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www.basquepeaceprocess.info

nº60, 13-19 December 2011

Weekly news bulletin of the Abertzale Left

The signatories of the Gernika

Agreement, the Abertzale Left among them,

presented a document this past Saturday

which in a clear way dealt with the victims

that the conflict in Euskal Herria has

generated.

They consider the recognition of all victims

of all violence to be an important step in the

advancement towards overcoming the

conflict. They reaffirm that, “The necessity

of recognition, reconciliation and reparation

of all victims that the political conflict has

given rise to and the reality of multiple

violences”.

The suffering caused by the conflict has been great and in the text the mention it and make

clear that “the pain and suffering of each can’t be, and shouldn’t be, measured.”

They show their sorrow to those who have suffered some type of violence, be it that from

ETA or from the Spanish or French states. They recognize the pain and suffering that

violence has caused among our people.

To advance in building a fair and lasting peace, they believe it is necessary to recognize all

of the pain suffered. Together with that it is important for “the truth be known, each and every

truth that forms a part of it.”

With the subject of victims being so delicate, they understand that it has to be dealt with care

and respect without it being used as a weapon in the political debate.

They champion adopting measures, individually as well as collectively, heading towards

repairing the damage caused and restoring the violated rights of the victims.

They affirm that their objective is “a society in which everyone can exercise their rights and

see them respected.” For which there must be an advance on the path to reconciliation and

mutual respect.

They make a mention to “forget those who suffered any violation of their fundamental rights.”

Finally they declare that the best guarantee so that situations of violence and violations of

human rights never occur is the definitive overcoming of the political conflict. For that it would

be important to open a process of dialogue among the whole of Basque political forces to

deal with the definitive closure of the causes of the conflict.

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www.basquepeaceprocess.info

New inititiative of the International Contact Group

The International Contact Group

(IGC) announced a new initiative with the

objective of putting in place the mechanisms

for moving forward the recommendations

covered in the Declaration of Aiete.

The members of the IGC met a few days ago

in London. The objective of the reunion was

to continue their labor of promoting,

facilitating and speeding up the resolution of

the conflict in the Basque Country.

In the reunion they made an evaluation of

events related to the resolution process that

have happened since the Aiete Conference. In the press release sent out after the reunion

they stated that “neither the Spanish Government nor the French Government have

responded positively to the declaration by ETA.”

In spite of that the IGC has decided to continue with the impulse that the process took after

the conference and “collaborate with international leaders to establish the steps towards the

formation of a committee to follow the recommendations that are contained in the

declaration.”

The IGC affirms that it will continue observing the evolution of the situation and they are

disposed to support and promote ways to foment confidence in public opinion, including

dialogue with civil society and with all political parties.

BRIEFS

Arnaldo Otegi speaks from the prison in Logroño: The Cadena Ser made, through a

written questionnaire, an interview with the independentist leader who presented himself at

all times as a Basque political prisoner. In the interview Otegi brought to Spanish public

opinion that it should face now the solution to the consequences of the conflict.

Parliament denies a group of its own to Amaiur: The PP used their absolute majority to

leave Amaiur without their own group in Parliament. Amaiur, for their part, denounced the

political motivation of this decision and announced an appeal.