Sinn Fein chief Martin McGuinness
SINN Féin MLA Martin McGuinness has said the British and Irish governments must live up to their responsibilities on dealing with the legacy of the past.
Mr McGuinness said: “I met today with members of the Justice For the Forgotten campaign group in Dublin to update them on the recent negotiations and the refusal by the British government to live up to its responsibilities on dealing with the past.
“There is an onus on the British government to address the legacy of the past.
“They must end their blanket veto of ‘national’ security on releasing files to the families of victims about the activities of British state forces, agents and their proxies in unionist death squads.
“Sinn Féin has brought forward two proposals that would allow maximum disclosure based on three basic principles including the right to life.
“The creation of an independent international panel of three judges to adjudicate on disputes around disclosure or to give full discretionary powers similar to those of the Police Ombudsman to the director of the HIU about the release of information.
“So far, the only thing the British Secretary of State has offered families is the right to an appeal, which they already have!
“This falls way short of what is required from the British government to deal with the issue of legacy of the past.
“The Irish government too has a responsibility as co-guarantors of the Good Friday and subsequent agreements to challenge the British government over its continual failures to live up to its commitments on dealing with the past.”
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