Issue 148, Saoirse: Irish Freedom (August, 1999)

              uimh148 lunasa — august 1999 cull-tymon memorial unveiling arigna co roscommon sunday september 12 the ruc will remain a british colonial police force paid equipped and controlled by the british government regardless of who puts on the uniform or what it is called former comrades several years later they were amalgamated into the special branch as we mark the 30th anniversary of the arrival of british troops on the streets of the six counties we should recall that the ruc in august 1969 led the loyalist mobs attacking nationalist areas the leaked report on the patten commission into the british colonial police ruc carried in the financial times on august 2 indicates proposals to update the force and attempt to make it more acceptable both to nationalists and internationally the project to have a recruitment drive among roman catholics a sizeable increase in the force and an early retirement scheme is an attempt to broaden the base of support for british rule in ireland involving nationalists in the stormont assembly the stormont executive and in an updated ruc are all moves < designed clearly to have such an effect changes in name uniform and badge all of which date from the old ric are simply cosmetic alterations in symbols are intended to entrap nationalists into actively assisting the maintenance of british rule here according to reports from belfast the british colonial office at stormont nio are ready to sanction a scheme already in place that involves provo personnel and members of loyalist death squads in policing their communities according to the irish news on july 26 last it is understood that mo officials believe that at least some former paramilitaries will have to be accommodated in some way in the enforcement of british law in the occupied area at present the british authorities are concentrating on the so-called restorative justice scheme this scheme which is already in operation in many parts of the six counties is community based and includes in some cases the accuser coming face-to-facc with the suspect the same newspaper report said that the scheme would give paramilitaries an input into the justice system sic in their own areas without actually turning them into police officers — a move which would infuriate many unionists and nationalists with this scheme the british are attempting to corral irish people into ghettos allowing the provos and the pro-british death squads to exert control over their communities while at the same time enforcing british rule and suffocating any resistance indeed some nationalists like former provisional councillor in belfast mairtin 6 muilleoir are acting as recruiting sergeants already in his andersonstown news column on july 10 6 muilleoir goes further than the british sources in the irish news he could foresee nationalist new recruits taking seats behind a desk at woodbourne barracks ic becoming fully-fledged ruc members his views are an attempt to hoodwink nationalists into believing that a change of personnel in the imperialist forces is equivalent to the revolutionary forces taking over it is reminiscent of john redmond's call on the volunteers in 1914 to join the british army and fight in world war i of the 250,000 irishmen who heeded his call more than 50,000 were killed the redmondites were sub sequently discredited because of this slaughter and the resurgence of republicanism after the 1916 rising the former ira men who joined de valera's broy harriers in 1 933 after he came to power in the 26 counties were immediately put to work arresting and harassing their throughout belfast in just two days august 14-15 nine nationalists were killed and 500 homes bumed down republican sinn fdin appeals to the nationally minded population not to become tools of the british government here as did many of the ric — often with tragic consequences if the english government does persist in seeking to tule in ireland let it be by its own british army and let the world see naked armed force at work here do not collaborate with imperialism and colonialism v under whatever guise hunger strike commemoration for peace with justice bundoran - east end saturday 28th august at 3 pm speakers marian price belfast bob loughman usa representative of the hunger strike families chief marshall michael mcgonigle deny marshalls mickcullen brendan magill marching bands