La Mon survivor's fury at letter from council

A survivor of one of the IRA's worst atrocities has been angered by a letter from Castlereagh Borough Council about her relations with the media.

The council, which has a DUP majority, has written to all members of its La Mon Committee expressing "some disappointment regarding political statements" made to the media prior to a recent 30th anniversary commemoration of the fire-bombing, which claimed 12 lives in 1978.

The letter then links to a minute of a full council meeting that resolves to express concern at the "political statements" and that the council would only be willing to arrange a further meeting of the committee "on receipt of assurances from the committee that any further events would be kept free of any political controversy".

The committee is an ad hoc committee of the council, with cross-party councillors and victims as members.

Committee member Rita Morrison, who lost her only daughter and son-in-law in the attack, said about the letter last night: "I am not for one moment going to be gagged by anyone."

She had publicly opposed the St Andrews Agreement from the start because it resulted in "terrorists leading government", she added.

The latest row began when another member of the La Mon committee made comments about the DUP and La Mon to a Sunday newspaper before the 30th anniversary commemoration, which took place in February.

DUP group leader on the council, Jimmy Spratt, pointed out that the council had unanimously backed the letter and motion to the committee and was well within its rights to do so, contributing £4,000 bi-annually to it, he said.

Mr Spratt added that other victims of the bombing said the media controversy had "spoiled" the 30th anniversary for them. There would not be a problem in future, he said, if committee members speaking to the media made it clear they were speaking in a personal capacity only.

"Anyone can do that, that is what democracy is all about," he added.

Castlereagh TUV councillor Charlie Tosh said it was "a disgrace" to suggest to La Mon victims that no further meeting of the committee might take place until they had given assurances about any future statements to the media. 3rd June 2008 News Letter