Human Rights – Page 37 – Slugger O'Toole

“undermined from the start by being set up by the British government..”

Pete Baker on March 10, 2008, 8:42 pm

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A UUP sponsored motion in the Assembly today on the Eames/Bradley co-chaired Consultative Group on the Past seems to have provided an opportunity for the DUP and Sinn Féin to unite in criticism of the group. DUP MLA David Simpson is reported to have commented during the debate that “One part of the group was briefing against another part of the group. In effect one part of the Eames/Bradley group sought to use the press to get its view of …

“he indicated that was a matter to be dealt with..”

Pete Baker on March 9, 2008, 7:17 pm

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RTÉ’s Tommie Gorman interviewed the probable next leader of the DUP, Peter Robinson, on This Week – you can listen to the interview here and there’s a short online report here which notes his comments on devolving policing and justice powers as well as the continuing existence of the Provisional IRA army council. Mr Robinson also said he hoped to see devolution of policing and justice in Northern Ireland soon. However he said it would be unhelpful if it was …

“The Price of Peace” – part 2

Pete Baker on March 9, 2008, 5:23 pm

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A quick reminder that part 2 of John Ware’s series “The Price of Peace” is about to air on Radio 4 starting at 1.30pm – “Dealing with the Big Man.” It’ll be repeated on Thursday at 8pm and direct link to the audio now available online. Adds Interesting comment from US Envoy Mitchell Reiss – “Plan B, I think, was more smoke and mirrors than it was reality.” [approx 24 mins in] But there’s much more detail on the US …

“Money has been a great balm.”

Pete Baker on March 8, 2008, 4:05 pm

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Andersonstown News Belfast Media Group managing director Máirtín Ó Muilleoir has pointed to Guardian journalist Ian Jack’s appearance at a public meeting in St Mary’s University College on Thursday – “I told the truth, what else was I to do” – part of the Sinn Féin organised “Gibraltar/Milltown Martyrs Anniversary”.. but it’s always worthwhile going to the source. Ian Jack has posted his account of the meeting at the Guardian’s CommentisFree blog “The intention – the bomb stored in Spain …

“‘Discourage’ is a lovely word..”

Pete Baker on March 6, 2008, 6:57 pm

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The Irish Examiner picks up on comments by Sinn Féin TD, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, in questions to the Taoiseach on Northern Ireland in the Dáil yesterday – after Fine Gael leader, Enda Kenny, said “we do not need a structure like the army council of the Provisional IRA.” Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin response was Will the Taoiseach, Deputy Kenny and others not consider for a moment that this is exactly what dissident republicanism want them to do? Will they ponder the …

“Derry City Council recognises the need to facilitate former property owners..”

Pete Baker on February 29, 2008, 3:04 am

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Having made the preparations to forcibly evict residents in the vested lands around City of Derry Airport, if necessary, we’ll have to wait to see whether Derry City Council actually use those powers. The deadline for residents to move out is Saturday 1st March but it’s worth highlighting, from the BBC report, that the Department of Environment has yet to decide on the Council’s application to approve interim rental payments – although there is no indication of when that application …

“I cannot prove that, but that is my conviction..”

Pete Baker on February 28, 2008, 12:27 am

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If you had thought that Sinn Féin disapproved of anyone making allegations without producing solid evidence.. Well, apparently it depends on who’s doing the alleging and, perhaps, what those allegations are. At the launch of his party’s 20th Anniversary Gibraltar/Milltown events porgramme [sic], SF leader Gerry Adams made some allegations of his own. Mr Adams said today: “It is my strong view that the killings in Gibraltar were authorised by Margaret Thatcher, and it is my strong view that the …

“The government has valid reason for that..”

Pete Baker on February 25, 2008, 5:03 pm

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If you had trouble accessing YouTube last night, as I did when attempting to post this, you now know who to blame. And, contrary to the quote in this BBC report from the convener of the Association of Pakistan Internet Service Providers, the outrage of supernaturalists is not a “valid reason”. Pete Baker

“The £20m building on the shores of Belfast Lough..”

Pete Baker on February 24, 2008, 4:47 pm

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A short article in today’s Observer points to a longer and more detailed one in the Royal United Services Institute journal Monitor – available to download [pdf file]. The topic is the new MI5 regional headquarters at Loughside, Holywood. It is a far bigger building than the other eight regional stations MI5 has opened elsewhere in the UK. As its cost (estimated at £20 million) and size became clear in the months before it opened, many local politicians became alarmed. …

“That this Assembly condemns the murder of Mr Paul Quinn..”

Pete Baker on February 20, 2008, 1:14 am

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The NI Assembly today debated a motion on the murder of Paul Quinn proposed by SDLP MLAs Dominic Bradley and Alex Atwood. BBC report here [RealPlayer file]. The transcript will be available tomorrow but for now the BBC report, and this UTV report, carries some of the quotes from the contributors. I’ll just add that Conor Murphy left the chamber after he had spoken and I don’t believe he returned for the vote. On that vote, no MLAs opposed the …

To my dear compatriots..

