VIOLENCE MUST BE THING OF PAST
Violence must now be for all 'a thing of the past'
SENIOR unionists were made aware of Gerry Adams' statement only hours before it was made public.
The finalised statement was first sent to Downing Street which then, as a matter of courtesy, allowed other political leaders to see it.
The London and Dublin Governments, and the American administration, were closely involved in drawing up Sinn Fein President Gerry Adam's latest statement.
It was issued on the eve of the emergency recall of both the UK and Irish parliaments to pass new anti-terrorist laws after the Omagh bombing.
The statement also came just 36 hours ahead of US President Bill Clinton's visit and is being viewed as an attempt to regain the momentum of the Good Friday Agreement.
The full statement read: "Sinn Fein has called for a complete halt to such actions and has urged all armed groups to stop immediately.
"Those responsible are aligning themselves with the forces opposed to a democratic settlement in the conflict here.
"Sinn Fein is committed to exclusively peaceful and democratic means to achieve a way forward.
"We have to work politically to make the Omagh bombing the last violent incident in our country, the last incident of this kind. We are committed to making conflict a thing of the past.
"There is a shared responsibility to removing the causes and to achieving an end to all conflict.
"Sinn Fein believe the violence we have seen must be for all of us now a thing of the past, over, done with and gone.
"In particular, the two governments have the principal responsibility, as do the party leaders.
"I am committed to play my part, as is Sinn Fein. Our role in the peace process provides a substantial body of irrefutable evidence to support this.
"The Good Friday Agreement has the powerful potential to take us forward and we must urgently press on with its implementation."
The one-page statement concluded: "Inclusive and honest dialogue is the only way forward in this country. We need to map a path out of the dark tunnel that people feel themselves to be in. There is much despair around and the vacuum that has been created mast he filled"
SENIOR unionists were made aware of Gerry Adams' statement only hours before it was made public.
The finalised statement was first sent to Downing Street which then, as a matter of courtesy, allowed other political leaders to see it.
The London and Dublin Governments, and the American administration, were closely involved in drawing up Sinn Fein President Gerry Adam's latest statement.
It was issued on the eve of the emergency recall of both the UK and Irish parliaments to pass new anti-terrorist laws after the Omagh bombing.
The statement also came just 36 hours ahead of US President Bill Clinton's visit and is being viewed as an attempt to regain the momentum of the Good Friday Agreement.
The full statement read: "Sinn Fein has called for a complete halt to such actions and has urged all armed groups to stop immediately.
"Those responsible are aligning themselves with the forces opposed to a democratic settlement in the conflict here.
"Sinn Fein is committed to exclusively peaceful and democratic means to achieve a way forward.
"We have to work politically to make the Omagh bombing the last violent incident in our country, the last incident of this kind. We are committed to making conflict a thing of the past.
"There is a shared responsibility to removing the causes and to achieving an end to all conflict.
"Sinn Fein believe the violence we have seen must be for all of us now a thing of the past, over, done with and gone.
"In particular, the two governments have the principal responsibility, as do the party leaders.
"I am committed to play my part, as is Sinn Fein. Our role in the peace process provides a substantial body of irrefutable evidence to support this.
"The Good Friday Agreement has the powerful potential to take us forward and we must urgently press on with its implementation."
The one-page statement concluded: "Inclusive and honest dialogue is the only way forward in this country. We need to map a path out of the dark tunnel that people feel themselves to be in. There is much despair around and the vacuum that has been created mast he filled"
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0352
Published Date: 02-Sep-98
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.