NORTHERN IRELAND: BRITISH GOVERNMENT INVITE SINN FEIN TO PEACE TALKS

Описание: (29 Aug 1997) English/Nat

The British government on Friday invited Sinn Fein - the political wing of the Irish Republican Army - to next month's talks on the future of Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam's announcement means the government has accepted the validity of the I-R-A's renewed ceasefire.

Sinn Fein accepted the invitation and pledged to continue its peaceful methods -- a move hard-line Unionist leader Ian Paisley described as a surrender to terrorism.

Last year the I-R-A's cease-fire lasted 17 months before violence resumed.

During that truce the British government held talks with Sinn Fein, but they quickly reached an impasse amid government demands that the I-R-A start disarming as evidence that the cease-fire was permanent.

Friday's announcement in Belfast is a vote of confidence by Britain's new Labour government that the I-R-A's eight-week-old cease-fire will hold.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I am satisfied that there has been a cessation of I-R-A attacks. Moreover, there has been no evidence of active targeting of paramilitary assaults which can be directly attributed to the I-R-A. I have assessed carefully whether the requirements set out in statute have been met. I have decided that Sinn Fein meets these requirements. So I have written today to Sinn Fein to nominate its negotiating team. Sinn Fein will, as a result, formally enter the talks on the 9th of September. Like all other parties, they will then need to make clear their total and absolute commitment to the six Mitchell principles of democracy and non-violence."
SUPER CAPTION: Mo Mowlam, Northern Ireland Secretary

Despite Dr Mowlam's optimism, the uncompromising Democratic Unionist Party (D-U- P) called any negotiations that included Sinn Fein "a dead no-hope."

D-U-P leader the Reverend Ian Paisley confirmed his party will not be at talks with Sinn Fein and called for a boycott by all unionist parties.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Immediately after the I-R-A gets into these talks, the beatings will start again and the intimidation will start again and the killings will start again. And the British government will not have the guts to put them out of the talks. We all know that. So it's a complete and absolute surrender. And to say that she has the support of the police and the military is very funny. If she has the support of the police and the military, that the Home Office has sent letters to people under threat saying that this ceasefire could end at any time."
SUPER CAPTION: Reverend Ian Paisley, Democratic Unionist Party leader

The pro-nationalist Sinn Fein is supported primarily by the province's minority Catholic community.

Its chief negotiator, Martin McGuinness, said his party accepted the challenge to try and find a peaceful solution for the province's troubles.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I would say that they should have courage. They should have courage and faith in their own abilities to articulate their own case. I thought that David Trimble's trip to South Africa earlier this year was courageous -- I gave him credit for that at the time. I think that Ken McGuinness was prepared to debate with me on television was also courageous. I gave him credit for that also. And I think the logical extension of all of that has to be that we now sit in rooms without television camera, have dialogue, discussions, debate, negotiations about the future of this island. That's the sensible way to proceed. That's what all the people of this island -- whether they be unionists or nationalists -- are telling all their political leaders."








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