Republican News · Thursday 7 February 2002

Ahern urged to enforce government pledge on racism

The Sinn Féin prospective TD for Dublin South-West, Councillor Seán Crowe, has urged the Taoiseach to live up to the government's promise on the International Day Against Racism by taking firm action against Cork TD Noel O'Flynn for his verbal attack on refugees last week.

O'Flynn sees asylum seekers as "the spongers, the freeloaders, the people screwing the system" and after the racist killing of Zhao Liu Tao, he stood up in Leinster House and accused "illegal immigrants" of "misbehaviour on the streets" and of "causing hostile public reaction because of their antisocial behaviour and abuse of Irish hospitality".

On the International Day Against Racism last March, Ahern said the government opposed "any manifestation of racism in our society". The Taoiseach went on to say: "Racism poses a threat which, if unchallenged, could undermine the very fabric of our society."

Reminding Ahern of those comments, Sean Crowe said: "Surely it undermines the government's campaign against racism when one of its own TDs who whips up prejudice against refugees simply gets a mild ticking off from his party leader. Mr Ahern said that the International Day Against Racism was a day on which we should reaffirm our determination to realise an Ireland free from racist attitudes, free from bigotry, free from fear of diversity, and eager to embrace cultural diversity. The Taoiseach said: 'Today is a day on which we publicly, and emphatically, reject racism and prejudice.' Today is another day when the Taoiseach can actually challenge racism in his own party. He can do it by taking action against one of his TDs for playing the race card and stoking up racial hatred."

Dublin protest against racism

Several hundred people came to protest at Dublin GPO last Saturday, 2 February, at growing racist violence in Ireland which caused the tragic death of Zhao Liu Tao, a 30-year-old visitor to this country from Shenyang, China, who died two weeks ago following a brutal racist attack.

"There aren't words to express how we feel about the death of this man," said Rosanna Flynn of Residents Against Racism. Many people from the 70,000 strong Chinese community in Dublin, spoke of the racism they experience daily. "I am afraid at night," said a 15-year-old schoolgirl, who spoke at length in Chinese and in English. "I want everyone to know that we don't feel safe," she said, urging everyone to report every racist incident.

"Racism must be exposed and fought in every instance, so that people can see the institutional racism which exists in our society, which allows the Government to arrest, detain and deport refugees, back to the very society which has persecuted them," said Rosanna Flynn. "No human being can be illegal."