18 May 2000 Edition

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My Canadian Odyssey

Following an Easter visit to Canada, West Belfast Assembly Member Councillor Alex Maskey has paid tribute to those he met who are working for justice and peace in Ireland.

Maskey, who was a guest of republicans and the ``Coalition for Peace in Ireland'', toured Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.

He said the highlight of the tour was the republican commemorations in Toronto and Montreal. ``It is great to see republicans coming together each Easter to honour Ireland's dead and promoting the cause of independence in cities as far away as Toronto and Montreal. I was most impressed with the growing influence of the Coalition for Peace in Ireland and how they have managed to engage with such a wide range of Canadian society. The fact that I managed to speak with politicians at Federal, Provincial and Municipal level representing several parties is a tribute to the coalition, which is building an impressive list of contacts. These contacts span the political spectrum and I believe this can and will be considerably built on for the future.

In political terms, I believe my visit was quite significant since I saw at first hand how keen many politicians are in Canada to help the peace process here in Ireland. I was also impressed by their considerable knowledge and understanding of the current situation. There is no doubt that there is now an opportunity to build relations between Canada and Ireland on the issues of Freedom, Justice and Peace. I found it also extremely important to meet with both the Canadian Department of External Affairs and the Irish Ambassador, Paul Dempsey. My message to all those with whom I met, including CSN (Trade Union) and media, was that the Good Friday Agreement required continuing, indeed renewed international support. This was well received and acknowledged. I believe that for ten days over the Easter period, the Sinn Féin message was received loud and clear by a growing network of politicians, media, trade unionists, republicans, lawyers and human rights activists. I would like to congratulate all our friends in Canada for their commitment to Ireland and their tireless efforts on our behalf.''

Meetings included


Carolyn Bennett MP - Visited the Six Counties last year on fact-finding mission

Colleen Beaumier MP - Chairperson of Human Rights sub-committee in the Canadian Parliament

Pat O'Brien MP - Chairperson of the Ireland/Canada Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group

A representative of Canada's External Affairs department

Paul Dempsey - Irish Ambassador

Societe St Jean Baptiste

Cire-Gael - Irish Film Society

Gille Deceppe - Leader of the Bloc Quebecois (44 seats in Canadian Parliament)

Marlene Jennings MP

Manon Perron - Montreal Trade Union leader

Marc Laviolette - President of the Confederation of National Trade Unions (1/4 million members) and other executive members.

Warren Allmand - former Attorney General and head of Human Rights Commission of Canada.

Jean Charest - leader of the Quebec Liberal Party and Official opposition leader.

 

 

Carragher brings South Armagh case to US



On Thursday, 4 May, Toni Carragher of the South Armagh Farmers and Residents Committee brought home the realities of the British occupation in the Six Counties to many people in the San Francisco Bay Area. Carragher's tour of the Bay Area began on Friday at a Cinco de Mayo celebration in a San Jose bus yard attended by hundreds of people. The transit workers and their union leadership, as well as members of the San Jose City Council, county officials and many community leaders, were solemn as they heard her tell of farm animals spooked and stampeded to their deaths by low-flying British Army helicopters, and livestock diseases like bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis being spread by the British soldiers' muddy boots as they tramp from farm to farm.

On Friday night, 5 May, Carragher spoke at a forum at the Pathfinder Bookstore in San Francisco's Mission District. The crowd, made up of students, activists on farm issues, and members of the general public, was outspoken on the issue of government indemnification of the farm losses, or rather, the lack of same. Carragher explained that the level of documentation relating to the losses which is required by the British government usually means that claims are rejected. She also met Willie Rivera and Denise Alvarado, members of the Comite `98 por un Puerto Rico Libre, who highlighted similar complaints by the people of Vieques in Puerto Rico, subjected to US military training exercises. Carragher made a statement of support on behalfof the South Armagh Farmers and Residents Committee for the Puerto Rican people's struggle for self-determination.

On Sunday, 6 May, at a reception held in her honour in San Ramon, California, she met leading members of the Irish community and representatives from various Irish organisations. Also in attendance was 1983 Long Kesh escapee Terry Kirby, who is fighting extradition to the Six Counties.

