The Ancient Order of Hibernians has welcomed an upcoming hearing by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the United States Congress.
The hearing will take place on Tuesday, February 15 under the guding title “Northern Ireland: Accountability at Risk.”
The commission is named after the late Congressman Tom Lantos of California. A Holocaust survivor, Lantos chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee before his death in 2008. The commission bearing his name, however, has continued to function.
"The AOH is proud to have worked with the commission staff to make this hearing possible," said a statement from the Hibernians.
"We thank and congratulate Co-Chairs (James) McGovern and (Chris) Smith not only for the hearing but for releasing this today, the same day Operation Achilles Final Investigation Report was released," said AOH National President Danny O'Connell.
Congressman Smith is a New Jersey Republican while Congressman McGovern is a Massachusetts Democrat.
Added President O'Connell: "The Lantos Commission over the past decade has held several hearings highlighting issues like the Ballymurphy Massacre and collusion, which were considered controversial when held, but the Commission’s human rights concerns have been proven to be well founded.
"The commission's hearings on Irish legacy justice have given hope to victims’ families during times when justice seemed unattainable. As the British government considers new legislation which would take away legal channels to truth, the Lantos Commission's announcement of this hearing is deeply welcome and vitally necessary."
Said a statement regarding the hearing: "On July 14, 2021, United Kingdom Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis submitted a position paper to the UK Parliament proposing a law that would grant immunity to those responsible for the more than 3,500 people who died and the tens of thousands injured during the Northern Ireland conflict known as the Troubles, which stretched from the late 1960s to the Good Friday agreement in 1998.
"The proposed law imperils the fragile peace in Northern Ireland, and is inconsistent with the terms of the 2014 Stormont House Agreement that provided for an Historical Investigations Unit to facilitate prosecutions for these crimes.
"The bill has garnered widespread condemnation from Northern Irish political parties, both Republican and Unionist, and from United Nations experts Fabian Salvioli, Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, and Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.
"They urged the British authorities to 'refrain from regressing on their international human rights obligations through the establishment of a statute of limitations for conflict related prosecutions and barring all related investigations, inquests and civil claims.'
"Witnesses will analyze the proposed law and examine its consequences for victims of the conflict.
"This hearing will virtual. Pursuant to H. Res. 965, Members of Congress and witnesses will participate remotely via Cisco WebEx. Members of the public and the media may view the hearing by live webcast on the Commission website. The hearing will also be available for viewing on the House Digital Channel service. For any questions, please contact Patrick Harvey (for Co-Chair Smith) or Kimberly Stanton (for Co-Chair McGovern)."
Against the backdrop of the impending commission hearing the AOH is hosting a webinar focusing on the aforementioned Operation Achille. The webinar ill be the latest in a series of online gathering focusing on collusion.
Said a statement: "Family members of eleven south Belfast murder victims, will give their reaction to damning findings of Royal Ulster Constabulary collusive behavior in these killings, on a live webinar broadcast on Saturday February 19th. Operation Achille, is the second report in three weeks by Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson, vindicating family claims of British crown force involvement in these murders. The live webinar broadcast, hosted by The Ancient Order of Hibernians, will take place on Saturday, February 19th, at 11 a.m. Eastern Time, 4 p.m. Irish time.
"Once again American and Irish politicians and members of Irish American organizations including the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, Brehons, IAUC and Irish Northern Aid, have been invited to join.
"The Operation Achille findings of RUC ‘collusive behavior,’ made by Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson, were the latest in a series of investigations and legal proceedings, upholding charges of British state force involvement in murders. The 344-page report investigated RUC misconduct in relation to 11 murders and an attempted murder carried out in south Belfast between 1990 and 1998.
"The attacks, including the murder of five people at the Sean Graham bookmakers in 1992, were attributed to the UDA/UFF, but the families always contended there was British crown force collusion. Their claims were found to be ‘legitimate and justified.'
"Victims included Christy Doherty, Jack Duffin, Peter Magee, Willie McManus and 15-year-old James Kennedy who died in the 1992 Sean Graham’s bookie shop massacre.
"The investigation also covered the murders of Harry Conlon and Aidan Wallace in 1991; Michael Gilbride in 1992; Martin Moran in 1993; Theresa Clinton in 1994, and Larry Brennan in 1998. It also covered the attempted murder of Samuel Caskey in 1990.
"Ms. Anderson said she was ‘deeply concerned’ by the scale and scope of RUC failings revealed in her latest investigation. Eight UDA/UFF members linked to the murders and attempted murders of 27 people were RUC informer agents. Targeted victims were not warned they were under threat, forensic and identification leads were not followed and weapons were allowed provided for killings."
Guest speakers for the webinar will include Mark Sykes, who survived the Sean Graham’s massacre despite seven bullet wounds. Other victims’ family representatives are being confirmed through Relatives for Justice which represents several the families.
For Zoom Registration go to https://aoh.com/WebinarRegistration; Watch on youtube at https://aoh.com/Live or https://youtu.be/D28sRcRownY
Ancient Order of Hibernians National Freedom for All Ireland Chairman Martin Galvin stated: “This damning report on south Belfast collusion murders, following the Operation Greenwich findings, is more proof that RUC complicity in murders was part of a deliberate policy carried out across the six counties.
“British Secretary Brandon Lewis is in Washington, trying to justify his proposal to end Ombudsman investigations, criminal cases, Historical Investigations, Inquests, or civil suits, or anything else which could give the truth in hundreds of crown force or collusion killings.
“The families of those victims, who have spent decades fighting for justice, are appealing for American help to stop Britain’s planned amnesty whitewash."
