THE UUP has said that recent comments by the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin regarding events in Northern Ireland this summer have caused "great unease".
In a statement signed by the party secretary, Mr Jim Wilson, the UUP said that the archbishop should "resist the temptation to place all blame on members of the loyal orders..."
The statement said: "The archbishop's implied comparison between Northern Ireland and apartheid South Africa is particularly offensive Unlike in the old South Africa, Northern Ireland is part of a western liberal democracy where the rights of all are guaranteed by law.
"The Ulster Unionist Party seeks no special privileges for any section of society and no rights which would not apply to all. Our policy commitment to a Bill of Rights is not in question.
"However, civil rights are under tremendous strain in Northern Ireland on account of the actions and threats emitting from Sinn Fein and their front organisation, particularly the so-called `residents' groups, which are determined to cause upheaval and a security breakdown by means of impeding the right to walk the roads of Northern Ireland.
"The UUP unequivocally condemned all acts of violence over the summer of 1996 and encourages the Archbishop of Dublin to resist the temptation to place all blame on members of the loyal orders while failing to address the real causes of tension - the capitulation to Sinn Fein/IRA threats and the unseen influence of the Maryfield Secretariat on police decisions."
The DUP yesterday condemned remarks by the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, in which he said it could take only a matter of weeks for Sinn Fein to enter the talks process following another IRA ceasefire. The DUP deputy, leader, Mr Peter Robinson, said in a statement: "So much for Dublin's strong stand. Once again, they are back to their cheerleader's role of urging IRA/Sinn Fein entry to the process."
Meanwhile, the leaders of the PUP and UDP have requested a meeting with the British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, to discuss the talks process and the threat of further IRA violence.
Their request comes three months after their first round of talks with Mr Major.