ger at ``callous'' MoD
The South Armagh Farmers and Residents Committee (SAFRC) was
contacted by angry Bessbrook residents on Sunday expressing their
``hurt and dismay'' that 72 hours after the British Ministry of
Defence promised to scale down its presence within 36 hours, the
only visible sign of progress was the removal of six concrete
bollards erected in August this year.
Toni Carragher, SAFRC spokesperson, questioned the motives behind
the MoD statement and asked what was the point of raising
expectations merely to dash them. She pointed to hopes that the
continued 12 hour curfew enforced by the British Army and RUC on
residents at Convent Street and High Street would be abandoned.
Ms Carragher said, ``it is obvious to the people of South Armagh
that the British government do not wish to vacate their military
training ground, which would also lead to the closure of their
self-made multi-million pound industry.''
Meanwhile, following two meetings with the SAFRC, the South
Armagh Tourism Initiative (SATI) has agreed to highlight concerns
about the detrimental effect on tourism which the massive British
and RUC military presence is having in the Newry and Mourne
District Council area.
Welcoming the SATI commitment, Ms Carragher said she looked
forward to future co-operation with the body in order to address
the current situation, including ``the persistent British Army/RUC
foot patrols, the lookout posts that dot our beautiful
countryside, the continuous British Army helicopter traffic''.
She also highlighted the impact of the continued British Army/RUC
presence on the everyday lives of people from South Armagh.
She said, the extremely high levels of bovine TB in the area had
been ``categorically'' linked to the constant foot patrols and land
being used as helicopter landing pads. The risks from the spread
of TB and potential financial ruin faced by local farmers is
compounded by the huge cost to farmers of having thousands of
livestock killed and seriously injured through the years by the
actions of the crown forces.
Ms Carragher also highlighted the consequences for the long term
health of locals caused by crown force activity.
Recent studies have concluded that both long term and high
level/short term exposure to helicopter fuel fumes is neurotoxic.
It has been shown that the fuel fumes may produce neurological
deficits, resulting in ataxic gait, headaches, nausea, reduced
attention span, sensory motor dysfunction and liver toxicity.
Ms Carragher highlighted the daily disruption of classrooms and
the disruption at funerals caused by low flying British Army
helicopters.
She added, ``the milions of pounds allocated to the `security'
expenditure budget each year should be more wisely distributed to
housing, education, health - with the Daisyhill Hospital again
threatened with closure.''
``It is not an offence to try and legitimise our Nationalist
aspirations but it is offensive to have our Nationalist
aspirations quelled by the British government in the form of
their Army and the current RUC force,'' said Ms Carragher.
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