Amnesty International’s new report on dealing with the past has been welcomed by Foyle SDLP MP Mark Durkan who said if Bill Clinton’s call (in Derry yesterday) to “finish the job” was to be met, “solemn promises” made to victims in the Good Friday Agreement “must be honoured.”
Former US President in Derry yesterday with former SDLP leader John Hume, Photo: Lorcan Doherty Photography.
Mr Durkan, who is hearing evidence from Amnesty’s recent research paper in Dublin today as a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of Good Friday Agreement, said the paper was “compatible and consistent” with the SDLP’s approach to the “need to deal with the past in a constructive, legitimate and credible way.”
He added: “Amnesty’s paper on the importance of properly addressing the past before Haass, their engagement with Haass, and now this latest paper all underscore the need for a framework that is ethical, sensitive to victims and truthful to wider society and future generations.
“The difficult fallout and reactions from the partial way that certain aspects of the past have been dealt with actually underscores the need to take forward the good and workable ideas in the Haass papers which are well-supported and supplemented in Amnesty’s paper.
“Recent events and revelations should not be used as an excuse to abort the prospects of real advances from Haass.
SDLP Foyle MP Mark Durkan.
“While there are wrinkles which would need to be ironed out in the Haass proposals they also do carry a key consensus from the parties that amnesty is not the basis for dealing with the past.
“We can’t abandon the task or the prospect out of frustration, confusion or anger.
“If we are to meet Bill Clinton’s call to ‘finish the job’ then we have to move forward in dealing with the past and not pretend that we can advance sustainably without dealing with it.”
Mr Durkan concluded: “To finish the job in our process and the Good Friday Agreement must mean the parties, governments and all involved honouring the solemn promises to victims in the Agreement and commitments made to deal with the past responsibly and responsively.”
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