Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey has said the relatives of those killed in the Ballymurphy massacre are entitled to the truth about what happened to their loved ones. 

The West Belfast MP said: 

“Today marks the 49th anniversary of the start of the Ballymurphy massacre when eleven people were shot dead on the streets of Ballymurphy by the British army. 

“It is disgraceful that almost five decades later the families of those killed still do not have answers about what happened to their loved ones. 

“I want to pay tribute to the Ballymurphy families for their years of dignified and determined campaigning which has brought what happened in Ballymurphy in 1971 to the attention of the world, particularly through the inquest process in recent times. 

“Their dedication has ensured the British government’s sustained attempts to cover-up the truth will not succeed and the families continue to have our ongoing support. 

“It is long past the time the British government stopped placing obstacles in the way of these and other families trying to access truth and implemented the legacy mechanisms agreed in the Stormont House Agreement in a human rights compliant manner.”