The Dundalk Democrat, 24 May 2006:

Call for Taoiseach to look at 60 Irish murders

A prominent Dundalk community worker has called on the Taoiseach to personally establish a Commission of Investigation into the murder of Seamus Ludlow and over 60 other people in the Republic of Ireland since 1966.

In a letter to The Taoiseach, supplied to The Dundalk Democrat, Mr John Conway points out that despite growing evidence of British state agency collusion with loyalist paramilitary groups in many of these murders not one person has been held accountable, unlike in the north of Ireland and Britain where many have been held accountable.

Mr Conway went on: "This phenomenon exists in spite of the fact that the vast majority are known to the 26 county authorities and that prima facie cases exist for the arrest and extradition of many of them to the 26 Counties to face trial for their crimes."

The local community activist pointed to the Dublin and Monaghan bombs of 1974 as a prime example of how murders in the 26 counties have been forgotten.

"The whole-hearted co-operation by An Garda Siochana with the RUC as regards the Omagh bombing stands in stark contrast to the total lack of co-operation received from the RUC by An Garda Siochana when An Garda Siochana was investigating the Dublin and Monaghan Bombing and other murders committed by invaders from the six Counties.

The Dundalk man went on to suggest that considering the apparent "sea-change" in the attitude of the PSNI to An Garda Siochana now would be an appropriate juncture at which to begin a comprehensive investigation into the murders of the 60 plus victims on the southern side of the border.

Mr Conway went on: "An independent Commission of Investigation was not about exacting revenge but rather obtaining the truth and moving on.

"Since it is of paramount importance that the truth be obtained and only of secondary importance, at this late stage, to exact revenge, I, for one, would have no difficulty in granting immunity from prosecution to witnesses, reserving punishment for only those who told lies, concealed the truth, or refused to co-operate with the commission."

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I Top I 

I Top I 

Also visit:
Relatives for Justice:  http://www.relativesforjustice.com/
Pat Finucane Centre: http://www.www.patfinucanecentre.org
British Irish Rights Watch: http://www.birw.org/
Irish Council for Civil Liberties:  http://www.iccl.ie/
Celtic League:  http://www.manxman.co.im/cleague/index.html
Justice for the Forgotten: http://www.dublinmonaghanbombings.org/ 

An Fhirinne: http://www.anfhirinne.org/

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