Pete Baker on February 19, 2008, 6:23 pm

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It’s too late to place a bet on the timing of the retirement of one aging dictator.. But you can still get odds on another this elected representative.. On the day that 81-year-old Cuban leader Fidel Castro announced he would no longer be the country`s President, Paddy Power said it was offering odds of 4/5 on the Democratic Unionist leader to stand down this year, the year of his 82nd birthday. It’s “an opportunity to make progress towards a peaceful …

Campaigning for “internationally recognized human rights for all..”

Pete Baker on February 19, 2008, 2:52 am

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News that Amnesty International (NI) are seeking an accomodation with NI Catholic bishops in order to be allowed to organise in schools within the Catholic Maintained sector would appear to call into question whether the organisation is still interested in campaigning for “internationally recognized human rights for all..” What it says about Amnesty NI’s campaign for a ‘Bill of Rights’ in Northern Ireland is anyone’s guess. From the RTÉ report. Patrick Corrigan, Director of Amnesty International in Northern Ireland, said …

Security and/or Human Rights…

Mick Fealty on February 17, 2008, 1:47 pm

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Fascinating discussion on William Crawley’s Sunday Sequence between Maggie Byrne and David Vance on the Human Rights lessons that might or might not be drawn from Northern Ireland, in relation to the ‘War on Terror’. There are some interesting points of departure between the two. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK …

“motivated by religious belief..”

Pete Baker on February 14, 2008, 1:47 am

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RTÉ report on a High Court challenge taken by three senior NI civil servants against the Assembly Commission which began today – the minutes of the Commission meeting on Jan 17th note staff concerns about possible changes to their secondment arrangements. According to the RTÉ report, lawyers for the three Catholic senior civil servants “claim[ed] a cross-party body of Stormont MLA’s, chaired by the DUP, treated them differently to a senior Protestant colleague” when they were “sent back to their …

“There has been concern for a number of months now in this area..”

Pete Baker on February 14, 2008, 12:12 am

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Understandably widespread coverage of the murder of 27 year old Andrew Burns from Strabane, who appears to have been abducted in Strabane less than an hour before he was shot, and his body dumped, at Doneyloop, between Clady in Co Tyrone and Castlefin in Co Donegal around 7.30pm yesterday. The PSNI later found a burned out car in Londonderry. At least one report mentions Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty’s statement that “There has been concern for a number of months now …

“They accept that there may be some slippage..”

Pete Baker on February 11, 2008, 3:21 pm

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As was expected, the issue of the devolution of policing and justice powers featured heavily when Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern met in Manchester. “We stand ready to help the political parties as they work to complete the process of devolution through the devolution of policing and justice powers.” They added: “Having seen the huge progress made, we are convinced that the time is right for the parties to move forward and take the final steps towards …

“He was sidelined to the point of being removed from any work.”

Pete Baker on February 9, 2008, 5:06 pm

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Following on from yesterday’s MI5 protective custody for Adams’ driver story there are a couple of reports worth noting. In the Irish Times, Gerry Moriarty notes, “Sinn Féin Assembly member Alex Maskey said he and other senior republicans were disappointed but not terribly surprised by the news.” While in the Guardian Henry McDonald reports that – “It is understood MI5 advised him to leave his west Belfast home after it emerged that an internal IRA investigation found he had been …

“Removal of the variation is essential to permit unrestricted use of the airport’s main runway..”

Pete Baker on February 7, 2008, 3:50 am

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Indicators of yet more potential problems ahead for City of Derry Airport are revealed in a Belfast Telegraph report today. Having been granted the power to vest land around the airport by the Regional Development minister, Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy, the Derry City Council’s Airport Committee met today in private to consider a report on the preparations for securing that land for the airport’s use.. and to clear the CAA’s current variation on the airport’s licence. From the Belfast Telegraph …

“give rise to a belief that further amnesties will become available in the future..”

Pete Baker on February 6, 2008, 8:10 pm

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A short report here notes that “The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has told the Dail that it would be “extremely difficult” to regularise the status of illegal Irish immigrants in the United States.” Would that be because, as the Irish government’s Minister for Justice, Brian Lenihan, has said – “Amnesty or regularisation, in my view, undermines the system of legal migration. They can exacerbate the problem of illegal migration by sending out the wrong message and give rise to a belief …

Still waiting..

Pete Baker on February 1, 2008, 4:41 am

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From the absence of updates to today’s report by the BBC on the Northern Ireland Executive meeting today, I can only assume that the decision to retrospectively authorise the Social Development minister, the SDLP’s Margaret Ritchie, to cut the funding to the UDA-linked CTI project [and avoid the implications of that decision, despite the legal advice – Ed] has been put off again. As it was at the last Executive meeting.. Ah.. If it wasn’t for that legal case.. and …