Ballymurphy Inquiry Moves Forward

Relatives of 11 people killed in Belfast by the British Army in 1971 met with Taoiseach Enda Kenny in January to ask him to lobby the British Government to set up an independent panel inquiry into the deaths of their family members. It was an emotional moment for the families when the Taoiseach gave them his support. A family member interviewed on RTÉ said, “It was the first light at the end of the tunnel.”
The Ballymurphy Massacre Families delegation also met with members of Amnesty International. In January, Kartik Raj from Amnesty’s London office visited the Belfast sites where the 11 victims were killed by the British Army in August, 1971. The delegation then traveled to Brussels on January 27 for an arranged meeting with members of the European Parliament, saying it was another step for the families to bring their campaign into the international arena on human rights issues. A spokesperson for the families said, “We intend to brief those MEP’s present on how our loved ones died, the effect on us families and the local community.”