Relatives of the 10 people killed in Ballymurphy in west Belfast in 1971 have rejected an apology from the UK prime minister to the North’s First and Deputy First Minister. “I would encourage them to acknowledge and affirm the innocence of the Ballymurphy victims. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, welcomed the statement of apology from the UK prime minister, but said he hoped Mr Johnson will make that apology in “a more public way”. Earlier on Wednesday, Ms O’Neill described any apology by the UK government as the “bare minimum” and said the families now deserved “access to justice”. Same rightSpeaking alongside Ms O’Neill at a joint appearance on Wednesday, First Minister Arlene Foster acknowledged the Ballymurphy families’ 50-year fight to clear their names and said other families had the same right to truth and justice for their loved ones.

Source: The Irish Times May 12, 2021 16:34 UTC