From: A J Whysall
Constitutional and Political Division
Phone: (0171 210) 0234
Fax: (0171 210) 0229
Talks: phone 01232 522287; fax 01232 522285
Date: 12 June, 1996
cc PS/Secretary of State (B&L)
PS/Michael Ancram (B&L)
PS/PUS (B&L)
PS/Sir David Fell
Mr Legge
Mr Thomas
Mr Bell
Mr Leach
Mr Steele
Mr Watkins
Mr Wood (B&L)
Mr Beeton
Mr Hill
Mr Maccabe
Mr Stephens (fax)
P.A.B.
13 JUN 1996
J.McKERVILL
R.SMYTH
J.BLACK
A.McVEIGH
NOTE FOR THE RECORD
TALKS: PLENARY: 12 JUNE: PUP STATEMENT
I attach the statement read out by Mr Smyth on behalf of the PUP during the plenary just after midnight (paragraph 7 of the internal record).
{Alan Whysall}
A J Whysall
<br>
<h6>Commitment to Mitchell Principles</h6>
a) to democratic and exclusively peaceful means of resolving political issues.
The P.U.P. has been in existence for almost 20 years and during that time I have been a councillor in Belfast City Council. During that time the P.U.P. has demonstrated quite clearly its commitment to a peaceful and democratic means of resolving political issues. At no stage in its history has the P.U.P. ever issued statements to incite anyone to resolve political differences other than by exclusively peaceful and democratic methods.
b) to the total disarmament of all paramilitary organizations.
The Progressive Unionist Party is on public record as being absolutely committed to the total disarmament of all illegal war materials. I refer to paragraph 6 of the submission from the Progressive Unionist Party to the government at our first meeting of exploratory talks on December 15th 1994 at Parliament Buildings.
I quote, "The issue of illegal arms in our society cannot and will not be dismissed lightly. Ideally we wish that none existed at all. Alas, we are all too well aware that this is not the case because of the distrust which exists.
The formula necessary to create disarmament will indeed be hard to find. We are committed to search for that formula. As with all who address the contentious issues which so beset us, we to oare bound by the realms of possibility. Hence, we fear that the resolution of this issue is some way down the road." Unquote
c) to agree that such disarmament must be verifiable to the satisfaction of an independent commission.
The Progressive Unionist Party has been involved in exploratory talks with HMG on the modalities of the decommissioning of illegal weapons which included verification and validation and also the use of independent supervision. We are prepared to continue with that dialogue in order to achieve a formula that will remove all illegal war materials from our society including the acceptance of independent verification. In March 1995, nine months before the Mitchell commission was even heard of, the PUP during exploratory talks with HMG proposed that in order to verify decommissioning an international commission be formed for that purpose.
d) to renounce for themselves, and to oppose any effort by others, to use force, or threaten to use force, to influence the course or the outcome of all-party negotiations.
e) to abide by the terms of any agreement reached in all-party negotiations and to resort to democratic and exclusively peaceful methods in trying to alter any aspect of that outcome with which they may disagree; and,
The Progressive Unionist Party wishes to stress that it does not have a military capacity and unlike Sinn Fein we do not see the democratic process as an either/or process. We are not entering into dialogue with any hidden threat of a possible return to violence if our political philosophy is rejected. Irrespective of the final outcome of the peace process the Progressive Unionist Part is wholly committed to democratic politics.
f) to urge that "punishment" killings and beatings stop and to take effective steps to prevent such actions.
The Progressive Unionist Party has consistently and vociferously opposed so called punishment "killings and beatings". On numerous occasions we have acted as intermediaries and prevented punishment attacks. We have been and are consistently involved in liason with the RUC and the local communities in combating crime.
Furthermore the PUP throughout this peace process has used its influence positively, constructively and imaginatively.
