Sir, - As a relative of one of those who was killed in the Omagh explosion (Jolene Marlow), I am concerned at the response of the two governments to the outrage.
The intention of the bombers was to undermine the Good Friday Agreement, part of which was to increase human rights and move away from emergency legislation. It would be a further tragedy if they were to succeed in this objective. The tragic history of the past 80 years shows that the use of draconian special powers perpetuates rather than resolves conflict. I am particularly appalled that a force like the RUC might be given the power to send anyone to jail on the word of a police officer. The history of emergency powers enacted after bomb outrages shows that they result in unfortunate people like the Birmingham Six, the Gilford Four, the Maguire Seven, the Sallins Four and many others being jailed for long periods, thus compounding the original tragedy by destroying even more innocent lives.
It is for these reasons that a very sympathetic and sensible statement urging both governments not to allow the bombers to succeed in their objective of undermining the Good Friday Agreement was issued by five prominent human rights groups including Amnesty International, of which, I am proud to say, Jolene Marlow was an active member. - Yours, etc., Dr Sean Marlow,
Willow Park Road,
Dublin 11.