That morning, Toni Carragher led the marching contingent of the ``Brigada de los San Patricios de San Jose'' through the wet and rain-soaked streets of historic San Jose. The parade celebrates the Mexican people's defeat of the French, who were then occupying Mexico.

Following the parade, Carragher was feted yet again at a reception held in her honour at Original Joe's, a San Jose landmark. Alberto Carrillo, a member of the San Jose Human Rights Commission, invited her to speak at a national conference of human rights commissioners later this year.

The Bay Area leg of the tour ended with an appearance at the New College of California. The event, co-sponsored by the New College Irish Studies programme and the Irish American Unity Conference, was attended by members of the Irish community in San Fra nciso, as well as students from the New College Irish Studies programme. As at all of the events, Mrs Carragher displayed hundreds of photographs documenting an intrusive British military occupation, and took many questions from the audience.

On Monday, 8 May, Carragher arrived in Los Angeles and was interviewed on National Catholic Radio, National Public Radio, and on local radio stations in Southern California. That evening, she addressed a group of local Irish community leaders in Orange County (including the Irish American Unity Conference, the AOH, and Irish Northern Aid). On Tuesday, she visited the State Capitol in Sacramento, where she was hosted by State Senator Tom Hayden. She concluded her west coast tour in Portland and Seattle before going on to New York and Washington, D.C., where she met with members of Congress and attended a dinner for Irish President Mary McAleese.

 

New Zealand calls for Nelson inquiry



Over the past 14 months, Information on Ireland, the New Zealand Irish solidarity group, has been campaigning for an independent and impartial investigation into the killing of civil rights solicitor Rosemary Nelson, who died in March 1999 in a car bomb attack outside her home in Lurgan, County Armagh. The killing was preceded by threats against her by members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

Last year, Information on Ireland presented the facts of the case to Auckland lawyers sympathetic to Irish affairs. These facts were then put to the NZ Law Society which, in turn, raised the case with the British government.

This year, on the anniversary of Rosemary Nelson's death, the NZ Law Society again wrote to the British government expressing its concern and urging Prime Minister Tony Blair to ensure that his government meets its international obligations to carry out an independent and impartial inquiry into Nelson's death.

Law Society President Ian Haynes wrote: ``The NZ Law Society is concerned that, given the allegations that Rosemary Nelson had experienced threatening behaviour from the RUC and the speculation of collusion in her murder by RUC, involvement by RUC in an investigation... does not give the appearance of an independent and impartial investigation.

``The failure to protect Rosemary Nelson, despite complaints from her, an appeal by the United Nations, and the failure to be seen to initiate an impartial investigation into her death undermines the rule of law in Northern Ireland.

``I respectfully urge you to ensure that the UK government meets its international obligations to carry out an independent and impartial enquiry into Rosemary Nelson's death. Further, I urge you to ensure that there is an independent investigation into the allegations of RUC harassment and intimidation against Rosemary Nelson and other lawyers in Northern Ireland, and the failure of the RUC and the Northern Ireland office to protect Rosemary Nelson's life.''

The office of the British Prime Minister replied that the Law Society's views would be passed on to the Northern Ireland Office. Information on Ireland also passed copies of the correspondence on to the Irish Consulate in New Zealand to forward to Leinster House in Dublin as an indication of the worldwide concern over this matter.

 

Sydney Hunger Strike commemoration



About 250 people packed into the Ashfield Catholic and Community Club in Sydney on Saturday, 13 May for the annual commemoration of the 1981 Hunger Strike. The crowd was welcomed by Eugene McCague, Australian Aid for Ireland New South Wales president, and the event was chaired by Paddy Gorman. A live phone hookup was held with former blanketman and hunger striker Raymond McCartney, who spoke to the hushed crowd about the significance of the 1980 and 1981 hunger strikes for the development of the freedom struggle, the fight by republicans to rescue the peace process from British and unionist intransigence, and the needs of current and former prisoners of war. A minute of silence was held for Kieran Nugent and the 11 other republicans who participated in the 1980 and 1981 hunger strikes and gave their lives directly and indirectly as a result.

The AAI (NSW) Annual General Meeting will be held on 28 May 2000 at 4pm at the city's Gaelic Club, and Clonakilty Sinn Féin Councillor Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin will address a public meeting in Sydney on 8 June.


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