1 April 1999 Edition
Two tyrants and a pot of tea
``We have two reasons to thank you. First for your help when we needed it during the Falklands campaign and secondly for beginning a new era in Chile, one which is founded on true democracy''. With these words, Margaret Thatcher showed last week that there are further depths to which she can stoop.
Thatcher took tea with former Chilean despot and mass murder Augsto Pinochet in his luxury prison. In between swapping notes on the old days when together they subverted democracy, Thatcher took time to commiserate with Pinochet on his continued incarceration.
Irish political prisoners, who were locked in special secure units for 23-hour periods as well as being denied political status, were probably not really surprised at Thatcher's visit to Pinochet.
They might have wondered what would have happened had Pinochet been ghosted the day of his visit or whether his visitors were harassed and searched? Whether Pincochet stripsearched after Thatcher's visit is another question that springs to mind.
As usual, however, this is a case of one law for the oppressor/despot and one for the oppressed.
Thatcher took tea with former Chilean despot and mass murder Augsto Pinochet in his luxury prison. In between swapping notes on the old days when together they subverted democracy, Thatcher took time to commiserate with Pinochet on his continued incarceration.
Irish political prisoners, who were locked in special secure units for 23-hour periods as well as being denied political status, were probably not really surprised at Thatcher's visit to Pinochet.
They might have wondered what would have happened had Pinochet been ghosted the day of his visit or whether his visitors were harassed and searched? Whether Pincochet stripsearched after Thatcher's visit is another question that springs to mind.
As usual, however, this is a case of one law for the oppressor/despot and one for the oppressed.