[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3819]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   REMARKS ON THE IRISH PEACE PROCESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise this evening as we approach the 
St. Patrick's Day recess to remind this body of the continued struggle 
for peace and justice in the North of Ireland. For many in America of 
Irish ancestry, this is a time of celebration, as it should be. 
However, we must also recognize that the fight for freedom and equality 
on the island of Ireland is still being waged.
  Tonight I want to remember and commemorate the 90th anniversary of 
the Easter Uprising and the proclamation of an Irish Republic at the 
General Post Office in 1916. The brave men and women who took up arms 
against England vowed to fight for religious and civil liberty, equal 
rights and equal opportunities for all Irish citizens.
  This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the deaths of 10 brave 
men who died on a hunger strike in Long Kesh. Their courage and that of 
the women of Armagh inspired countless individuals and made the world 
take notice of the cruel and discriminatory policies of the British 
government in the North of Ireland. Their sacrifice proved the 
shortsightedness of a British policy criminalization.
  Madam Speaker, I had the opportunity today to meet once again with 
Gerry Adams, whom I admire so much, for his continued determination to 
educate the Members of Congress about the situation in Northern 
Ireland. Because of the sacrifice of so many dedicated individuals like 
Gerry Adams over the years, we have seen great strides on the quest for 
an Ireland of equals.
  The historic ceasefire by the IRA in 1994, followed by the Good 
Friday accords signed in 1998, created tremendous progression in the 
north. The IRA's recent decision to lay down their weapons and pursue 
exclusively peaceful means toward the goal of a united Ireland is yet 
another hopeful sign.
  However there still remains much to be done. The Good Friday 
agreement must be implemented in full. Any attempt to walk away from 
the institutions set forth in the agreement or substitute them with 
something less is a mistake. It is designed to placate extremists who 
want to fight progress and maintain their superiority. This simply 
cannot be allowed to stand.
  Responsible leaders on all sides and on all parties must recognize 
that a quality in progress is inevitable and give the people of 
Northern Ireland the democracy that they deserve now.
  Madam Speaker, I have consistently called for the full implementation 
of the Patten recommendations on policing because I believe true peace 
cannot exist without justice. This will not happen until there is a 
fair and impartial police service representative of all the communities 
in the North.
  A dismantling of the British war machine in towns like South Armagh 
and Crosmaglen need to happen now so that residents there can live in 
peace and without fear of violence from a government supposedly there 
to protect them.
  With a history of collusion between the RUC and loyalists 
paramilitaries, a full, complete and independent inquiry must also be 
done into if death of Pat Finucan, murdered by paramilitaries in front 
of his young family.
  Madam Speaker, 25 years ago, as Bobby Sands sat in his cell on a 
hunger strike, he wrote in his diary, and I quote, if they aren't able 
to destroy the desire for freedom, they won't break you. They won't 
break me, because the desire for freedom and the freedom of the Irish 
people is in my heart. The day will dawn when all the people of Ireland 
will have the desire for freedom to show.
  Madam Speaker, the British and Irish governments must recognize that 
the desire for freedom is as strong today as it ever was, and it will 
not be destroyed. The historic moves by the IRA and the electoral gains 
made by Sinn Fein are evidence of this desire. People will simply not 
tolerate a return to the conditions that have plagued the North for so 
many years.

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