Talking to Groups that Use Terror.pdf - United States Institute of Peace

Step 6: Protect the Process from the Effects of Violenceovernight; the accuser and alleged violators would have thirty minutes onthe following day to makes their cases, followed by a question-and-answersession and a general discussion; then the governments would decide. 38Whatever penalties are imposed for a violation of the ground rules,they should not be so severe that they automatically destroy the process.Penalties might include public criticism, stopping diplomatic contacts,and temporary suspension from participation in the negotiations.Readmittance to the talks can be made contingent on the suspended partycommitting no further violence in the interim.Although the temporary expulsions of the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP)and Sinn Fein following murders committed by their military wings weredismissed by some as “a spell in the sin bin,” they were the “minimum actionrequired to justify claims that the Mitchell principles would be enforced. Theacceptance of the suspension by the UDP and Sinn Fein, however truculently,indicated their determination to remain within the peace process.” 39A mediator or negotiator should keep the door open as long as possiblefor a PAG that seems to have a genuine interest in recommencingnegotiations and for groups that have previously opposed participation inthe talks but now have indicated an interest in renouncing violence andengaging in the political process. But the door should be closed firmlyonce a PAG shows itself to be unwilling or unable to refrain from violence.ETA has entered into negotiations at various times over several decades buthas often undermined those talks by its attachment to violence. In March2006, for instance, ETA declared a “permanent cease-fire” and expressedinterest in peace negotiations, but as those talks progressed ETA undertook anumber of provocative acts (such as stealing three hundred weapons andammunition) and then detonated a bomb at Madrid airport, killing twopeople and prompting the Spanish government to publicly denounce theexplosion and withdraw from the talks. Four years later, when ETA asked fortalks, the Spanish government rejected the request.The mediator must never appear to be rewarding violence. Forinstance, do not give the impression that violence has succeeded ingenerating a concession. Even if an act of violence has, in fact, spurred aconcession, the announcement of that concession should be delayed aslong as possible so that the causal connection is not obvious.87