English/Nat
Many people in
Northern Ireland hope that the framework document for
peace unveiled Wednesday will bring permanent peace.
APTV took to the streets of
Belfast and
County Armagh to talk to the people who have withstood the violence for 25 years.
Anxious to read the much-awaited framework document, people flocked to a central post office in
Belfast to grab a copy.
It is hoped the proposal will unite Northern Ireland's unionist and nationalist traditions.
SOUNDBITE:
"Well it's important to read what it says. And you can analyse it through that. There's no use of hearing what politicians are saying is in it that's not in it.
Read it for yourself."
SUPER CAPTION: Belfast resident
SOUNDBITE:
"
Everybody who spoke was telling the truth and the Taoiseach and
John Major. I think we have nothing to fear."
Q:
Reverend Paisley thinks you do.
"Well, Reverend Paisley must be listening to something I don't listen to, he must be hearing something I don't hear."
SUPER CAPTION: Belfast resident
Hot off the press is the city's best-selling evening paper, the
Belfast Telegraph.
The paper's editorial said the document defied judgement.
SOUNDBITE
"I think that the people are looking for a settlement, but not a settlement at any price.
And I think for example the
Unionists have already set their backs against this agreement with
Dublin. And I think that probably their supporters will take their lead from the
Unionist leadership in that respect."
SUPER CAPTION: Edmund Curran - editor of Belfast Telegraph
Near the border in County Armagh, the military presence is still very obvious.
At this army control tower, soldiers can see the surrounding countryside for miles and can look across the border into the
Irish Republic.
The Republican propaganda reflects the precariousness of the peace process.
Some
British soldiers have been killed in the vicinity.
Crossmaglen has often been a flashpoint of violence and the
Royal Ulster Constabulary (R-U-C) maintains a constant vigilance.
Although the army presence in
South Armagh has been much reduced, the soldiers are still there.
But they rarely venture out in daylight hours.
Many people, while they are hopeful for the peace process, fear the worst.
VOXPOPS:
"
I am, I am, but it's the Unionists. You know what I mean. But I don't know what's going to happen. The way things are going now it seems to be okay but the Unionists aren't agreeing with much."
Q: So you think the Unionists are going to slow talks down?
"Aye, they're slowing it down. Aye."
"
It's hard to say. It's hard to say. You know
Ireland is quite a place for fighting and arguing with each other. I blame the politicians. They're not representing people as they should do."
Q: You think they could have sorted it out but they haven't?
"
I believe they could have done better, made better efforts in the past to sort these things out, and still could."
Although the peace talks continue between both governments, it will be a while before this checkpoint can be removed.
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- published: 21 Jul 2015
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