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Jim J. Kane's Letter to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

Jim Kane, from Scranton, Pennsylvania, is a prominent figure in Irish Organisations United, in the USA, and, with his colleague Linda Porra, he has he has become an active supporter of the Ludlow family's campaign for truth and justice. 

Jim has written letters on the Ludlow family's behalf to the following individuals and organisations:

Amnesty International ... Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission ... The Irish Post Newspaper.... The Irish Voice Newspaper... Senator Kerrey of Nebraska... The Irish People Newspaper... Northern Ireland Office... Taoiseach Bertie Ahern TD.... Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.... Senator Edward Kennedy... Seamus Mallon MP, MLA... British PM Tony Blair, MP...US President Bill Clinton.....Bill Hughes of Radio Free Eireann ... Tom Ridge, Governor of Pennsylvania.... Two  Pennsylvania Senators Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum... and Congressman Paul Kanjorski..... US Secretary of State Madeline Albright... and US Attorney General Janet Reno. Jim has also written to the Chief Constable of the RUC (now the PSNI). Jim has also written to Mrs. Nuala O'Loan, the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland..

Below is the text of a letter that Jim has sent to Professor Brice Dickson, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, in Belfast.

Dear Sir:

I am writing on behalf of the Seamus Ludlow Family concerning the death of Seamus Ludlow who was murdered in May 1976.

Upon talking to his nephew Michael Donegan and researching into this atrocity I feel there are many inconsistencies and unanswered questions in this family's search for the truth.

Demands from the Ludlow family and human rights organizations for a public inquiry seems to have been feared by many that it may uncover scandals from the 1970s when allegations of the Garda / British Security force collusions at a time when the northern peace process was entering a critical phase.
Could this possibly be brushed aside as being too politically involved?

On the night Mr. Ludlow was murdered (reports in Magill magazine) one of the men (there were reportedly 4 men in this said vehicle)  was a Mr. Paul Hosking, a witness who in 1987 gave a full report of the murder to the RUC Special Branch.

Mr. Hosking, upon questioning, told detectives that the special branch had this information for eleven (11) years. He also identified the persons who were responsible for this murder.

It was not until 1996 that the Ludlow family learned who the suspected murderers were, although the police tried to place the blame on the IRA. They have learned this information from Detective Sgt. Owen Corrigan who has worked on this case.

Why have these men who were arrested with the confession of Mr. Hosking never been convicted for the murder of Mr. Ludlow?

Some questions that must be answered are:

Exactly how much information on Seamus Ludlow's killers was passed by the RUC to two Garda detectives from the Dublin Murder Squad who had travelled to Belfast in early 1979?

What was the British Army's interest in the Seamus Ludlow case which brought soldiers to the home of the late Kevin Donegan, a brother-in-law of Seamus Ludlow, at Dromintee, south Armagh, to ask questions and then to airlift him to Bessbrook for further questioning about the Gardai's line of inquiry?

What information did the murder witness Paul Hosking give to the RUC Special Branch officer who interviewed him in 1987? Why was Paul Hosking told to "forget about it, it's political"?

Why was there a cover-up on both sides of the border?

Who was being protected in the car that night: was it the gunman? Was one of the suspects in the car that night an agent for British Intelligence, the RUC, Special Branch or even the Garda Special Branch?

Will the RUC officers who held this information be held accountable for their actions?

These were the questions and issues that the Ludlow family wanted to put to the RUC Chief Constable, but no such meeting has been granted.

We feel this investigation should be undertaken by a public inquiry due to the many allegations of collusion surrounding this case and their many unanswered questions surrounding the death of Seamus Ludlow.

We are asking your intervention to help right a wrong and assist the Ludlow family in their quest to bring this investigation to a close and have those responsible for this crime punished.

Thank you for your interest and help in this matter.


Sincerely:
Jim J. Kane
Irish Organizations United
1420 N. Lincoln Avenue
Scranton, Pennsylvania  18508
USA
(570) 344-9934
[email protected]