17 July 1997 Edition

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Mála Poist

Democracy British-style



A Chairde,

The first week in July was unforgettable. On 1 July British imperialism lost another limb with the return of Hong Kong to China. However, commentator after commentator endlessly expressed their fears for `democracy' in Hong Kong under Chinese rule.

On 6 July we saw British-style `democracy' in action - Garvaghy Road under military curfew; Nationalists being booted, batoned and shot at; bigotry and unionist ascendancy defended to the hilt.

Tony Blair and Mo Mowlam had their chance to demonstrate not only to Irish Nationalists but the international community that they had broken with the worst of British pro-unionist traditions and that their talk of searching for peace had real meaning and substance. This chance was dramatically and brutally squandered.

In a desperate attempt to justify their support for unionist and state violence and intimidation, Mowlam and Blair tried to portray themselves as the honest brokers of peace, holding the ring between ``two intransigent groups''. Nothing could be further from the truth. They must accept full responsiblity for the violence which occurred before and after the Garvaghy Road parade. They created the Nationalist reservation of Garvaghy Road. They sent in armed police and soldiers. They declared the views and wishes of Nationalists to be null and void. They decided the Nationalist mandate wasn't worth the paper the crosses were marked on. And all the while Mo Mowlam claimed that this was the ``best way to keep peace''. Whose peace, we ask ourselves?

When Tony Blair a few weeks ago declared himself to be a unionist he certainly wasn't kidding. He has proved that in a stark and brutal fashion and his `new' Labour has given out the same old message - croppies lie down.

Democracy is a great word - full of hope and aspirations. But British-style `democracy' in Ireland means exclusion, discrimination, intimidation and brutality. If I were a Nationalist in the North of Ireland given the choice, I might well choose to put my democracy in the hands of Beijing rather than London.

K. Wilson,
Glasgow.

Croppies' Acre desecration



A chairde,

Who fears to speak of `Ninety-eight?
Who blushes at the name?
When cowards mock the patriot's fate,
Who hangs his head for shame?

So goes the first few lines of ``The Memory of the Dead'' by John Kells Ingrams. Well, the National Museum directors should hang their collective heads in shame with their planned bus park on the graves of the ``unknown soldiers'' of the 1798 Rising.

The Esplanade or, as it is better known, Croppies' Acre (across from the museum's entrance) is currently a soccer pitch. The site was marked by a memorial column in 1985 by Soldiers of the Eastern Command.

It was to this site that many hundreds of soldiers of the Irish Republic who were defeated at Ballinamuck, County Longford, were brought, tortured, shot, put to the sword, or hanged. The identity of only 13 is known today, the most famous being Bartholomew Teeling and Wolfe Tone's brother Matthew.

Instead of demolishing the past, and running bus-loads of tourists over the graves of Ireland's patriot dead, the National Museum should be planning an appropriate memorial to them.

The Museum and the Office of Public Works have an opportunity to build a large-scale memorial which could encompass much of the local and national history of the area and link it to the Liffey.

Aengus O'Snodaigh,
Assistant Secretary,
Dublin 1798 Commemoration Committee,
c/o History Ireland,
P.O. Box 695,
Dublin 8.

No equality or justice



A chairde,

The recent events of Garvaghy Road highlight once again the inherently repressive, sectarian nature of the Six County state. As a certain Mr James Craig said: ``A Protestant state for a Protestant people''.

Firstly, does the democratic imperative not apply to this situation? After all, 80% of the Garvaghy Road (at least) didn't have their objections respected.

Secondly, the antics of the RUC and British troops when systematically dispersing the crowd was akin to the South African police force when attacking the black townships of Pretoria during Apartheid.

Finally, the fact that the Orange Order insist on defying the Nationalist wishes to march down another route, and have the forces of the state at their helm, shows that the belief that there can ever be equality and justice in this statelet is a spurious one.

PR McElroy,
Santry
Dublin

Labour hypocrisy



A chairde,

I am sure it was with the same sense of relief which I had that Mo Mowlam greeted the news that the Orange Order had decided to either reroute or defer their contentious marches. My relief is from someone with no resource but hope to sway matters that the might of the Orange Order may decide not to march. The comparison with Miss Mowlam is therefore clear.

The British will never face Loyalism square on. The lessons have been learnt time and time again. The Loyalist Strike in May 1974 resulted in power stations and water supplies being switched off and roads being blocked, effectively bringing the Six Counties to a standstill. This was in response to Labour plans to introduce power-sharing. And Labour's response? I don't think I need to elaborate any further there, needless to say that hyphenated word won't be found in any contemporary dictionaries. I wonder what would have happened had they been Republicans? Well, as a clue, six men were just staring 35 year prison sentences for conspiring to do almost as much.

Dominic Reilly,
London

Non-existent loyalist ceasefire



A chairde,

I am writing in response to recent government statements and comments by certain members of the clergy which have praised the loyalists for their restraint in not breaking their ceasefire.

In my opinion the loyalist ceasefire broke down when Lindsay Robb was convicted of gun-running for the UVF. Since then numerous attacks have taken place involving loyalist paramilitaries in which nationalists have been killed and wounded.

I have a question for those in power: If the Irish Republican Army did not claim Canary Wharf and subsequent actions, would its ceasefire still be deemed to be intact and would it, like the loyalists, be praised for showing restraint?

Liam Frahill,
Limerick.

Twin cumann wanted



A Chairde,

Our cumann, the Breslin/Devine Cumann, is based in Strabane's Town Centre, County Tyrone. We are looking for a cumann from the 26 Counties to twin with us on issues such as economics and social events, and all issues concerning Sinn Féin, peace talks, elections etc. The cumainn could exchange aspirations and develop a strong bonding on all aspects of our struggle.

Daniel Breslin.

An Phoblacht
44 Parnell Sq.
Dublin 1
Ireland