21 February 2002 Edition

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SDLP bows the knee in Craigavon

Sinn Féin councillor John O'Dowd has called on SDLP members of Craigavon Council to "publicly outline their position on the continued British military presence on the streets of Craigavon Council area".

O'Dowd was speaking after the SDLP supported a unionist motion giving the Freedom of Craigavon to the Royal British Legion in recognition of its work "with ex-servicemen and present personel of HM Forces".

"The SDLP is also involved in organising events for the British Queen's golden jubilee, which are quickly turning into a British military tattoo involving the RIR," said O'Dowd.

The Lurgan Sinn Féin councillor added: "Next to South Armagh, Lurgan and the central area of Craigavon have the greatest concentration of military patrolling and checkpoints in the North. Since the IRA initiative on arms last year, over 250 military patrols and checkpoints have been logged in this area. The British military have fired plastic bullets and the harassment of nationalists continues".

O'Dowd has accused the SDLP of backing the use of ratepayers' money to provide a support network "for these same serving forces who are guilty of harassment of the nationalist community".

"By participating in the British Queen's Jubilee celebrations, the SDLP is helping to promote the RIR, a regiment whose members have been found guilty of involvement in loyalist paramilitary activity time and time again," he said. "The nationalist community would like an explanation from the SDLP."

 

SDLP judgement questioned



Sinn Féin Council leader Gearoid Ó hÉara has questioned the SDLP's judgement following Mark Durkan's calls for an independent inquiry into the assassination of Pat Finucane.

"Following the Weston Park talks in August last year, the SDLP welcomed the proposal then put forward by the British and Irish governments for the appointment of an international judge to investigate if it were necessary for a full public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane to be established. Sinn Féin opposed this at the time and continues to oppose it. The only action that should be taken is the establishment of a full public judicial inquiry as demanded by the Finucane family for the last 13 years. Sinn Féin is on record as consistently supporting this demand.

"It is disingenuous for the SDLP, and Mark Durkan in particular, to claim that the SDLP have 'long supported a full judicial inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane' at the same time as expressing concern about a proposal that they are on record as supporting, and which is delaying the establishment of that Inquiry.

"Indeed, Alex Attwood is on record as calling on the governments to appoint the international judge to review the Finucane case in November 2001. Now we have Mark Durkan expressing concern at the proposal the SDLP welcomed, concerns Sinn Féin highlighted in August 2001.

"Whilst welcoming the SDLP's belated calls for a full judicial inquiry, it would be remiss of Sinn Féin if we did not also call into question their judgement on this matter."


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