Amnesty on Bloody Sunday: Too Little, Too Late (as usual) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit "Boyle, Francis" Fri, 7 Nov 1997 16:53:06 -0600 Dear Friends: Well, for what it is worth, attached is the latest Amnesty International letter on Bloody Sunday. When it comes to protecting the human rights of Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland, Amnesty International has always been TL2: Too little, too late. Recall that last summer Amnesty International refused to do anything about the attack at Drumcree et al. despite the fact that Human Rights Watch was on the scene and had prepared a report. Also,it was only after massive pressure from you that Amnesty finally took a stand on behalf of Roisin McAliskey, and that was many months ago. We have not heard anything from Amnesty on behalf of Roisin for a long time. Other human rights organizations around the world have issued repeated interventions calling for her release to both the British government and the German government. As Sean MacBride said: Irish Catholics will never get fair treatment from Amnesty International so long as it is headquartered in London. Yours very truly, Francis A. Boyle Professor of International Law Board of Directors, Amnesty International USA (1988-92) >>>>> Open letter from Amnesty International to Mo Mowlam > > >Bloody Sunday answers needed > >---------------------------- >Open letter to Dr Marjorie Mowlam, Secretary of State for >Northern Ireland. >---------------------------- > >Dear Dr Mowlam > >On February 13, 1997, Amnesty International, Human Rights >Watch and the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights signed an >open letter to former prime minister John Major urging the >government of the United Kingdom to conduct a thorough and >impartial inquiry into the events of January 30, 1972, commonly >referred to as Bloody Sunday. > >We understand that in June 1997 the government of the Republic >of Ireland transmitted to you a comprehensive report concerning >the deeply flawed Widgery Tribunal of Inquiry tasked with >investigating the events surrounding the killing of 13 people on >Bloody Sunday. > >We along with the families of the deceased, anxiously await your >response to the Irish government report. > >Once again, we urge you to recommend that a fully-fledged public >inquiry with judicial powers, including the powers to subpoena >and examine witnesses, be convened with some form of >international participation to ensure the inquiry's impartiality. > >The events of Bloody Sunday shocked the world. The subsequent >conduct of the Widgery Tribunal, veiled in secrecy, undermined >by the tampering with evidence, and plagued by an apparent lack >of political will to arrive at the truth about the possible >complicity of the security forces in the deaths of 13 innocent >people - ensured that Bloody Sunday would assume a significance >far beyond the occurrence of the events of that day. > >The historical significance of Bloody Sunday and recent calls >for an authentically transparent process for revealing the truth >are particularly relevant now in light of the progress made >toward peace in Northern Ireland. > >Experience in other countries where past human rights violations >have been addressed reveals the necessity of telling the truth, >however painful, before the process of reconciliation can begin. > >This is especially true where there is evidence of a previous >attempt to conceal or distort the facts surrounding such >violations. > >We urge your government to go beyond the formalities of a simple >paper review of the events of Bloody Sunday. To limit a >fact-finding exercise to information that is already known to the >deceased's relatives and is in the public domain inevitably will >be perceived as an attempt to avoid the close scrutiny that this >tragic event demands. > >We call on you to establish and fully support the work of an >independent, impartial public inquiry. By doing so, your >government will send a strong message to everyone in Northern >Ireland that past human rights violations will be thoroughly >investigated and that those responsible will be held accountable. > >Thorough investigation and public reporting on official >responsibility for Bloody Sunday by means that are fair, and are >perceived to be fair, would make a major contribution toward >building confidence in the prospects for a durable and lasting >peace in Northern Ireland. > >William Schutz, Executive Director, Amnesty >International/USA Kenneth Roth, Executive Director, >Human Rights Watch Michael Payner, Executive Director, >Lawyers Committee for Humam Rights. ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytire-11.11.97-00:01:52-10605