Vara promises amendments, victims demand he drop amnesty ‘bill of shame’

John Kelly, whose 17 year-old brother Michael was shot dead on Bloody Sunday, has called for the UK government to drop its legacy bill now.
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Mr. Kelly was speaking at a protest in the Diamond yesterday as the new Secretary of State Shailesh Vara visited the city centre.

During his visit Mr. Vara told the ‘Journal’ that the NI Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill, which proposes a statute of limitations for all Troubles-related killings, remains open to amendment.

However, Mr. Kelly rejected this outright.

Shailesh Vara on the Derry Walls during his first visit to the city in his role as Secretary of State.Shailesh Vara on the Derry Walls during his first visit to the city in his role as Secretary of State.
Shailesh Vara on the Derry Walls during his first visit to the city in his role as Secretary of State.
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Around a dozen protestors with banners proclaiming ‘justice is not a witch hunt’, among other messages gathered in the Diamond at a Pat Finucane Centre-organised rally at noon.

Mr. Kelly said there was no way the families of those killed by the British army would accede to an amended version of what they have branded the ‘bill of shame’.

“There is only one thing that we demand and that is justice for our people.

“Our people were murdered by British security forces and many people out there on all sides have lost loved ones and are entitled to justice.

The protest against the British government’s legacy bill in the DiamondThe protest against the British government’s legacy bill in the Diamond
The protest against the British government’s legacy bill in the Diamond
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“There is only one amendment to it which is to abolish it, drop it and just do the right thing,” said Mr. Kelly.

Mr. Vara, when asked about the opposition to the bill in Derry, said: “It is open to consultations. We are still in listening mode. People are still talking.

“There is still room for making amendments. I want to be absolutely clear that we are still listening and we are ready to make changes as and when necessary.”

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Protestors at the Greater Shantallow Area Partnership.Protestors at the Greater Shantallow Area Partnership.
Protestors at the Greater Shantallow Area Partnership.

Engagements at the Holywell Trust and the Greater Shantallow Area Partnership, where he talked to reconciliation and community workers, were met with protests over his government’s deeply unpopular legacy bill.

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At both Mr. Vara avoided demonstrators by exiting via the back or side door.

Emmett McConomy. whose 11-year-old brother Stephen died after being shot in the back of the head by a British soldier in 1982, was at the protest in the city centre.

He was scathing of the legacy bill, telling the ‘Journal’ that he believes its specific purpose is to provide immunity for British soldiers. He expressed disappointment that the Secretary of State did not face the families.

“We have the ‘bill of shame’ and now we have the ‘Secretary of State of shame’,” he said.

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John Kelly, whose brother Michael was killed on Bloody Sunday, also speaking in the Diamond, said: “We were told the Secretary of State was going to be here in the city and we felt it was right that we should show some form of protest against him in relation to the fact that the legislation they are trying to introduce is going to deny people the right to justice.

“We found it important the families should come here and show we are not prepared to back off and we are going to continue against this legislation that is being introduced now. He hasn’t got the courage to meet the families and talk to the families face-to-face.”

Shailesh Vara appointed Secretary of State for the northInside the Holywell Trust the ‘Journal’ raised the divisive proposals with Mr. Vara. The paper put it to him that the interests of the British government and his own constituents of North West Cambridgeshire diverge from those of the people of Derry when it comes to legacy.

He responded: “This is an important issue. It is a sensitive issue as well. It is something that has been in the background for many, many years.

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“What I want to say is that whatever solution, whatever way forward is there it is not going to keep everyone happy. But what I think most people would like to do is have some way forward. What we are doing at the moment is that the legacy bill is going through parliament but it is still open to negotiations.

“It is open to consultations. We are still in listening mode. People are still talking. There is still room for making amendments. I want to be absolutely clear that we are still listening and we are ready to make changes as and when necessary.

Bloody Sunday 50th anniversary:‘That was the 15th murder victim of Bloody Sunday - the murder of the truth’“But I hope people will also understand that there is no one solution that therefore will keep everybody happy in this area. But I hope that eventually we can get to a solution whereby there is more information forthcoming.

“There are many, many people who want answers and who want information. So far, they haven’t had it and what is being proposed at the moment is that they will have some of that information and questions answered.”

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Sinn Féin MLA Ciara Ferguson, who attended the protest in Shantallow, accused Mr. Vara of ‘ducking and diving’ from victims and families who oppose the legacy plans.

“The British Secretary of State ‘slipped off’ she claimed ‘to avoid speaking to victims and families in Derry today’.

“Once again, a Tory minister has demonstrated a total disregard for the victims of victims and families who are opposed to its Bill of Shame.

“The British government is forcing through its legacy plans and ignoring opposition from victims and families, all political parties on this island, the Irish government and the Human Rights Commission who have branded it flawed.

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“This flawed legislation should be binned, and the Stormont House Agreement of 2014 should be implemented to ensure victims and families have access to truth and justice in a human rights compliant manner,” the Derry politician added.