UK: N.IRELAND: MO MOWLAM PLEA FOR PEACE SPEECH

(1 Sep 1999) English/Nat

Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam has made an impassioned plea to the troubled province's Roman Catholics and Protestants to give peace another chance.

She's urging both Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists not to walk away from next week's make-or-break review of the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

Dr Mowlam's plea came as she welcomed students back to school, at The Ulidea Integrated College in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland.

The school is attended by both Protestant and Catholic students.

Mo Mowlam received a warm welcome from students and teachers at The Ulidea Integrated College in Carrickfergus on Wednesday.

It was the students' first day back at school after the summer break and lessons began with a speech from Dr Mowlam, outlining her latest thoughts on the Peace Process.

She made an impassioned plea to the troubled province's Roman Catholics and Protestants not to go back to the days when parties wouldn't speak to eachother and killings were daily events.

Dr Mowlam says she believes the basic desire to end the historic conflict is still there and she urged all sides not to boycott next week's review of the Northern Ireland peace agreement.

The Ulster Unionists and Sinn Fein have still to decide if they will attend the review, headed by U-S Senator George Mitchell, due to start in Belfast on Monday.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"While I believe people want the agreement to work and recognise that it has to be accepted by both sides I also understand there is great concern at recent events and incidents of violence. The murder of Charles Bennett, the planned importation of arms from Florida and the threat against teenagers have all raised genuine concerns about the status of the I-R-A ceasefire. The series of Loyalist petrol bombs and pipe bomb attacks have raised genuine concerns about the commitment of some on the other side. These concerns are made worse by the lack of progress by participants
in the political process. Both sides are now asking the other - are you serious? And, unfortunately, both sides seem all too willing to contemplate the possibility of failure.
But I ask people to remember just how far we have come. How much difference the ceasefires are making to life in Northern Ireland. Anyone who regularly goes out, walks the street, goes shopping here knows that. What we're doing is not about appeasement, not turning a blind eye, but trying to help this society end its historic conflict and I believe the basic desire is still there despite all the recent problems.
And that is why the parties should be in there, talking to each other, in the Mitchell Review, not walking away. I know how tough this is, especially on those who supported the Agreement and have rivals and opponents sniping at the sidelines.
And I just have to say from reading the press this morning, the sniping is also coming from the Conservative Party. That disappoints me because I believe bipartisanship is important to the process. It's disappointing if they appear to be backing off from that and I don't think that will help the process at all."
SUPER CAPTION: Dr Mo Mowlam, Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary

Mowlam also told the students that her job is not an easy one and she's often accused of favouring one side or the other.

However she says she sticks to her principles of fairness, justice and equality and acts according to the law and in the interests of the whole community.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...