Issue 125, Saoirse : Irish Freedom (September, 1997)

              september 1997 feis na poblachta 1997 u mean fomhair 2pm faoi chaibidil an proiseas reatha / 1 798 tnag bliain ar an saol an chulturlann baile na manach 39 m 2 co 3 o i .': co price tag on deal with brits • the price tag for the provisionals selling short will be their willingness to join wit the british crown forces in persecuting those who continue the struggle new stormo as the stormont talks commence this month it is timely to repeat that the agenda for discussions excludes british withdrawal and the termination of the union such talks which ignore the root cause of conflict in this country ie british interference in ireland are doomed to failure republican sinn fein's to the base which would political objective is to secure a public signal from the british governmentthat they are leaving their first colony just as they left hong kong two months ago in a planned and orderly manner only then can a real process of negotiations and reconciliation on this island commence as the 1916 leader james connolly said before you bind the wound you must first withdraw the foreign body republican sinn fein is committed to acceptance of the democratic will of the irish people acting as a unit when the british government finally leaves our country we do not seek an extension of dublin rule overthe sixcounties ina unitary 32-county state in our lre nua policy we promote a completely new ireland a four province federation with maximum devolution of power safeguard minorities and majorities alike no section of the irish people could dominate any other section in a situation of maximum local power the present south african government minister and friend of ireland kadar asmal has said irish times december 9 1994 that a settlement could not have been achieved in south africa without the incorporation in the constitution of limits to majority rule the same applies to an ireland free of british rule republican sinn f6in's opposition to the current process stems from its failure to address the root cause of conflict in ireland ie continuing british interference in our country instead the current process has as its basis the artificial and undemocratic unionist veto which means that 18 of the people of ireland can determine the future for the other 82 this means that only a status quo solution can emerge from the current talks most likely along the lines of a new stormont and a renamed six county police force with nationalist involvement in the triple lock outlined by john major any agreement emerging from the talks which are scheduled to begin on september 1 5 next must be approved by 1 ) 75 of those involved in the talks 2 a majority of the people of the six counties and 3 a majority in the british parliament at westminster british control remains therefore regardless of what the people of ireland want the provisionals have turned off their active struggle for a conference table which only permits an internal settlement in the six counties by agreeing beforehand to accept the outcome of these triple-locked talks they have therefore accepted the unionist veto joining the other constitutional nationalist parties north and south in doing so in this context nationally-minded people should watch what talks participants do rather than what they say over the coming weeks and months price tag if the provisionals settle short and agree to a new stormont as a so-called interim settlement the price tag will be their willingness to repress and persecute those who continue the struggle this is exemplified by the treatment republicans received from the free state army in 1922-23 following the treaty of surrender in 1921 and from the broy harriers in the 1940s following de valera's new constitution and settlement each time a settlement was made which was short of irish freedom those who accepted it have to put down those republicans who rejected the sell-out this is in accordance with british policy towards ireland for more than 200 years massive coercion and then compromise to drain off support for the active struggle already in 1997 there are signs that this process is • a new stormont is the only possible outcome of the current process , ~, there looking over their underway the recent abductions of republicans by provisionals in belfast and the calls from the same quarters for a new police force which would include both ex volunteers and ex-ruc members republicans in ruc and 26-county special branch custody have recently been warned that they will be crushed by the state and the provisionals opposition to british rule also remains in the continuity ira who gave interviews to the irish times and the belfast telegraph on september 3 last journalist suzanne breen wrote that the cira's potential was what worried the british and dublin governments as provo leaders moderate their stance cira is shoulder continuing to voice traditional demands like an unwelcome accusing ghost cira is both a potential home for dissidents and a reminder how far the provo leadership has travelled towards constitutionalism ultimately the article concludes one side will eventually lose — either republican opponents of the peace process or the provo leadership the cira spokesman believes that nationalists have invested too much blood tears and sacrifice in the struggle to abandon it gerry adams believes his community craves an historic accommodation only time will tell who is right the article concludes