Movement on demilitarisation required

In January of this year, hopes were rising that the British Army presence in South Armagh was coming to an end. The intervening period has left the residents of the area in no doubt as to what their true intentions with regard to demilitarisation are.

Despite the demolition of a handful of bases, there are still around 20 watchtowers and heavily fortified bases left. The British government has failed to publish a schedule of demilitarisation which they are obligated to do under paragraph two of the Security Section in the Good Friday Agreement.

In the four years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, the only 'security installations' to be removed are those which they couldn't leave during the IRA campaign or those which became uneconomical to maintain.

Helicopter flights continue at low level and around the clock. Foot patrols are still carried out by heavily armed soldiers, often across farmland in contravention of DARD guidelines. Helicopters continue to ferry materials and supplies over residential areas, schools, and places of worship, in cases substances and materials have fallen from the underslung cargo nets.

Locals are harassed and delayed at checkpoints, soldiers patrol and helicopters land deliberately across the border in the 26 Counties, accidentally of course! The bases on Camlough Mountain, Forkhill, Lislea Mountain, and Drumuckavall have all grown in size. Expansion and reinforcement of bases continues at these sites, making a mockery of demolition carried out to date.

And to add insult to injury, the PSNI arrest and assault members of the local Farmers & Residents' Committee.

Recently, Newry & Mourne District Council received a letter from Adam Ingram, the British 'Minister for Armed Forces', to indicate that there will be no change in helicopter flights. This should come as no surprise.

Ingram's letter attempts to insult the intelligence of the people in South Armagh by stating that helicopters are deployed only "when operationally necessary". What is operationally necessary that we need dozens of helicopter flights over our heads every day?

The continued presence of the British Army here is having a detrimental effect on farming, the local environment, tourism, and investment. The Health and Safety of the local community is at risk through land pollution from the bases, continued flying of unsafe helicopters, radiation from telecommunication masts located on these bases and the effects of noise on children trying to study at school.

There is no reason, military or otherwise, for their continued presence here.

Thankfully, Gerry Adams has acknowledged the need for movement on demilitarisation and will be highlighting this issue in a review of the GFA. It is a pity that others wouldn't take their heads out of the sand and acknowledge the intolerable situation that we put up with in South Armagh.

Out of sight, out of mind is not an acceptable approach by the rest of the politicians in the Six Counties, 26 Counties, or Whitehall to the people of South Armagh. Under the GFA they are supposed to be working for the good of all of the people and we, in South Armagh, are not second-class citizens.

Movement on this issue is required now.


Oak Leaf
South Armagh
(Name and adress supplied)

Moving the deckchairs

A Chairde,


As revelations about the complicity of RUC Special Branch in the murders of countless nationalists continue to emerge, I believe that the actions of RUC/PSNI Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan prior to his 'retirement' in March are highly significant.

Sir Ronnie, the former Special Branch supremo, busied himself promoting a large number of Special Branch officers into prominent positions within the PSNI.

In an attempt to justify their membership of the Policing Board and their endorsement of the present policing set up, the SDLP have been telling us that Special Branch is being reduced in size.

However, it is now apparent that rather than the malevolent influence of Special Branch being diminished in this supposedly new era for policing, it is being spread more evenly throughout the entire force. It's a case of the deck chairs being moved about the deck instead of being thrown overboard.

The tragedy is that the SDLP are willing and compliant pawns in this PR charade!


Strabane reader
(Name and address supplied)