Hamill family attends conference
Diane Hamill, sister of Robert Hamill, was in London last weeek
to raise the profile of her family's campaign and to establish
links with other families whose situation is similiar. Together
with Rosemary Nelson, the Hamill family's solicitor, Diane
addressed a seminar titled `Who are the Real Terrorists?' on
13 August which was organised by the London based
Institute for Independence Studies.
Also addressing the meeting were representatives of the Juistice
for Diarmuid O'Neill Campaign and the Stephen Lawrence family
campaign as well as human rights lawyer Gareth Pierce and Labour
MP John McDonnell.
Sukhev Reel, the mother of a young Asian man Ricky Reel, was also
there for police recognition of her belief that her son was
killed in a racist attack.
Throughout the evening the Metropolitan police - responsible for
the extra-judicial execution of Diarmuid O'Neill - emerged as a
force with almost as little credibility amongst many of those it
is supposed to serve as the RUC.
Around 200 political and human rights activists listened intently
as Diane recounted the events of April last year, telling the
audience, ``the RUC sat in their heavily armoured and equipped van
but refused to get out and help my brother. They didn't even fire
into the air to disperse the murderers because they thought his
life wasn't worth one bullet. He was just another Fenian to them
and didn't deserve to be saved''.
Diane said the family had ``struggled to get some answers - we
have approached Mo Mowlam and Ronnie Flanagan, but they have not
given us any satisfactory answers.
Rosemary Nelson explained in stark terms the conditions in which
nationalists in Portadown have to live and that the murder of
Robert Hamill was in no way a unique event. ``Garvaghy Road is
basically a township'', she said, ``the people who live there don't
venture outside that area because if they do they could die. Even
now the area is still under siege by loyalists intent on marching
down the Garvaghy Road''.
Both Gareth Pierce and John McDonnell commended the Hamill and
O'Neill families in pursuing justice for their sons.
The representative of the Stephen Lawrence family campaign
expressed solidarity with the families, but he said, ``a few peole
outside here just said to me `why are you associating yourself
with Diarmuid O'Neill, wasn't he just a terrorist? I said to them
that we are proud and privileged to link up with that campaign
because we understand and recognise the oppression that Irish
people have suffered anfd why they have struggled against it''.
A massive march through central London has been organised for
24 October under the banner `National Civil Rights March' and it
is hoped that as many Irish groups and individuals as possible
join the demonstration on that day.
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