But it is no less shocking to consider that, far from being neutral as was claimed at the time, it is clear that the government took a deliberately calculated political approach guided by a complete hostility to the coalfield communities.
Ministers may want to sweep these events under the carpet, but the scars of the dispute and the subsequent closure programme remain on the memories, communities and landscapes of all coalfield communities.
"Every day, mosques and other faith institutions across the country are providing help for those in need, and acting as a centre for our communities.
Your job is to think about how those communities can start creating new clusters so that they can attract new businesses.
He suggested that the Muslim communities he knew felt "under siege" – spied on, interrogated, routinely asked to "put their house in order" as if they were not, and had never been, an equal part of British society.
Revitalising communities is not just an election strategy.
Lady Warsi, who resigned from the government in August over Gaza, delivered a blistering critique last month of the approach towards Britain's Muslims, warning that failure to engage properly with communities across the UK has created a climate of suspicion and undermined the fight against extremism.
Mental health carries a huge social stigma across Africa and information booklets designed to help people with depression or mental health problems simply weren't working, especially in remote communities with high illiteracy rates.
A government spokesman told Guardian Australia a strong administration was necessary if APY was to operate as an institution that was effective and accountable to the communities it represented.
"We ask that people continue to do what they did in cyclone Lam, which is listen to authorities, monitor your radios and look out for your friends and your communities.
They argued that, because loyalist paramilitaries had no representation in the Stormont parliament or that because socioeconomic or educational attainment was low in poor Protestant areas around eastern Belfast, these communities suddenly erupted in anger.
