Sir, - Readers of The Irish Times will be familiar with the situation of the Irish priest, Father Brendan Forde and the people in the peace community in Colombia where he works.
On July 8th six men were murdered in what, according to Amnesty International, appears to have been a joint army and paramilitary operation. The massacre happened when 20 hooded men went into La Union, one of the villages that makes up the peace community, and rounded up the inhabitants. They shot six men and promised to return in 20 days to kill more unless the community left the area. The people have decided to stay, however, having nowhere else to go and Brendan Forde has taken the courageous decision to stay with them.
Obviously Brendan's family and many friends are deeply concerned about his welfare and have been lobbying politicians here and in the United States on his behalf and on behalf of the community. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen, has made a statement and the Taoiseach has assured Brendan's family that he has been in touch with President Clinton, who is due to visit Colombia at the end of the month. We urge readers to contact the Department of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy to express concern. Another massacre of six children by the military near the town of Pueblo Rico, on August 15th, underlines the urgency of the situation.
The threat to Brendan Forde and his community highlights the large-scale abuse of human rights in Colombia. It also raises serious questions about Plan Colombia, a plan by the US administration to give $1.3 billion in mostly military aid to Colombia. Its stated aim is to destroy the coca plantations but it fails to address the fundamental problems of poverty and inequality. This attempted military solution to a complex social/political/economic problem has not been approved by the Colombian Congress, nor has there been any local input, consultation or negotiation on the plan. The European Union is also involved and will decide whether or not to contribute financially at a forthcoming meeting. Ireland's position is ambiguous. Afri believes not only that Ireland should oppose this plan, but that we should be at the forefront of persuading our European partners to do likewise. - Yours, etc.,
Joe Murray, Afri, Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6.