FROM: PS/SECRETARY OF STATE
11 June 1996
cc PS/Secretary of State (B&L) - B
PS/Michael Ancram (B&L) - B
PS/PUS (B&L) - B
PS/Sir David Fell - B
Mr Leach (B&L) - B
Mr Bell - B
Mr Watkins - B
Mr Stephens - B
Mr Hill - B
Mr Maccabe - B
Mr Beeton - B
Mr Wood (B&L) - B
Mr Budd, Cabinet Office
Mr Lamont, RID - B
Mr Holmes, No 10
HMA Dublin - B
{File
John 12/6.}
Mr Thomas (B&L) - B
TURNING AWAY SINN FEIN: A CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE REPUBLICAN KIND
For the record, this is an account of events at lunchtime yesterday when Sinn Fein attempted to gain access to the all-party talks in Castle Buildings.
2. The Sinn Fein delegation turned up at the Prince of Wales gate and after a lengthy debate decided to accept Mr Beeton's offer of a meeting with Irish and British Government officials in Castle Buildings. They proceeded by vehicle to the outer perimeter of Castle Buildings from where they moved by foot into the inevitable media scrum. Following a number of interviews with the press\, and a debate amongst themselves\, the Sinn Fein delegation decided to dispatch Martin McGuinness\, Siobhan O'Hanlon and Richard Macauley to establish exactly what the two Governments were proposing to say to them. Mr Beeton accordingly escorted the three into Castle Buildings and into a room close to the entrance\, where I\, together with Bill Nolan representing the Irish Government\, was waiting.
3. After greeting Mr McGuinness and his party\, I explained that we represented the British and Irish Governments and wished to read a joint statement. Mr McGuinness said that before we went into formalities he wanted to establish who we where\, what it was we were proposing to discuss with Sinn Fein and whether the other parties were being treated in the same manner. I confirmed my identify (which Mr McGuinness acknowledged he already knew) and Mr Nolan gave his name. I said that the purpose of the meeting was for us to read to the Sinn Fein delegation a joint statement agreed by both Governments. Mr Nolan added that the statement was based on the provisions of the communique of 28 February. I said that the statement was intended for Sinn Fein alone and that we were not taking similar action with the other parties.
4. I offered\, once more\, to read the statement to them but Mr McGuinness politely declined. He said he would report to his party leader and establish whether the whole Sinn Fein delegation would come into Castle Buildings to hear the statement. I said that we would wait t o hear the result of that consultation and to receive the complete delegation if they wished to enter. Mr McGuinness and his party then left. In the meantime\, Mr Wood\, as planned\, had read the statement to the media thus placing it in the public domain.
5. Following consultation among themselves in a press portacabin\, the Sinn Fein delegation sent a message via Mr Beeton\, asking that the representatives of the British and Irish Governments come out and read the statement to them in public. With the agreement of Mr Nolan\, I refused this request and asked for Mr Beeton to repeat the invitation for the whole delegation to enter Castle Buzldings and\, in the event of a refusal\, to offer to hand over a copy of the text. Mr Beeton duly passed this message on. Predictably enough\, the Sinn Fein delegation declined to enter the building again. They also declined to receive the text in writing\, saying they had already had a copy from the press. This was in turn reported back to Mr Nolan and myself at which point we regarded the matter as concluded and left our posts.
6. Although things did not go wholly according to plan\, I believe the overall result was successful in that we managed to avoid Sinn Fein's objective of a confrontation played out in public and in front of the massed ranks of the media. Reporting this morning generally appears to bear this out. I am most grateful to Mr Beeton for acting as escort and messenger in the full glare of the cameras. He carried out this task with his usual aplomb.
Signed
MARTIN HOWARD
PS/Secretary of State
