SINN FEIN NEWS > IRISH NEWS ROUND-UP > http://irlnet.com/rmlist/ > > Thursday/Friday, 27/28 April, 2000 > > > 1. REFUGEE ISSUE INFLAMED > 2. Fears over police reform being diluted > 3. British Army grounds faulty choppers > 4. RUC wage campaign against family > 5. Death will lead to South Antrim by-election > 6. Ormeau Road frustration > 7. History: The 1917 IRA Convention > 8. Analysis: Britain's racist medics > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> REFUGEE ISSUE INFLAMED > > > > > It has been announced that the deportation of thousands of > "failed" asylum applicants is being stepped up after Dublin's > policies on refugees have this week served to ignite racism in > Ireland. > > Legislation giving police extra powers to seize, jail and deport > refugees is due in the coming weeks. > > "I don't actually relish deporting anybody from this jurisdiction > and it's not a very pleasant task," he said, "but it's part of > the law and it's part of the process," Dublin's Minister for > Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, said yesterday. > > The move comes on the back of a a wave of fear and confusion in > small towns and villages after moves to accomodate refugees in > rural areas were launched without any apparent forethought. > > Isolated villages are being asked to host numbers of refugees > equal to some 10% of their population. Inexplicably, large cities > with established resources for hosting a multi-national > population have been virtually ignored. > > Racist prejudice has mixed with the sincere concerns of small > communities where outsiders have traditionally been viewed with > suspicion. But in the hamlet of Clogheen, County Tipperary, an > arson attack on a hotel ear-marked for use by asylum-seekers may > mark the start of a wave of anti-refugee violence in rural > Ireland. > > In Kildare, more than 150 people staged a demonstration against > the planned arrival of an estimated 400 asylum-seekers. > Meanwhile, hundreds met in the village of Corofin, County Clare > to discuss their objections to the accomodation of refugees at > the area's only local tourist hostel. Amid some confusion, > understandable concern for the loss of tourist traffic mixed with > unfounded prejudice about the possiblity of increased crime in > the area. > > There is now a growing suspicion that the Dublin government may > be deliberately seeking to inflame the refugee issue in order to > lend credibility to its own right-wing policies. > > RACIST ATTACK > > The Pan-African organisation called the 'dispersal' programme > "uncivilised" and said it violated fundamental human rights. > > The problems facing the African immigrant community were brought > to a head last week when a 16-year-old Nigerian, who is in this > country on his own seeking asylum, was dealt a savage blow across > the head whilst queuing for chips in his local chipper in > Summerhill, Dublin. > > The next evening, Nigerians marched in protest to Fitzgibbon > Street Garda Station to protest the lack of any investigation > into the incident. > > The march came together almost spontaneously. Rosanna Flynn of > the Residents Against Racism Campaign, who supported the march, > said it was a sign of what is to come "as long as the government > continues its present racist policies". > > "The government is creating racial hatred all across the state > with talk of 'bogus' and 'illegal' asylum seekers, and its > policies of flotels, canvas pavilions, 'direct provision', and > 'dispersal', without any provision for services or integration > into the community." > > "The government persists in treating the accommodation needs of > asylum seekers in separation from the accommodation needs of > 100,000 households in the 26 Counties, who are all looking for > housing, as if the 7,000 asylum seekers were to blame for the > housing crisis." > > SLIGO 'FLOTEL' > > Another report this week indicated that the first of the > so-called 'flotels' to hold asylum-seekers could be docked in > Sligo harbour. Dublin officials have already contacted Sligo > Harbour Board about the possibility. > > The deputy mayor of Sligo, Sinn Fein Alderman Sean MacManus said > the flotel would which effectively be a "prison ship" and would > serve only to stigmatise and demean asylum-seekers. > > "Housing refugees in such a manner will create more problems than > it will solve. It is clearly an inhumane way to treat people who > are refugees. > > "There would, quite rightly, be an uproar from animal rights > groups if a ship full of cattle were to be moored out in Sligo > Bay for up to two years. Yet this is what the government now > proposes to do with other human beings, a situation that will > create major health and safety problems for those living and > working aboard such a prison ship." > > Dublin Sinn Fein Councillor Larry O'Toole said the asylum > policies of the present government were "based on intolerance" > and do nothing but add to the "atmosphere of racism that has > grown from the mishandling of the issue". He also accused > sections of the media of making inflammatory headlines about a > flood of 'bogus' asylum seekers and the country being 'overrun'. > > "A country whose own emigrants bore the brunt of racism in > England and elsewhere should not make the same mistakes and let > racism take root in society." > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> Fears over police reform being diluted > > > Leaks to the media have indicated that new legislation to > implement policing reform in the North of Ireland will ignore at > least one key recommendation of the Patten Commission. > > The Police Bill, which is to go to before the British parliament > soon, apparently calls for the badge of the new force to be > decided only after consultation with the existing heavily > unionist RUC police force. This could pave the way for a British > Crown to be retained on caps and uniforms as a symbol of > continuing unionist allegiance. > > Sinn Fein has now voiced "deep concern" that Britain's Direct > Ruler in Belfast, Peter Mandelson, is engaged in diluting even > the moderate reforms of the Patten Commission. > > The Policing Commission under Tory MP Chris Patten was originally > asked as part of the Good Friday Agreement to create a police > force enjoying the allegiance of both communities. Its report in > October fell short in key respects, according to nationalists. > Sinn Fein said it had failed to address several issues of concern > to nationalists, such as the use of plastic bullets, the > timescale for change and the role of human rights abusers in the > force, to be called the Police Force of Northern Ireland. > > "The British government had a chance to move on these outstanding > issues," said Sinn Fein policing spokesperson Bairbre de Brun > yesterday. "However it appears that Peter Mandelson has chosen > to move a different direction. > > "Patten was clear that all aspects of his report had to be > implemented. Even before the