The Ulster Unionist Leader, Mike Nesbitt MLA has written to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers MP calling on her to ban the IRA commemoration parade in Castlederg and commit to banning all future parades that would have the clear intent of celebrating or glorifying those who engaged in acts of terrorism. The full transcript is below:

START

1^st August 2013

Dear Theresa

Parades Commission Determination,

56628                    Tyrone Commemoration Committee                        Castlederg

I write to urge you to intervene regarding the above proposed Parade.

I have long held the view that no one needed to die to achieve the current political arrangements. Every death is a matter for regret and I understand that on a personal, familial level, it is part of the human condition to grieve and commemorate. What is at dispute is what constitutes appropriate commemoration, and in making that assessment, I believe community impact is a key criterion.

Secretary of State, there can be no equivalence between those who put themselves in harm’s way to protect their families, community and country by serving in the lawfully constituted police and security services and those who chose to be law-breakers by undertaking terrorist activity.

You will be aware that “equivalence” is what is sought by Irish Republicanism and that is the context in which this proposed Parade must be viewed.

As Secretary of State, I know you take with the upmost seriousness your duty to condemn terrorism. Terrorism must be opposed in absolute terms. Should any of us allow any degree of qualification, then we would be guilty of giving credence to the view of Sinn Fein that the PIRA campaign was justified by the “conditions” that existed at that time. We reject that utterly, and highlight that the use of qualified support for terrorism means that the only difference between Sinn Fein and the so-called dissident republican terrorists is a disagreement over whether the current “conditions” justify continued terrorism. You and I know and surely must continue to argue that the “conditions” never did exist.

To permit a Parade that will allow those involved to commemorate the deaths of terrorists in a manner they would consider equivalent to the commemorations you and I participated in at the Somme exactly one month ago is surely intolerable.

The Ulster Unionist Party urges you to act now and ban this parade and commit to banning all future parades that would have the clear intent of celebrating or glorifying those who engaged in acts of terrorism.

For your information, I enclose a copy of the submission I made to the Parades Commission ahead of today’s determination.

Yours sincerely

Mike Nesbitt

Leader, Ulster Unionist Party

ENDS