Remarks on the Irish Peace Process
REMARKS ON THE IRISH PEACE PROCESS -- (House of Representatives - March 16, 2006)
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise this evening as we approach the St. Patrick's Day recess to remind this body of the continued struggle for peace and justice in the North of Ireland. For many in America of Irish ancestry, this is a time of celebration, as it should be. However, we must also recognize that the fight for freedom and equality on the island of Ireland is still being waged.
Tonight I want to remember and commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Easter Uprising and the proclamation of an Irish Republic at the General Post Office in 1916. The brave men and women who took up arms against England vowed to fight for religious and civil liberty, equal rights and equal opportunities for all Irish citizens.
This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the deaths of 10 brave men who died on a hunger strike in Long Kesh. Their courage and that of the women of Armagh inspired countless individuals and made the world take notice of the cruel and discriminatory policies of the British government in the North of Ireland. Their sacrifice proved the shortsightedness of a British policy criminalization.
Madam Speaker, I had the opportunity today to meet once again with Gerry Adams, whom I admire so much, for his continued determination to educate the Members of Congress about the situation in Northern Ireland. Because of the sacrifice of so many dedicated individuals like Gerry Adams over the years, we have seen great strides on the quest for an Ireland of equals.
The historic ceasefire by the IRA in 1994, followed by the Good Friday accords signed in 1998, created tremendous progression in the north. The IRA's recent decision to lay down their weapons and pursue exclusively peaceful means toward the goal of a united Ireland is yet another hopeful sign.
However there still remains much to be done. The Good Friday agreement must be implemented in full. Any attempt to walk away from the institutions set forth in the agreement or substitute them with something less is a mistake. It is designed to placate extremists who want to fight progress and maintain their superiority. This simply cannot be allowed to stand.
Responsible leaders on all sides and on all parties must recognize that a quality in progress is inevitable and give the people of Northern Ireland the democracy that they deserve now.
Madam Speaker, I have consistently called for the full implementation of the Patten recommendations on policing because I believe true peace cannot exist without justice. This will not happen until there is a fair and impartial police service representative of all the communities in the North.
A dismantling of the British war machine in towns like South Armagh and Crosmaglen need to happen now so that residents there can live in peace and without fear of violence from a government supposedly there to protect them.
With a history of collusion between the RUC and loyalists paramilitaries, a full, complete and independent inquiry must also be done into if death of Pat Finucan, murdered by paramilitaries in front of his young family.
Madam Speaker, 25 years ago, as Bobby Sands sat in his cell on a hunger strike, he wrote in his diary, and I quote, if they aren't able to destroy the desire for freedom, they won't break you. They won't break me, because the desire for freedom and the freedom of the Irish people is in my heart. The day will dawn when all the people of Ireland will have the desire for freedom to show.
Madam Speaker, the British and Irish governments must recognize that the desire for freedom is as strong today as it ever was, and it will not be destroyed. The historic moves by the IRA and the electoral gains made by Sinn Fein are evidence of this desire. People will simply not tolerate a return to the conditions that have plagued the North for so many years.
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