6 November 1997 Edition
Tyrone harassment getting worse
The last two weeks have seen persistent harassment and attempted recruitment of nationalists in County Tyrone. Sinn Fein's Francie Molloy said that most of the activity was concentrated around Dungannon and Coalisland and that a single mother and the nephew of Rose Anne Mallon, shot dead by loyalists in 1994, were among those targeted.
The RUC asked the single mother to supply information on local people after she was taken to Dungannon RUC barracks and questioned about a minor offence. The RUC gave her a contact name and phone number and told her things could be easier at Christmas if she helped. The woman refused and reported the incident to her local Sinn Fein office.
In another incident, two Loughshore fishermen spotted undercover members of the crown forces taking photos of their homes from `dug-in' positions. Another young man who has been the target of continued harassment was stopped in Anne Street in Dungannon and photographed from an unmarked car while he was held for 30 minutes.
Another man, whose aunt was murdered by loyalists, was twice targeted by the RUC. In the first incident, last Thursday 30 October, he was stopped under new traffic legislation but then the RUC tried to search his car under the EPA. Later the man was followed out of Coalisland by an unmarked RUC vehicle and was then stopped in the loyalist area of Tomnamore, where the RUC insisted they would search his car. No reason was given for the search but the man still agreed to the search provided it to be done at the barracks. He was then dragged from his car and cautioned, accused of obstructing the search. In another Coalisland incident two republicans were followed by an RUC man known to them.
``The crown forces are clearly guilty of harassment,'' said Molloy, ``they are also clearly gathering information on people for no reason. It is a worrying situation''.
The RUC asked the single mother to supply information on local people after she was taken to Dungannon RUC barracks and questioned about a minor offence. The RUC gave her a contact name and phone number and told her things could be easier at Christmas if she helped. The woman refused and reported the incident to her local Sinn Fein office.
In another incident, two Loughshore fishermen spotted undercover members of the crown forces taking photos of their homes from `dug-in' positions. Another young man who has been the target of continued harassment was stopped in Anne Street in Dungannon and photographed from an unmarked car while he was held for 30 minutes.
Another man, whose aunt was murdered by loyalists, was twice targeted by the RUC. In the first incident, last Thursday 30 October, he was stopped under new traffic legislation but then the RUC tried to search his car under the EPA. Later the man was followed out of Coalisland by an unmarked RUC vehicle and was then stopped in the loyalist area of Tomnamore, where the RUC insisted they would search his car. No reason was given for the search but the man still agreed to the search provided it to be done at the barracks. He was then dragged from his car and cautioned, accused of obstructing the search. In another Coalisland incident two republicans were followed by an RUC man known to them.
``The crown forces are clearly guilty of harassment,'' said Molloy, ``they are also clearly gathering information on people for no reason. It is a worrying situation''.