[Sinn Fein]

19 January 1997

Trimble should meet Adams without delay

Statement from Lisburn Sinn Fein Councillor Paul Butler calling for an immediate end to the killings and for political leaders to meet urgently.

Councillor Butler said:

``I am calling for an immediate end to all of the killings, which have in recent days intensified the fear within the entire community.

``Yesterday in my constituency of Dunmurray Jim Guiney was killed and last night another Catholic man Larry Brennan was gunned down as he carried out his work as a taxi driver.

``The killing of Catholics have been a regular occurrence both throughout this process and before it began. No doubt the killing of Jim Guiney will be used as an excuse for another spate of attacks and murder attempts on totally uninvolved Catholics.

``Media portrayal of the sectarian assassination of Catholics as tit for tat or retaliation is a deliberate distortion of the reality that this has always been the response of loyalists to any hint of change throughout the history of the six county statelet. What were the killings of 10 Catholics in 1997 in retaliation for ? This tit for tat nonsense gives tacit justification for actions which are motivated solely by sectarian hatred.

``It is time that the political leaders of Unionism and Loyalism urgently engage in moving this talks process forward. The political vacuum created by David Trimble has been filled by these killings. He should demonstrate publicly his willingness to seriously engage in this process and should immediately meet Sinn FÈin President Gerry Adams.''

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