Victims side-stepped in conflict centre plan
I wish to commend the News Letter on its principled stand of opposition to a ‘Conflict Transformation Centre’ being established at the former Maze prison site. Your publication’s analysis within the Morning View column of Saturday February 4 accurately captures the hurt caused to innocent victims of terrorism which would be further exacerbated were the proposal to go ahead.
Defenders of the project are trying to portray this issue as being about economic development and that those opposed are “spoilers”. The public need to examine these issues very closely and ensure that spin does not get in the way of truth.
There has been virtually no consultation with innocent victims/survivors nor the groups that have the privilege to provide representation to many of them.
I have yet to speak to someone who has lost a loved one or otherwise been affected at the hands of terrorism who is supportive of these “insensitive, flawed and morally offensive proposals”.
It is absolutely disgraceful that the views of those whose loved ones were the victims of many of those actually incarcerated at the former Maze prison have been cast aside. The former Maze prison site is synonymous with crime and is politically loaded and charged against the innocent victims of terrorism.
The former prison housed some of the most gruesome serial killers who over sustained campaigns of terror murdered their own fellow countrymen and women.
Let us never forget that those who starved themselves to death were not boy scouts, rather many of them were convicted for the crimes of murder and other associated terrorist offences.
If the objective is to create an international conflict transformation centre of excellence then the location should be by the by. The insistence by republicans that this centre can only be located at the Maze is proof positive that a partisan political agenda dominates decision-making.
We would challenge the project promoters to explain where genuine consultation has taken place with the innocent victims of terrorism. Surely victims/survivors are the most important group of people in all of this. There is a strong feeling that victims/survivors have been at best side-stepped and at worst trampled upon.
Many would suspect that the objective was to get this project over the line with minimal noise, present the development as a fait accompli and that people would then be invited to come forward with their views in shaping what actually is included within the new development.
This is not democracy, this is totalitarianism in action. The project is neither serving the interests of victims nor furthering the cause of peace and reconciliation, but rather is serving the interests of the perpetrators and political expediency.
We would urge decision-makers to re-examine these issues.
A time comes when political appeasement can come at too great a price. For innocent victims, this is such an occasion.
Kenny Donaldson
Director of Services
South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF)
Lisnaskea
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