Violence not abated

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32702, 3 September 1971, Page 15

Violence not abated

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) BELFAST, September 2. Violence continued unabated in Belfast early today as a new row developed over the official investigation into allegations of British Army brutality against detained suspected terrorists.

Another British soldier was injured when a stick of gelignite was thrown from a crowd in the city’s Ardoyne area. The wounded man was taken to hospital, where his condition was described as satisfactory. In Londonderry, Northern Ireland’s second city, bursts of machine-gun fire were heard in the Roman Catholic Bogside area.

Police said that there were no reports of casualties. Meanwhile, 138 of the total 240 men still in detention after the swoop by security forces on August 9, have issued a statement from Belfast’s Crumlin Road gaol saying that they will refuse to co-operate with the brutality investigation.

The British Government this week appointed a threeman tribunal to investigate allegations by detainees that they had been badly treated by troops.

The detainees’ statement came after an announcement by the tribunal last night that its inquiries and interviews with detainees would be held in secret.

In their statement the detainees said that the inquiry would have to be completely public before they would agree to take part.

In London the Prime Minister (Mr Edward Heath) will today preside over a full Cabinet meeting at which the Northern Ireland situation will be fully discussed. Yesterday, Mr Heath arranged a meeting for next week with the Irish Republic Prime Minister (Mr Jack Lynch). Mr Heath is expected to attempt to convince Mr Lynch that the Irish Republican Army (1.R.A.) must be stamped out as a first step towards ending the violence in the North..