TUV South Antrim Westminster candidate Richard Cairns has questioned why Amnesty International’s latest annual report has failed to highlight any issues relating to the role of the Republic of Ireland during the Troubles.
Commenting the vice-chairman of TUV said:
“Amnesty International devotes a lengthy section of this report to highlighting the alleged failure of the UK government to face up issues arising from the Troubles in Northern Ireland. While TUV has consistently campaigned for justice for innocent victims of terrorism and has called for a public inquiry into the Omagh bomb in the past it is striking that Amnesty say nothing about the immense hurt that the On the Run letters scheme caused to innocent victims. This is particularly ironic as the report has been published one year to the day since the world learned of the nefarious scheme following the collapse of John Downey’s trial for the Hyde Park bombing in which four soldiers were murdered.
“However, perhaps even more striking is the complete lack of any commentary on the Republic of Ireland’s responsibility to face up to its role in arming the Provisional IRA and sustaining their campaign.
“The Smithwick Inquiry exposed the tip of the iceberg in terms of Garda collusion with the IRA but there are no plans for Dublin to launch a more wide ranging inquiry.
“Why has Amnesty chosen to give the Republic an amnesty in terms of its role in the IRA’s bloody terrorist campaign?
“It is far past the point where Dublin should have been forced to face up to these issues. For 30 years the Republic acted as a safe haven for terrorists who launched attacks in Northern Ireland only to slip across the border to safety. The Republic’s extradition record is abysmal. Figures published by The Detail website last year reveal that between 1973 and 1997 the UK sought the extradition of 110 Republican suspects from the Irish Republic yet only eight were ever extradited.
“Amnesty undermines its entire comments about the UK and its role in relation to these issues not just by ignoring the OTR issue but by a complete failure to highlight these glaring points relating to the Republic and the Troubles.”