Seán Mac Conmara said that there are those who support the recent political developments in the north of Ireland and those who oppose them. However, focus should not be distracted from achieving truth and justice for those who suffered the most during the conflict - the victims’ families.
"This is a campaign that we can all actively support, regardless of our thoughts on the current political situation", he said.
The Troops Out Movement Co-ordinating Committee member explained how the Consultative Group on the Past were appointed by the British Government to find ways of dealing with the legacy of the past - and is to report back to the British Government. He said the fact that a key protagonist in the conflict appointed, and is to receive the findings from this group won't come as a surprise to many nationalists and republicans.
Seán said Robin Eames and Denis Bradley were brought in to head up the group after unionists and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Hugh Orde complained too much time and money is being spent investigating the past and he spoke of recent media speculation that the group may recommend amnesties "recognising the last 30-odd years for what it was - a war".
He said: "I see those reports distracting from the real purpose of a truth and justice process. To be successful, a truth and justice process can't just deal with the recognised or discovered past. It has to deal with the unacknowledged and unreported past. For truth and justice to be achieved, those who still deny their part in the most recent phase of armed conflict in Ireland have to come clean."
Last week, victims groups released a statement saying they believe that the only way to bring truth to the greatest number of families is through an International Independent Truth Commission. They said the focus of such a commission should be on truth and acknowledgement rather than prosecutions, and that all combatant groups, British, republican and loyalist should co-operate in good faith - and have a moral duty to do so.
"Achieving truth and justice will be no easy task", Seán said, adding: "So it is crucial that as many people and as many groups as possible actively support the campaigning efforts of the people that really matter as far as this issue is concerned."
He said the Co-ordinating Committee of the Troops Out Movement has committed the organisation to campaign for the establishment of an International, Independent Truth Commission to achieve Truth and Justice for the families of the Ballymurphy Eleven "and all the other victims of the British state's ruthless occupation of Ireland."
Encouraging people to join with the Troops Out Movement in its campaigning efforts, he again emphasised: "This is a campaign that we can all support and I encourage you to do so."
As well as the Liverpool meeting, Alice spoke in Manchester on Monday and she was joined in Nottingham on Wednesday by Briege Voyle, the daughter of Joan Connolly, a mother of eight who was shot dead going to help another of the victims, 19-year-old Noel Phillips.
On Thursday they will be joined in Birmingham by Cahil McElhinney, whose brother Kevin was murdered on Bloody Sunday, and also Moazzam Begg, who was held prisoner at Guantanamo Bay.
On Friday and Saturday they are in the midlands to meet with Trade Union & Community Group and then on Sunday they will be at the annual Bloody Sunday meeting in London to join up with relatives of victims of that massacre.
Seán Mac Conmara
Troops Out Movement Co-ordinating Committee
www.troopsoutmovement.com
Troops Out Movement - Campaigning for British withdrawal from Ireland
Seán Mac Conmara
Homepage:
http://www.troopsoutmovement.com