Issue 137, Saoirse: Irish Freedom (September, 1998)

              uimh 137 mean f6mhair september 1998 p ro judicial internment introduced human right rmin human rights were massively denied in omagh on august 1 5 in a most horrific way and on a scale not seen since 33 lives were lost in the dublin and monaghan bombings by british-backed loyalists in 1974 the carnage in omagh was a most flagrant breach of the humanitarian laws of war the london and dublin governments for their part seized the opportunity to rush through the british parliament and leinster house coercive legislation hastily formulated this is designed to crush all political opposition which seeks to perpetuate english rule in ireland by involving nationalists in its administration on august 18 mr ahem actually named republican sinn fein as an organisation he intended to break we stand alone and are proud to have led the political opposition to the stormont agreement which updated and strengthened british rule here rather than ended it republican sinn fein is a political organisation dating from 1917 which since reorganisation in 1986 has contested four referendums single european act maastricht amsterdam and the stormont agreement and two sets of local elections as well as udaras na gaeltachta elections our 23 candidates at local elections in the six counties in 1989 were refused nomination because they refused to sign the political test oath imposed by the thatcher regime in 1988 mr ahem has threatened to smash this political organisation which has its roots deep in irish history he seeks to use this opportunity to break up finally the 5 to 6 % recorded opposition in the 26 counties to the new stormont and cement english rule in place the thousands of irish citizens north and south who campaigned and voted against the stormont agreement have their civil rights too these rights include me ngiu io to political opinion and to express and advocate it publicly people in positions of leadership like mr ahem have a duty to safeguard and promote these civil rights of political opinion and freedom of expression to do otherwise is to declare that the 29 in the six counties and the 5.6 in the 26 counties have no rights at all republican sinn fein will continue to work politically for british disengagement from the 32 counties and for a new four province federal ireland with maximum devolution of power to local level as well as for the political cultural social and economic regeneration of the irish nation • extra repressive powers for the ruc colonial police is a recipe for increasing violations of human rights omagh slaughter unjustifiable immediately after the disastrous bombing at omagh on august 15 republican sinn fein in a public statement said that it was an action that was neither controlled nor disciplined and could not be condoned in any way sympathy was expressed to the bereaved the injured and their relatives and to the people of omagh ruairi 6 bradaigh republican sinn fein president said on august 1 9 that the slaughter of innocents at omagh was totally unjustifiable and the organisation deplored and rejected the absolute inhumanity of it he quoted the 1916 proclamation ". . we pray that no one who serves that cause will dishonour it by cowardice inhumanity or rapine politically it strengthened the new stormont and with it english rule in ireland he continued it is a severe setback to the project of achieving british government disengagement from ireland and blurs british responsibility for the situation here questions remain about the circumstances of the bombing hi particular why the ruc did not clear the whole street in omagh down to the dublin road as was their normal practice in such emergencies especially as the third telephone warning said it was located 200-300 yards from the courthouse why were people not allowed to escape down side-streets but instead herded into market street where the bomb was located why were no ruc personnel even injured in the explosion it must be borne in mind that the ruc are among the main beneficiaries of the tragedy of omagh a discredited colonial police force facing reform or even disbandment has been granted more repressive police powers and may hold on to its huge numbers 1 3,000 local people have pointed to strong evidence that the photograph being circulated purporting to show the car containing the bomb minutes before it exploded is a fake ifhiiicii ii eve of all-ireland satu rday september 26 2pm assemble at corner of middle abbey st / o'connell st ally at gpq wit^'mi