Today's
UVF statement, if taken at face value can be given
a qualified welcome.
However,
the fact that arms are to be retained and will
continue to be available to its leadership remains
a threat to the nationalist people against whom
a relentless campaign of assassination has been
carried out.
This
menace also extends to the Unionist community,
many of whose members have also been killed by
the same UVF while others have suffered greatly
at their hands.
In
particular uninvolved and innocent nationalists
have been targeted by UVF death squads working
in collusion with the British crown forces and
their intelligence groupings.
Such
a campaign against the nationalist population
has been pursued ever since the first civilians
- both Unionist and Nationalist - John Patrick
Scullion, Peter Ward and Mrs Gould were killed
by them in the summer of 1966. These and other
deaths of uninvolved people were carried out deliberately
and as a matter of policy.
The
unionist working class would be much better served,
provided such a campaign is at an end, by active
representation in a nine-county Ulster Parliament
such as has been proposed by Republican Sinn Féin
as part of a new federation of the four provinces.
We
look forward to such a development.
