IT IS important that those who were killed in the Troubles are remembered first and foremost by those who loved them, the author of a new book on victims and survivors has said.
Journalist Susan McKay, speaking in Belfast at the launch of Bear In Mind These Dead, said her book was an attempt to let such people have their say.
She said those tasked with examining the means of dealing with Northern Ireland's past may find there is no one way of dealing with the grief of everyone.
Addressing a gathering which included many relatives of those killed and who had contributed to the book, Ms McKay said she was "proud and honoured" they had spoken to her and had attended the launch.
"It is important that victims are remembered firstly by those who loved them and that they can tell their own stories in their own words," she said.
"People were glad of the opportunity to talk and I found it surprising how many had not been approached before."
She added it was surprising how many people have not had the chance to talk before.
"So many were killed, especially in the 1970s and perhaps there was little opportunity to talk. Some people I approached had not even had a visit from the police."
What struck the author was the wide range of responses to the conflict relatives and survivors still have.
She cited the responses of the late Vera McVeigh, mother of the "disappeared" IRA victim Columba, comparing her reactions to those of Ivy Lambert whose son was the victim of collusion between British forces and loyalist paramilitaries.
Launching the book, Prof Monica McWilliams, head of the Human Rights Commission, said it was a "powerful tribute" to all those killed or injured in the Troubles and to the estimated 300,000 affected by their suffering.
She described the author as "a courageous woman who is also wise and warm-hearted" and who could not have written the book without kindness.