IRA's New Year message
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75 years of Unionist misrule and its accompanying
suppression of democracy stand as a stark reminder that
no internal settlement can deliver justice, equality or
peace
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The leadership of Oglaigh na hEireann extends New Year
greetings to our friends and supporters at home and
abroad.
We send solidarity greetings to our imprisoned comrades
in Ireland, England and USA.
We remember with pride Volunteer Patrick Kelly who died
during the past year as a direct result of the denial
of medical treatment while imprisoned in England and
send our warmest wishes to his family.
We congratulate Liam Averill and his fellow POWs in the
H Blocks on their recent success in effecting his
escape from jail.
We leave 1997 behind conscious that many nationalists
are impatient with the lack of progress in the
negotiations process.
We reiterate our belief that the root cause of conflict
in Ireland is the British military and political
occupation of part of our country. Eight centuries of
history stand as irrefutable testimony to the belief
that a united independent Ireland, free from British
interference, and ruled by and for the people of this
island, offers the best guarantee of the establishment
of a just and lasting peace in Ireland. Equally 75
years of Unionist misrule and its accompanying
suppression of democracy stand as a stark reminder that
no internal settlement can deliver justice, equality or
peace.
We reiterate also our belief that all-party inclusive
negotiations are crucial to the resolution of the
conflict between the British government and the Irish
people. Over the past number of years we have
continually affirmed our willingness to facilitate the
development of a process with the potential for
securing a lasting settlement to this conflict. In
announcing a cessation of military operations on 20
July last year we demonstrated again our preparedness
to match words with deeds and face up to our
responsibilities in this regard. Five months on the
British government has yet to demonstrate a similar
commitment and fully grasp the renewed opportunity to
achieve a political settlement.
We remain acutely aware that Oglaigh na hEireann is the
only military organisation on cessation. After a year
that has seen a dozen assassinations by loyalist
paramilitaries we note the growing signs that the
British government are bowing to the military
establishment's agenda of trying to divide and defeat
republicans instead of seeking a resolution to the
conflict.
Instead of an implementation of confidence-building
measures they have continued with the remilitarisation
policy of their predecessors in government. The
pursuance of a programme of rebuilding and
fortification of British military and RUC installations
along with the refusal to release a single political
prisoner during two successive cessations of military
operations by Oglaigh na hEireann begs the question as
to whether the new Labour government will rise to the
political challenge the current situation presents or
intend to pass it back to the military establishment
marked `security problem' hoping it will not
contaminate British domestic policy.
In blocking any move towards the establishment of a
meaningful negotiations process the Unionist leadership
signals only a desire to perpetuate conflict. The
primary responsibility for dealing with this Unionist
veto remains with the British government. Their failure
to do so not only allows Unionist leaders to pursue a
policy of non-engagement but also contributes directly
to the creation of the political vacuum in which
loyalist murder gangs flourish.
Events of the last days of 1997 are a reminder of both
the necessity for a negotiated settlement and the price
of failure to achieve this.
Conscious therefore of the need for speedy and visible
signs of progress we begin the New Year with the
fervent hope that a real and truly inclusive
negotiations process will soon begin. We remind the
British government of their central responsibility in
this respect. Failure should not be an option. It is
their responsibility to move the situation forward.
Beirigi Bua.
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