Tom Elliott, Ulster Unionist Assembly member for Fermanagh & South Tyrone has expressed his concern for community relations and the trauma caused to the relatives of the IRA's victims by a proposed parade and hunger strike commemoration through Derrylin.

Mr Elliott said:

"They should show some compassion for the IRA's victims and realise the hurt and upset their hunger strike march is causing and also the negative impact on community relations. In this small area of Northern Ireland the IRA murdered, among others, a farmer and his wife while watching TV, a school bus driver while collecting primary school children at a school, and a primary school teacher while at his place of work where he taught children.

"The Families have suffered enough, but local people are obviously concerned about making their views known publicly as they live in fear of reprisals and intimidation when the event is over.

"The fact that the march will go past the spot where the IRA shot Jimmy Graham on a school bus as he was taking children to the swimming pool will cause more anguish and pain for his long suffering family. The IRA had already robbed the Graham Family of two of Jimmy's brothers, Ronnie and Cecil, when they murdered him.

"I know the Graham family well.  I saw, first-hand, the barbarity which the IRA inflicted on the Graham Family. As a member of the UDR, I was flown out to the site of Jimmy's murder in Derrylin in its immediate aftermath and saw another life stolen by terrorists as he provided a service for these young school children. I saw the pain inflicted on some of the most decent people you will ever meet.

"Now republicans intend to pile more pain on them. Instead of glorifying terrorists and criminals, Sinn Fein and the organisers of this march should show some compassion for the victims. Violence was wrong then and it is wrong now."