Victims campaigner: We must break free of the shackles of the IRA for Northern Ireland to progress

By Ken Funston
Published 19th Mar 2021, 12:39 BST
A republican mural in west Belfast. Dr Funston, whose brother was murdered by the IRA, writes: "Twenty-three years after the Belfast Agreement, the Provos should have left the stage, as well as the other so-called paramilitary groups. Yet they still spin their web"A republican mural in west Belfast. Dr Funston, whose brother was murdered by the IRA, writes: "Twenty-three years after the Belfast Agreement, the Provos should have left the stage, as well as the other so-called paramilitary groups. Yet they still spin their web"
A republican mural in west Belfast. Dr Funston, whose brother was murdered by the IRA, writes: "Twenty-three years after the Belfast Agreement, the Provos should have left the stage, as well as the other so-called paramilitary groups. Yet they still spin their web"
A letter from Dr Ken Funston:

I have been associated with that marvellous victims and survivors group South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF) for around 10 years, five-and-a-half as its advocacy manager.

I decided recently, after much thought, to leave their employment.

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This was in no way related to any disagreement with SEFF, and I continue to fully support the organisation.

It was simply down to my failure to achieve the objectives I set myself when I first joined the charity.

Those failures are largely caused by all branches of civic, government and public society’s failure to address the ‘elephant in the room’: the Provisional movement.

Twenty-three years after the Belfast Agreement, the Provos should have totally left the stage, as well as all the other so-called paramilitary groups. Yet they continue to spin their web that encompasses all of our society, influencing both the British and RoI governments.

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Another anniversary has passed since the 1984 murder of my brother by the Provos – his ‘crime’, a Protestant living in an area they wished to control.

There will no investigations or public inquiries into Ronnie’s murder; the Provos do not want to be reminded of the multiple crimes they committed. Yet they of course expect that any death during the Troubles that fit into their narrative will get full exposure in the courts or the public domain.

We can never be allowed to move forward as one society whilst the Provisionals retain this control. Division suits their need; keep the population agitated, and a ‘them and us’ situation prevails.

We must break free of these shackles, and that can only happen when the public realise that the Provisionals are only invested in their own narrow selfish agenda.

Dr Ken Funston, Co Fermanagh

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Related topics:Northern IrelandIRA