UVF statement: Unionists welcome in nine-county Ulster Parliament.

international | miscellaneous | press release Thursday May 03, 2007 15:28 by Seán Ó Murchú - Sinn Féin (Poblachtach) - Cork

Statement by the President of Sinn Féin Poblachtach Ruairí Ó Brádaigh

Today's UVF statement, if taken at face value can be given a qualified welcome.
However, the fact that arms are to be retained and will continue to be available to its leadership remains a threat to the nationalist people against whom a relentless campaign of assassination has been carried out.

This menace also extends to the Unionist community, many of whose members have also been killed by the same UVF while others have suffered greatly at their hands. In particular uninvolved and innocent nationalists have been targeted by UVF death squads working in collusion with the British crown forces and their intelligence groupings.

Such a campaign against the nationalist population has been pursued ever since the first civilians - both Unionist and Nationalist - John Patrick Scullion, Peter Ward and Mrs Gould were killed by them in the summer of 1966. These and other deaths of uninvolved people were carried out deliberately and as a matter of policy.

The unionist working class would be much better served, provided such a campaign is at an end, by active representation in a nine-county Ulster Parliament such as has been proposed by Republican Sinn Féin as part of a new federation of the four provinces.

We look forward to such a development.