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永遠の和平を求めて
北アイルランド紛争がついに決着した。4月10日に最終合意に達した和平交渉をめぐり、5月22日に北アイルランドでの住民投票とアイルランド共和国での国民投票が行なわれ、どちらも賛成票が多数を占めたのだ。とはいえ、まだ問題は山積している…。
Northern Ireland Aims for a Lasting Peace
By STEVE HILL
The Berlin Wall has come down, apartheid has been dismantled in South Africa and now, finally, there may be peace in Northern Ireland.
More than 3,500 people have been killed in the British province in the last 28 years and more than 40,000 injured in what are euphemistically termed "the troubles" — bitter fighting mainly between paramilitary elements in the Catholic and Protestant communities.
But the people of Northern Ireland have now come together to say enough is enough. A referendum last month asked for the adult population to show its support for multiparty talks aimed at securing a lasting peace — and an overwhelming 71.1 percent did.
These talks, the climax of a six-year peace process that began under the government of former Prime Minister John Major, have given all of us hope that years of terrorism, bombings, maimings and killings, on both sides of the religious divide, may finally be over.
It has proved to be a heartbreakingly difficult problem to solve, and one that has been felt here in England — the scene of many horrific Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombing raids — as well as in Northern Ireland itself. On the one hand, there is the republican movement, represented at its most extreme by the IRA, which wants to see a united Ireland. On the other is the Protestant loyalist movement, represented by the majority of people who live in Northern Ireland, which wants to remain part of the United Kingdom and separate from the Republic of Ireland. Attempts over the years to find a compromise acceptable to both sides have proved unsuccessful, but now there is real hope.
Following the success of the referendum, which followed ceasefires from terrorists on both sides, the politicians of the region now have the chance to manage their own affairs for the first time since 1972.
There will be a devolved, power-sharing government covering all shades of political opinion. Elections for the new assembly are due to be held June 25, but there are still many problems to be solved.
The most important is the issue of terrorist weapons. Paramilitary groups are still refusing to disarm, fueling fears that whatever the politicians say, killings and bombings may continue or resume at some point in the future.
Political groups on both sides are also far from united. A small hard core of republicans is demanding that the struggle for independence continue, despite the vote. And many loyalists — the number is difficult to state accurately — are also extremely unhappy, fueling speculation of a deep rift despite all the work of Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble.
But for the moment, many people are enjoying the calm atmosphere in Northern Ireland and a return to a life that most of us take for granted, instead of having to worry about being shot or blown up.
Mo Mowlam, the British government's Northern Ireland secretary, has been a tireless campaigner for peace.
Of the referendum result, she said: "Three to one of the people on Northern Ireland are saying let's move forward. It is a resounding victory for the people of Northern Ireland."
Prime Minister Tony Blair, who received the solid and very public backing of U.S. President Bill Clinton in his attempts to broker a peace, also welcomed the results, as well as the 94 percent vote in favor of the agreement in the Irish Republic.
Blair said: "It represents a giant stride along the path to peace, hope and the future. The people of Northern Ireland have shown courage and vision. I know some have voted with deep misgivings. I accept my duty to answer those misgivings, to work with the people in Northern Ireland to remove the doubts and keep it all moving forward." But he added later: "There is still much to do. I trust that everyone will accept the democratic will and will make the agreement work."
Depressingly, though, only hours after the historic referendum results were announced, explosives — enough to make a massive car bomb — were discovered less than 60 miles (96 km) from the Irish Republic capital of Dublin.
It was a reminder that, for all the words and the great momentum from all sides for peace, there are still those for whom terrorism has become a way of life, one they will guard for years to come.
The Berlin Wall has come down, apartheid has been dismantled in South Africa and now, finally, there may be peace in Northern Ireland.
More than 3,500 people have been killed in the British province in the last 28 years and more than 40,000 injured in what are euphemistically termed "the troubles" — bitter fighting mainly between paramilitary elements in the Catholic and Protestant communities.
But the people of Northern Ireland have now come together to say enough is enough. A referendum last month asked for the adult population to show its support for multiparty talks aimed at securing a lasting peace — and an overwhelming 71.1 percent did.
These talks, the climax of a six-year peace process that began under the government of former Prime Minister John Major, have given all of us hope that years of terrorism, bombings, maimings and killings, on both sides of the religious divide, may finally be over.
It has proved to be a heartbreakingly difficult problem to solve, and one that has been felt here in England — the scene of many horrific Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombing raids — as well as in Northern Ireland itself. On the one hand, there is the republican movement, represented at its most extreme by the IRA, which wants to see a united Ireland. On the other is the Protestant loyalist movement, represented by the majority of people who live in Northern Ireland, which wants to remain part of the United Kingdom and separate from the Republic of Ireland. Attempts over the years to find a compromise acceptable to both sides have proved unsuccessful, but now there is real hope.
Following the success of the referendum, which followed ceasefires from terrorists on both sides, the politicians of the region now have the chance to manage their own affairs for the first time since 1972.
