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30 October 1997 Edition

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Trimble speech disappointing

David Trimble's speech to the Ulster Unionist Party conference showed no willingness to negotiate with nationalists about the future. Instead it was dominated by a desire to assuage fears among his own party of any move towards negotiation. This is disappointing.

Trimble's speech was entirely insular in its content and limited in its vision. While he has shown courage in entering the Stormont talks and withstanding the attacks of Paisley and McCartney, it appears he is as yet unwilling to take the next inevitable step and begin to deal realistically with the other parties.

If Trimble thinks that this is being clever he is making a serious mistake. Everyone else has moved on. There is an acceptance among most parties in Ireland, by the people on both sides of the border and by international opinion that there is a need for fundamental constitutional change. There is an irreversible thrust towards real political negotiations that will go to the issues at the heart of the conflict in Ireland. Trimble's words showed a dangerous lack of understanding that this is where things have moved, and of the air of hope and expectation that now exists. He will do his party and its supporters no real favours if he decides now to ignore this and pretend that nothing needs to change.

Memorial must be inclusive



The British Government's proposal to erect a memorial to all those who died in the present conflict is to be welcomed.

It is important that a memorial recognises all those who have died.

Unionist have demanded that the proposed memorial exclude what they termed ``terrorists''. In a typical unionist confabulation Jeffrey Donaldson says, ``it would be inappropriate to equate IRA members with innocent victims and members of the `security forces' ''. Thus Donaldson refuses to acknowledge or accept the responsibility unionists have for the political failure that led to the conflict in the first place or the many deaths caused by these so-called security forces.

As Martin Finucane, member of the group Relatives For Justice said,''in order to be successful, any commission and memorial by its very nature would have to be totally inclusive and the end result would have to reflect that inclusiveness.''

An Phoblacht
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