Issue 217, Saoirse : Irish Freedom (May, 2005)

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THE VOICE OF THE REPUBLICAN MOVEMENT
UIMH 217     BEALTAINE — MAY   2005      http://saoirse.rr.nu    €1 (70p stg, USA $30 p.a.)
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VOTE
Bobby Sands
HE HUNGERS
FOR JUSTICE
IN A statement on May 5 Republican Sinn
Fein President Ruairi O Bradaigh called on
people within the Six Counties to boycott, or
failing that to spoil their ballots, in the local
and Westminster elections on May 5.
He continued: "We would
remind people that
Thursday, May 5 marks the
24th anniversary of the
death on hunger strike of
Bobby Sands, who contested
and won the
Fermanagh/South Tyrone,
by-election in April 1981.
Bobby Sands not only
vindicated his right and that
of his comrades to be treated
as political prisoners but he
also represented the Irish
people's resistance to British
Rule in Ireland.
"In contrast to the
candidates of the two
constitutional nationalist
parties which are contesting
Thursday's elections, Bobby
Sands did not seek to reform
the Six County state, or the
establishment   of   a   new
Stormont, within which he
could administer and police
British Rule.
"Like all Republican
candidates before and since
he sought election to an All-
Ireland parliament as a TD,
his platform was
unequivocally Republican
and separatist, he sought a
complete British withdrawal
from Ireland, the
dismantling of the entire
partitionist system and the
creation of a New Ireland
north and south.
"The imposition of a
political test oath,
renouncing the Irish people's
right to resist British
occupation, and publicly
disowning the organisations
of the Republican
Movement, on candidates
contesting the Six-County
local elections excludes
Republicans from the
electoral process and denies
people their right to vote for
a Republican candidate.
"By boycotting or spoiling
their ballot on Thursday
people can register their
protest at the undemocratic
nature of the polls and their
denial of an opportunity to
vote for candidates
committed to breaking the
connection with England."
Republican spokes
persons down the years have
said that the various
defections from the
Republican Movement into
constitutionalism have
served to strengthen the
status quo.
The expected
improvement in the support
for the DUP obviously
strengthens partition and
British rule.
Equally, if the ex-
Republicans and ex-freedom
fighters of the Provisionals
become more of a power
within the Establishment this
strengthens British rule far
more than the' original
constitutional nationalists.
A clear example of this is
the use the Provisionals are
being put to in repressing
true Republicans.
As reported in April's
SAOIRSE, Provisional
members beat up
Republican Sinn Fein Easter
Lily sellers in Lurgan, Co
Armagh.
What will they do when
they finally don the British
Crown Forces uniform in the
RUC/PSNI under official
British auspices?
!    CABHAIR
Irish Republican
j  Prisoners Dependants
Fund
j ANNUAL TESTIMONIAL
DINNER
& REPUBLICAN
REUNION
?5   )M
West County Hotel
i
Chapelizod, Dublin
Sean Murphy
j    Friday, May 20, 2005
(Munster)
Buffet Supper, €25
Niall Fagan (Leinster)   1
Music: Freewheelers
Danny Morgan (Ulster) j
Honorees:
Ken Tierney (USA)
AMNESTY International have called on all judges in
Britain to decline appointments to sit on any inquiry
set up under the recently enacted Westminster
Inquiries Act - including a planned inquiry into
allegations of British state collusion in the murder of
Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane. The campaigning
organisation also called for the repeal of the act.
The Amnesty call came days
after a similar request to judges
from Pat Finucane's widow
Geraldine who wrote
individually to every senior
judge in England, Scotland and
Wales earlier this week.
Amnesty UK campaigns
director Stephen Bowen said:
"By holding an inquiry into the
Finucane    case    under    the
Inquiries Act 2005, the UK
Government is trying to
eliminate independent scrutiny
of its agents."
He claimed: "Any judge
sitting on such an inquiry would
be presiding over a sham."
Members ofthe loyalist death
squad the UDA/UFF shot Pat
Finucane in front of his family
in their North Belfast home in
1989.
In the years since there have
been repeated claims of security
force collusion with the killers
and retired Canadian judge
Peter Cory told the British
government in a report
published last year there was
enough suspicion of collusion
to merit a public inquiry.
The Finucane murder was
one of a series Judge Cory
examined, and recommended
public inquiries be held because
of collusion suspicions.
The first inquiry to be set up,
that into the murder of Co
Armagh nationalist solicitor
Rosemary Nelson by loyalist
bombers in 1999, held its
opening session on April 19.
Amnesty complains that the
Inquiries Act means the British
government would control any
inquiry held under its terms and
a final report would be
published at the British
government's discretion. They
say also that crucial evidence
could be omitted from
publication at the British
government's instigation -
using the excuse it was in the
public interest.
Stephen Bowen said the Act,
rushed through Parliament on
the last day before it was
dissolved for the election,
"undermines the rule of law, the
separation of powers and human
rights protection".