There will be a devolved, power-sharing government covering all shades of political opinion. Elections for the new assembly are due to be held June 25, but there are still many problems to be solved.
The most important is the issue of terrorist weapons. Paramilitary groups are still refusing to disarm, fueling fears that whatever the politicians say, killings and bombings may continue or resume at some point in the future.
Political groups on both sides are also far from united. A small hard core of republicans is demanding that the struggle for independence continue, despite the vote. And many loyalists — the number is difficult to state accurately — are also extremely unhappy, fueling speculation of a deep rift despite all the work of Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble.
But for the moment, many people are enjoying the calm atmosphere in Northern Ireland and a return to a life that most of us take for granted, instead of having to worry about being shot or blown up.
Mo Mowlam, the British government's Northern Ireland secretary, has been a tireless campaigner for peace.
Of the referendum result, she said: "Three to one of the people on Northern Ireland are saying let's move forward. It is a resounding victory for the people of Northern Ireland."
Prime Minister Tony Blair, who received the solid and very public backing of U.S. President Bill Clinton in his attempts to broker a peace, also welcomed the results, as well as the 94 percent vote in favor of the agreement in the Irish Republic.
Blair said: "It represents a giant stride along the path to peace, hope and the future. The people of Northern Ireland have shown courage and vision. I know some have voted with deep misgivings. I accept my duty to answer those misgivings, to work with the people in Northern Ireland to remove the doubts and keep it all moving forward." But he added later: "There is still much to do. I trust that everyone will accept the democratic will and will make the agreement work."
Depressingly, though, only hours after the historic referendum results were announced, explosives — enough to make a massive car bomb — were discovered less than 60 miles (96 km) from the Irish Republic capital of Dublin.
It was a reminder that, for all the words and the great momentum from all sides for peace, there are still those for whom terrorism has become a way of life, one they will guard for years to come.
Shukan ST: June 19, 1998
(C) All rights reserved
- Berlin Wall
- ベルリンの壁(冷戦を象徴する、独ベルリン市を東西に分ける壁。89年、東欧改革の一環として壊された)
- apartheid has been dismantled
- アパルトヘイト(人種隔離政策)が廃止された(南アフリカ共和国は、85年以降徐々に人種差別の法律を撤廃。90年、F.W. デクラーク大統領がアパルトヘイト終結を宣言した)
- British province
- イギリスの州(北アイルランドのこと)
- injured
- 負傷した
- are euphemistically termed 〜
- えん曲的に 〜 と呼ばれる
- "the troubles"
- 北アイルランドでのプロテスタントとカトリックの対立
- paramilitary elements
- 過激派
- enough is enough
- もうたくさんだ
- referendum
- 住民投票(5月22日に行なわれた)
- multiparty talks
- 多様な政党による交渉
- securing 〜
- 〜 を確実にする
- overwhelming
- 圧倒的な
- maimings
- 障害者にすること
- religious divide
- 宗教的な分裂
- has proved to be 〜
- 〜 であることを証明してきた
- heartbreakingly
- 心痛むような
- horrific
- 恐ろしい
- Irish Republican Army
- アイルランド共和軍
- raids
- 攻撃
- republican movement
- アイルランド共和国との統一を求める運動
- represented(by 〜 )
- 〜 に代表される
- at its most extreme
- 一番極端な 〜 で
- loyalist
- イギリス連邦支持の
- compromise
- 妥協案
- ceasefires
- 停戦
- terrorists on both sides
- 両方のテロリスト集団
- region
- 地域
- affairs
- 政務
- since 1972
- 1972年に北アイルランド議会が廃止され、その後イギリス政府が統治してきた
- devolved
- 英政府から権力を移譲された
- power-sharing
- (カトリック、プロテスタント)両教徒による権力分担の
- covering all shades of 〜
- すべての 〜 を反映する
- assembly
- 議会
- issue
- 問題
- disarm
- 武力解除する
- fueling fears
- 恐怖をあおる
- resume
- 再開される
- hard core
- 強硬派
- struggle for independence
- 独立を求める戦い
- vote
- 住民投票の結果
- accurately
- 正確に
- speculation
- 憶測
- deep rift
- 根深い溝
- Ulster Unionist Party
- アルスター統一党
- for the moment
- 当座は
- calm atmosphere
- 落ちついた雰囲気
- take for granted
- 当たり前だと思う
- Northern Ireland secretary
- 北アイルランド相
- tireless
- 疲れを知らない
- resounding
- 明確な
- solid
- 確固とした
- broker
- まとめる
- in favor of 〜
- 〜 に同意して
- giant stride
- 大きな進歩
- misgivings
- 不安
- Depressingly
- 残念ながら
- explosives
- 爆発物
- massive
- 強力な
- reminder
- 思い出させるもの
- momentum
- 勢い
- those for whom terrorism has become a way of life
- テロが自分の生活になってしまっている人々