12 February 1998 Edition
Parades issue not being tackled
By Ned Kelly
AFTER the 1992 murder of five Catholics at Sean Graham's bookies on the Ormeau Road, the Lower Ormeau Concerned Community (LOCC) asked the Orange Order not to march past this sensitive site as a mark of respect.
Not only did the Orangemen march but they taunted local residents with five fingered salutes. Irish Foreign Minister, David Andrews last week laid flowers at the sixth commemoration to the five men murdered by the UFF.
That same day, British Security Minister Adam Ingram was vainly attempting to inject some impetus into the Parades Commission with alterations to the legislation.
The changes, which amounted to no more than a 14-day notice rule for counter demonstrations against contentious parades, were met with little response by those on the ground.
The LOCC pointed out that in reality they had always met this requirement, and their response highlighted the fact that there seems little will from either the British government or the Parades Commission to get to grips with the real issues at stake.
The LOCC has been consistent in pointing out that given the criteria set out in the guidelines for the Parades Commission that, ``any independent implementation of [the] criteria must mean no parades.''
In urging David Andrews to intervene and ensure that the decisions of the Parades Commission are based on justice, not the ``threat of force'' a la Drumcree, the LOCC has highlighted the two main points underlining the whole contentious parades issue.
Firstly, that the actions of Alastair Graham over Drumcree last year and his disingenuous responses when dealing with nationalist communities as part of his fact finding brief, has undermined the integrity of the Parades Commission.
Secondly, as long as Orangemen refuse to engage with local residents in Nationalist areas and remain entrenched in their position then it is highly unlikely that the issue will be resolved.
AFTER the 1992 murder of five Catholics at Sean Graham's bookies on the Ormeau Road, the Lower Ormeau Concerned Community (LOCC) asked the Orange Order not to march past this sensitive site as a mark of respect.
Not only did the Orangemen march but they taunted local residents with five fingered salutes. Irish Foreign Minister, David Andrews last week laid flowers at the sixth commemoration to the five men murdered by the UFF.
That same day, British Security Minister Adam Ingram was vainly attempting to inject some impetus into the Parades Commission with alterations to the legislation.
The changes, which amounted to no more than a 14-day notice rule for counter demonstrations against contentious parades, were met with little response by those on the ground.
The LOCC pointed out that in reality they had always met this requirement, and their response highlighted the fact that there seems little will from either the British government or the Parades Commission to get to grips with the real issues at stake.
The LOCC has been consistent in pointing out that given the criteria set out in the guidelines for the Parades Commission that, ``any independent implementation of [the] criteria must mean no parades.''
In urging David Andrews to intervene and ensure that the decisions of the Parades Commission are based on justice, not the ``threat of force'' a la Drumcree, the LOCC has highlighted the two main points underlining the whole contentious parades issue.
Firstly, that the actions of Alastair Graham over Drumcree last year and his disingenuous responses when dealing with nationalist communities as part of his fact finding brief, has undermined the integrity of the Parades Commission.
Secondly, as long as Orangemen refuse to engage with local residents in Nationalist areas and remain entrenched in their position then it is highly unlikely that the issue will be resolved.