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Derry Anti War
Coalition is not surprised to hear that North Down Council has issued an
invitation to Raytheon to set up in its area. Of all the Council areas
in Northern Ireland, North Down is the one which was least affected by
the 30 years of conflict, while Derry City Council area was one of those
most affected by the war.
One of the reasons
Derry Anti War Coalition has had so much support in the city for our
stand against the merchants of death in the arms trade is that so many
people here suffered through decades of war here. They are clear that
they do not want now to be complicit in inflicting that suffering on
people elsewhere whether it's Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan or Somalia.
It is relatively
easy for North Down councillors to ignore the reality of the arms trade
as they or their constituents have had little experience of war. It is
not so easy for us in Derry where, 35 years on, justice has still not been achieved for the families
of the unarmed civilians murdered on Bloody Sunday.
The Department of
Health tells us that an extra 5,000 people would not die each year if
every Council area had the good health of people in the wealthiest
Council area in the region (North Down). While the councillors of North
Down can sit in their well-appointed office on the Gold Coast,
representing some of the richest people in Northern Ireland, they can
pretend they do not know the effect of the arms trade on human beings.
We in Derry cannot.
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