[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 30 (Thursday, March 17, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 17, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
    PROMOTE JUSTICE: APPOINT UNITED STATES ENVOY TO NORTHERN IRELAND

                                 ______


                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 17, 1994

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the 
congressional ad hoc Committee on Irish Affairs, I rise today to 
restate my commitment to--and strongly urge the enactment of--United 
States policies designed to expedite peace and justice in Northern 
Ireland.
  Mr. Speaker, the Joint Declaration of Peace issued at the end of last 
year by Prime Minister Albert Reynolds of Ireland and Prime Minister 
John Major of Britain, along with the preceding efforts of Sinn Fein 
President Gerry Adams and SDLP leader John Hume, give us a new hope 
that peace is achievable in Northern Ireland. And while there is some 
concern that the Joint Declaration, that is, the Downing Street 
Declaration, could fail, I believe that the United States can and must 
seize this moment in history to actively promote positive changes and 
an end to the violence and human rights abuses that have plagued 
Northern Ireland.
  Mr. Speaker, time and time again, the United States has played an 
appropriate and significant role as an honest broker of peace in 
different regions around the world. Northern Ireland should be no 
different. The talks and joint statements of the past few months open 
the door for the United States to advance the peace process. To this 
end, I have cosponsored House Continuing Resolution 49 which calls for 
the appointment of a special American envoy to facilitate peace and 
speak out against discrimination, human rights violations, the denial 
of due process, torture, and violence.
  It is my hope that President Clinton will soon fulfill his promise to 
appoint this special envoy.
  Clearly, Mr. Speaker, a United States envoy to Northern Ireland could 
help sustain or advance talks should they fall victim to any political 
or personal prejudices or preconceptions on the part of the principal 
parties. Secondly, Mr. Speaker, a U.S. envoy could advocate the 
enforcement of McBride-like principles which seek to eliminate 
discrimination against Catholics in the workplace. I have cosponsored 
several bills to require American companies doing business in Northern 
Ireland to comply with the McBride principles, and making fair 
employment practices a part of the negotiations would bolster the 
potential for lasting peace.

  Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, the presence of a U.S. envoy could help 
foster the principle of self-determination of peoples--an ideal America 
adopted, perfected, and has cultivated around the world.
  And finally, Mr. Speaker, a United States envoy to Northern Ireland 
could effectively speak out against the human rights abuses occurring 
within the United Kingdom, particularly with regard to Northern 
Ireland. Our envoy could stress that achieving internationally 
recognized standards of fair trial and due process are an important 
step in moving the peace process forward and winning the confidence of 
all of the citizens of Northern Ireland. The U.S. envoy could 
forcefully express American concerns about jury-less Diplock courts, 
ill-treatment of individuals in detention, the proscription of the 
right of detainees to speak to lawyers, and the use of torture to 
obtain false confessions.
  Mr. Speaker, the U.S. State Department's ``Country Reports on Human 
Rights Practices for 1993,'' points out that more than 3,000 people 
have died over the last 24 years as a result of the troubles in 
Northern Ireland. A great many of those who have died or been kidnapped 
or tortured have been innocent civilians. And the Loyalists and 
Republican armed groups, as well as the British security forces, have 
all had a turn at being the perpetrators--and sometimes the victims--in 
these tragedies. The United States has always had a responsibility to 
push for a minimum human rights standard and this peace process may be 
our best opportunity to have an impact.
  Mr. Speaker, today, I have joined with Mr. Manton, Mr. Gilman, Mr. 
Fish, Mr. D'Amato, and a group of more than 50 other Members of the 
House in issuing the ``1994 St. Patrick's Day Message of Peace and 
Justice.'' I submit its text for the Record in the hope that this 
message will indeed be heard and heeded by all parties to the conflict.

          1994 St. Patrick's Day Message of Peace and Justice

       As we do each year on St. Patrick's Day, we the undersigned 
     Members of Congress renew our commitment to bringing about 
     peace, justice and an end to all violence and discrimination 
     in Northern Ireland. And, for the first time in the 16-year 
     history of the Ad Hoc Congressional Committee for Irish 
     Affairs, we hold out a glimmer of hope that true progress can 
     be made toward achieving those goals in 1994.
       Just one year ago, the prospects for peace in Northern 
     Ireland were nonexistent. However, thanks to the hard work 
     and dedication of Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams, SDLP 
     leader John Hume, British Prime Minister John Major, and 
     Irish Prime Minister Albert Reynolds, we have reached a 
     meaningful crossroads in Irish history, where there is a real 
     opportunity to end the civil conflict in the North. We 
     commend all of them for their leadership and vision, and we 
     applaud President Clinton for having the courage to grant a 
     visa to Gerry Adams, so that he could bring his message to 
     the American people and they could hear his call for a 
     complete demilitarization of Northern Ireland.
       The Joint Declaration of Peace signed in December is a 
     foundation upon which a lasting and equitable solution can be 
     negotiated. For this to happen, all parties to the conflict, 
     including Sinn Fein, must receive the clarifications they 
     seek about the Declaration and must be given a voice in the 
     negotiations. As Americans, we cannot make peace a reality, 
     the solution must come from the Irish people themselves. We 
     must keep pressure on the British and Irish governments to 
     act on the overwhelming desire of the Irish people for peace, 
     and urge President Clinton to fulfill his promise to appoint 
     a special envoy to facilitate the peace process.
       There can be no delay. Well-documented human rights 
     violations continue to be caused by the violence and 
     terrorism perpetrated by all the parties to the conflict 
     there, including not only the IRA and Loyalist paramilitary 
     groups, but also the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the 
     British-run criminal judicial system. The urgent need for 
     action is highlighted in the report ``Political Killings in 
     Northern Ireland'', released by Amnesty International last 
     month, which notes that political violence in Northern 
     Ireland has claimed the lives of more than 3,400 people over 
     the past twenty years, with more than 175 unarmed people 
     having been killed by British security forces. Perhaps most 
     alarming is Amnesty's view that there is convincing evidence 
     that British security forces in Northern Ireland practice a 
     policy of deliberately killing suspects, rather than 
     arresting them. The gravity of this charge cannot be 
     overstated.
       Continued suppression of individual legal, human and civil 
     rights only fosters heightened violence and deeper disregard 
     for authority. Likewise, peace will not come to people who 
     have been left disenfranchized, chronically unemployed and 
     impoverished by generations of deep-rooted economic 
     discrimination. We remain steadfast in our belief that this 
     Congress cannot allow U.S. business to continue to be party 
     to this type of religious discrimination, and call for the 
     prompt passage of the Northern Ireland Fair Employment 
     Practices Act (H.R. 672). We urge President Clinton to 
     fulfill his promise to support passage of MacBride Principles 
     legislation at both the state and federal levels.
       We realize that a solution that has eluded men not just for 
     decades, but for centuries, will not be easy. But peace and 
     justice in Northern Ireland are achievable through 
     leadership, commitment and cooperation on policies to end 
     economic injustice and all violence committed by civilian, 
     official and paramilitary sources. This is our wish on this 
     St. Patrick's Day, and we recommit ourselves to working with 
     all parties on behalf of a peaceful and free Ireland.

                          ____________________