Inside U.K.

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.

Shukan ST: June 19, 1998

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