Republican News · Thursday 17 January 2002

Canadian human rights group's concerns

The Montreal-based Centre for Rights & Democracy (CR&D), a human rights NGO created by the Canadian Parliament, has written to David Trimble and Tony Blair calling for immediate action to protect the schoolgirls of Holy Cross and find a peaceful solution to the crisis. This letter follows a previous letter last November, where CR&D president and former Solicitor General of Canada, Warren Allmand, said the attacks on the children constituted a violation of the UN Charter of Rights.

In further support for the embattled children and parents of Holy Cross, the Montreal Central Council of the powerful Confederation of National Trade Unions and the National Federation of Quebec Teachers will be writing to Trimble and to the Six-County teachers' unions urging steps be taken to end what they call "this intolerable situation".

These measures of support are part of a campaign organised by the Montreal Coalition for Peace in Ireland to raise international awareness about Holy Cross and the overall threat of intransigent loyalism to the peace process.