Mags GarganProminent priests in the North have called on the British government to release documents and order an independent inquiry to “let the truth out” on state collusion in the killing of Catholics.
Reacting to the broadcast of the RTÉ documentary Collusion on Monday night, which featured several examples of British state forces allegedly colluding with loyalist paramilitaries from the 1970s to the early 2000s, Fr Joseph McVeigh, based in Enniskillen parish, said while there were no surprises it was still “very shocking” and raised “big questions”.
“I was not impressed with the response from Sean Donnellan (Former secretary of Dept. of Foreign Affairs) that the Irish Government had raised concerns. They should have done more than raise concerns. It was a very serious issue and we all lived in dreadful fear at the time,” he said.
“The British government and police have documents that must be released if the full truth is to come out. Families of those who suffered are still hurting and the only thing that can bring healing and closure is the truth. I would call on the Dublin Government to take action on this,” Fr McVeigh said.
Armagh priest Msgr Raymond Murray said the existence of collusion “is commonly accepted by the general public” but the “great problem has been the denial by government to fully open up state records for proper investigation. This has been evident for example in the Dublin and Monaghan bombings.”
He said “we need continual pressure from human rights groups, families of victims and the general media and public to have these documents released”.
Belfast priest Fr Des Wilson said he would welcome an inquiry into collusion “to assert the dignity of those who suffered”. “What the government does about it is another matter, but the primary concern is that the citizens find out the truth,” he said.