IRA / Northern Ireland

The end of the terror - a big chance for peace

Bozen / Bolzano, 29. Juli 2005

The statement of the Irish Republican Army to terminate the armed campaign puts under pressure Great Britain and the British unionist parties of Northern Ireland. In great difficulties are now the right wing unionistic parties and their paramilitaries underground organizations that, in the official silence, blocked for years the peace process. At the same time it is quickly forgotten that in the 60's armed unionistic groups terrorized the quarters of the Irish minority. The Unionist terror help at that time the reborn of the Irish Republican Army.

The Sinn Fein party, near the Irish Republican Army, carries out the peace process with energy, gaining the consent of voters and becoming the second strongest party. Sinn Féin demands the rapid application of the peace agreement, a deep reform of the north-Irish police, which in the past too often covered the unionistic Paramilitaries. The north-Irish police represent in fact the legal arm of the unionistic nationalists, who don't want a dialogue with the Irish minority. Now the British government has to assume its own responsibilities and force the Unionist to a dialogue. According to the peace agreement Northern Ireland is to become an autonomous region with a regional government. For Sinn Fèin autonomy is the preliminary step to the reunification with the Republic of Ireland, which is further rejected by Unionists.

The regional autonomy is a big chance to reconcile the Irish-republican and British-unionistic population. The autonomy can guarantee equal rights for the whole population and can put an end to the discrimination of the Irish minority. Without autonomy, the peace agreement will remain just on the paper. As a matter of fact the north Irish citizens must decide in times of peace which political perspective they want to give themselves. There is the result of a vote, for the peace agreement and for the regional autonomy. Now the unionists must demonstrate the will to dialogue, their paramilitary must lay down their weapons and the right-wing extremist Orange Order is to be dissolved.