FROM: D J R HILL
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
10 JUNE 1996
cc PS/Sir John Wheeler (L+B) -B
PS/Michael Ancram (L+B) -B
PS/Baroness Denton (L+B) -B
PS/Mr Moss (L+B) -B
PS/PUS (L+B) -B
PS/Sir David Fell -B
Mr Legge -B
Mr Thomas -B
Mr Bell -B
Mr Leach -B
Mr Steele -B
Mr Watkins -B
Mr Wood (L+B) -B
Mr Beeton -B
Mr Lavery -B
Mr Maccabe -B
Mr Stephens -B
Ms Checksfield -B
Ms Harrison
Mr Whysall
Mr Dickinson, TAU
HMA Dublin -B
Mr Jeffrey, Cab Off, via IPL -B
Mr Lamont, RID -B
Mr Westmacott, via IPL -B
Mr Cran MP -B
Mr Elletson -B
Lady Olga Maitland -B
Mr Campbell-Bannerman -B
PS/Secretary of State (L+B) -B
TALKS: "PUBLIC STATEMENT" ON THE MITCHELL PRINCIPLES
At their meeting on Sunday afternoon the Secretary of State and the Tanaiste discussed the attached version of Text C to Mr Stephens' submission of 7 June. This has now been agreed with some slight amendments by the Irish side, and I will arrange for a copy to be passed to Senator Mitchell and his colleagues on their arrival at Castle Buildings tomorrow. I should be grateful if Mr Bell would pass a copy to his Irish colleagues.
(Signed)
D J R HILL
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT TEAM
EXT CB 22317
PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRACY AND NON-VIOLENCE
[Statement by Chairman]
As Chairman of the opening plenary session of these negotiations I confirm that all participants in the negotiations - that is, the British and Irish Governments, the Alliance Party, Labour, the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition, the Progressive Unionist Party, the Social Democratic and Labour Party, the Ulster Democratic Party, the Ulster Democratic Unionist Party, and the UK Unionist Party - have made clear their total and absolute commitment to all the principles of democracy and non-violence set out in paragraph 20 of the report of the International Body, that is:
- to democratic and exclusively peaceful means of resolving political issues;
- to the total disarmament of all paramilitary organisations;
- to agree that such disarmament must be verifiable to the satisfaction of an independent commission;
- 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;
- to agree to abide by the terms of any agreement reached in all-party negotiations and to resort to democratic and exclusively peaceful method in trying to alter any aspects of that outcome with which they may disagree; and
- to urge that "punishment" killings and beatings stop and to take effective steps to prevent such actions.
POLDEVT/49
