Democracy British-style
A Chairde,
The first week in July was unforgettable. On 1 July British
imperialism lost another limb with the return of Hong Kong to
China. However, commentator after commentator endlessly expressed
their fears for `democracy' in Hong Kong under Chinese rule.
On 6 July we saw British-style `democracy' in action - Garvaghy
Road under military curfew; Nationalists being booted, batoned
and shot at; bigotry and unionist ascendancy defended to the
hilt.
Tony Blair and Mo Mowlam had their chance to demonstrate not only
to Irish Nationalists but the international community that they
had broken with the worst of British pro-unionist traditions and
that their talk of searching for peace had real meaning and
substance. This chance was dramatically and brutally squandered.
In a desperate attempt to justify their support for unionist and
state violence and intimidation, Mowlam and Blair tried to
portray themselves as the honest brokers of peace, holding the
ring between ``two intransigent groups''. Nothing could be further
from the truth. They must accept full responsiblity for the
violence which occurred before and after the Garvaghy Road
parade. They created the Nationalist reservation of Garvaghy
Road. They sent in armed police and soldiers. They declared the
views and wishes of Nationalists to be null and void. They
decided the Nationalist mandate wasn't worth the paper the
crosses were marked on. And all the while Mo Mowlam claimed that
this was the ``best way to keep peace''. Whose peace, we ask
ourselves?
When Tony Blair a few weeks ago declared himself to be a unionist
he certainly wasn't kidding. He has proved that in a stark and
brutal fashion and his `new' Labour has given out the same old
message - croppies lie down.
Democracy is a great word - full of hope and aspirations. But
British-style `democracy' in Ireland means exclusion,
discrimination, intimidation and brutality. If I were a
Nationalist in the North of Ireland given the choice, I might
well choose to put my democracy in the hands of Beijing rather
than London.
K. Wilson,
Glasgow.
Croppies' Acre desecration
A chairde,
Who fears to speak of `Ninety-eight?
Who blushes at the name?
When cowards mock the patriot's fate,
Who hangs his head for shame?
So goes the first few lines of ``The Memory of the Dead'' by John
Kells Ingrams. Well, the National Museum directors should hang
their collective heads in shame with their planned bus park on
the graves of the ``unknown soldiers'' of the 1798 Rising.
The Esplanade or, as it is better known, Croppies' Acre (across
from the museum's entrance) is currently a soccer pitch. The site
was marked by a memorial column in 1985 by Soldiers of the
Eastern Command.
It was to this site that many hundreds of soldiers of the Irish
Republic who were defeated at Ballinamuck, County Longford, were
brought, tortured, shot, put to the sword, or hanged. The
identity of only 13 is known today, the most famous being
Bartholomew Teeling and Wolfe Tone's brother Matthew.
Instead of demolishing the past, and running bus-loads of
tourists over the graves of Ireland's patriot dead, the National
Museum should be planning an appropriate memorial to them.
The Museum and the Office of Public Works have an opportunity to
build a large-scale memorial which could encompass much of the
local and national history of the area and link it to the Liffey.
Aengus O'Snodaigh,
Assistant Secretary,
Dublin 1798 Commemoration Committee,
c/o History Ireland,
P.O. Box 695,
Dublin 8.
No equality or justice
A chairde,
The recent events of Garvaghy Road highlight once again the
inherently repressive, sectarian nature of the Six County state.
As a certain Mr James Craig said: ``A Protestant state for a
Protestant people''.
Firstly, does the democratic imperative not apply to this
situation? After all, 80% of the Garvaghy Road (at least) didn't
have their objections respected.
Secondly, the antics of the RUC and British troops when
systematically dispersing the crowd was akin to the South African
police force when attacking the black townships of Pretoria
during Apartheid.
Finally, the fact that the Orange Order insist on defying the
Nationalist wishes to march down another route, and have the
forces of the state at their helm, shows that the belief that
there can ever be equality and justice in this statelet is a
spurious one.
PR McElroy,
Santry
Dublin
Labour hypocrisy
A chairde,
I am sure it was with the same sense of relief which I had that
Mo Mowlam greeted the news that the Orange Order had decided to
either reroute or defer their contentious marches. My relief is
from someone with no resource but hope to sway matters that the
might of the Orange Order may decide not to march. The comparison
with Miss Mowlam is therefore clear.
The British will never face Loyalism square on. The lessons have
been learnt time and time again. The Loyalist Strike in May 1974
resulted in power stations and water supplies being switched off
and roads being blocked, effectively bringing the Six Counties to
a standstill. This was in response to Labour plans to introduce
power-sharing. And Labour's response? I don't think I need to
elaborate any further there, needless to say that hyphenated word
won't be found in any contemporary dictionaries. I wonder what
would have happened had they been Republicans? Well, as a clue,
six men were just staring 35 year prison sentences for conspiring
to do almost as much.
Dominic Reilly,
London
Non-existent loyalist ceasefire
A chairde,
I am writing in response to recent government statements and
comments by certain members of the clergy which have praised the
loyalists for their restraint in not breaking their ceasefire.
In my opinion the loyalist ceasefire broke down when Lindsay Robb
was convicted of gun-running for the UVF. Since then numerous
attacks have taken place involving loyalist paramilitaries in
which nationalists have been killed and wounded.
I have a question for those in power: If the Irish Republican
Army did not claim Canary Wharf and subsequent actions, would its
ceasefire still be deemed to be intact and would it, like the
loyalists, be praised for showing restraint?
Liam Frahill,
Limerick.
Twin cumann wanted
A Chairde,
Our cumann, the Breslin/Devine Cumann, is based in Strabane's
Town Centre, County Tyrone. We are looking for a cumann from the
26 Counties to twin with us on issues such as economics and
social events, and all issues concerning Sinn Féin, peace talks,
elections etc. The cumainn could exchange aspirations and develop
a strong bonding on all aspects of our struggle.
Daniel Breslin.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)