15 January 1998 Edition
Victims of a sectarian state
As the latest victim of loyalist violence, Catholic father of two, Terry Enright, was buried in Belfast on Wednesday, British appeasement in the face of a ``crisis'' in the peace process orchestrated by loyalists and unionists has enraged Northern nationalists.
If bogus claims of ``too many concessions'' and the process being ``one sided'' irritated nationalists still waiting for decades of sectarian discrimination to be addressed, the sight of British Minister Marjorie Mowlam rushing to Long Kesh to plead with sectarian killers, at least one of whom has had a hand in recent sectarian mass murder attempts, has infuriated the nationalist community.
Of course, Republicans support inclusive dialogue and Sinn Féin has repeatedly called on the British government to take a more proactive role within the peace process, to become ``persuaders.''
However, the question remains, did Mowlam break the mould to encourage loyalists to accept the need for real change or was it simply an exercise in reassuring them that the status quo is still the only option?
The loyalist ceasefires have always been conditional on Britain supporting the Unionist veto. And to remind everyone of that conditionality, Loyalists have continued to murder Catholics.
In other words as long as the croppies agree to lie down and the unionist veto remains unchallenged, mass slaughter of those unfortunately born a Catholic in a sectarian state might be avoided.
In the weeks and months ahead the republican analysis will be argued as forcefully as ever. Northern nationalists live in a sectarian state. Partition has failed. There can be no internal settlement.
As more nationalists are buried, that analysis become more self-evident.
If bogus claims of ``too many concessions'' and the process being ``one sided'' irritated nationalists still waiting for decades of sectarian discrimination to be addressed, the sight of British Minister Marjorie Mowlam rushing to Long Kesh to plead with sectarian killers, at least one of whom has had a hand in recent sectarian mass murder attempts, has infuriated the nationalist community.
Of course, Republicans support inclusive dialogue and Sinn Féin has repeatedly called on the British government to take a more proactive role within the peace process, to become ``persuaders.''
However, the question remains, did Mowlam break the mould to encourage loyalists to accept the need for real change or was it simply an exercise in reassuring them that the status quo is still the only option?
The loyalist ceasefires have always been conditional on Britain supporting the Unionist veto. And to remind everyone of that conditionality, Loyalists have continued to murder Catholics.
In other words as long as the croppies agree to lie down and the unionist veto remains unchallenged, mass slaughter of those unfortunately born a Catholic in a sectarian state might be avoided.
In the weeks and months ahead the republican analysis will be argued as forcefully as ever. Northern nationalists live in a sectarian state. Partition has failed. There can be no internal settlement.
As more nationalists are buried, that analysis become more self-evident.