publication of the leaked > legislation Peter Mandelson had indicated that he would not > implement key areas of the report. This is not acceptable. > > "The British government must realise that nationalists and > republicans will not accept or support anything less than the new > beginning to policing promised in the Good Friday Agreement." > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> British MoD grounds faulty choppers > > > Eight British Army helicopters in Ireland have been temporarily > grounded while safety checks are carried out after the British > government ordered an examination of all Lynx aircraft. > > Almost all the British Navy's Lynx helicopters have also been > grounded by the same serious technical fault, which led to a > serious of crashes in Ireland and elsewhere. > > In South Armagh, residents accused the British government of > endangering lives in order to keep their military machine > operating at full capacity. > > Two helicopters crashed in recent weeks, narrowly avoiding loss > of life to civilians in South Antrim and South Armagh. Locals > believe two British soldiers may have died in the Armagh crash > early last month, the nature of their deaths disguised by > embarrassed British Army officials. > > The decision to take the helicopters out of service was finally > made on Thursday, apparently after discussions with GKN Westland, > which built the aircraft. A fault with the helicopters was > first detected two years ago, following the crash of a Lynx > helicopter serving in the Dutch Armed Forces. > > Newry and Armagh Sinn Fein Assembly member Conor Murphy, reacting > to the decision, said that it was long overdue and claimed that > the fact that they took so long to do this had put the lives of > civilians at risk. > > "Nationalists, particularly in the South Armagh area, have > consistently highlighted the threat which is posed to civilians > from helicopters, some of which fly above densely populated areas > at rooftop height," he said. > > Westland experts blamed the crashes on the failure of the > titanium monoblock rotor head. This is the block that forms the > hub of the four rotors controlling the angle of the blades. > Another contributing factor was the way the aircraft was flown. > If it was flown at high speeds, wear and tear on the rotor head > increased dramatically. > > The Celtic League, which works to promote co-operation in the > Celtic areas, has continually warned about the Lynx helicopters. > > Yesterday in a statement its secretary-general, Mr Bernard > Moffatt, said that its concerns were vindicated by the decision > to ground machines for safety checks. > > However, he said, question marks also surrounded the operation of > other types of helicopter, particularly the medium-lift Puma > helicopter, also used in Ireland, one of which had recently > crashed in England, injuring nine people. > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>> RUC wage campaign against family > > A County Down Sinn Fein activist is accusing the RUC of waging a > campaign of harassment against his family. > > Francie Braniff complained last week that since March a > particular RUC unit has singled out members of his family. His > wife, Rose, was fined for not wearing a seatbelt "although she > had only removed the belt to get her licence after the RUC > stopped her". > > The latest incidents, involving Francie's wife and younger > children occurred in mid-April. As Rose Braniff left the > children, aged 11, 13 and 14, off at the school the RUC stopped > her. The previous day, the same RUC patrol sat across the road > from the school bus as she left the children off. > > The weekend before that, on Friday 7 April, Francie's 18-year-old > son Paul was in Newcastle to collect his younger brother when an > RUC vehicle drew up beside his car. One of the RUC members > approached the car and the young lad opened the window, thinking > he was going to be questioned, but the RUC man then inexplicably > crouched down and just stared at the boy. > > "As Paul drove home with his younger brother, the same RUC car > followed him along the Castlewellan Road, stopped him and the > same thing happened. This RUC man just glared at Paul," said > Francie. > > "I've been getting harassed by the RUC for years," says Francie. > "I'm damn sure I'm not going to let my children get it as well." > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> Death will lead to South Antrim by-election > > > The death has taken place of Ulster Unionist MP, Clifford > Forsythe. One of a group of hard-line anti-Good Friday Agreement > Unionist MPs, Forsythe died after suffering a heart attack on > Thursday. He had been MP for the staunchly unionist South Antrim > constituency for 17 years from 1983. > > Forsythe was one of 15 unionist MPs who resigned their seats > in protest at the Anglo Irish Agreement and then sought > re-election in 1986. He allied himself with other hardline > unionist MPs to oppose the Good Friday Agreement since 1998. > > His constituency includes the village of Stoneyford, where > British military documents were found in the possession of a > loyalist death-squad operating out of the local Orange Hall in > November. Forsythe made little comment on the endless wave of > sectarian attacks against Catholics in his constituency, such as > the attempted murder of a Catholic man in Antrim Town eight weeks > ago. > > The Ulster Unionist Party faces a crisis in the selection of a > candidate for the ensuing Westminster by-election, with the DUP's > infamous Willy McCrea also vying for the seat. Sinn Fein's > spokesperson for the area (and likely by-election candidate) is > veteran republican Martin Meehan MLA. > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> Ormeau Road frustration > > > > Frustration on the Lower Ormeau Road over the continuing refusal > of the Apprentice Boys and other loyal orders to fully engage in > dialogue with nationalist residents calling for the rerouting of > contentious parades reached new heights last week. > > Tension followed remarks by leading Apprentice Boy Tommy > Cheevers, who claimed that the residents' group, Lower Ormeau > Concerned Community, had "failed to articulate its concern over > marches" and accused the Parades Commission of caving in to > threats in its decision to reroute last week's Easter Monday > Apprentice Boys' parade away from the Lower Ormeau. > > To set the record straight, the LOCC took the unprecedented step > of printing documents outlining their position, which have been > presented to Apprentice Boys' representatives during determined > efforts to open up meaningful dialogue through a series of > contacts over the last ten months. "It has been very demanding > and has involved a lot of time and effort," said LOCC > spokesperson Gerard Rice, "yet at the end of it we are not any > nearer to a resolution. > > "The Apprentice Boys need to understand that there is more to > dialogue than going into a room and endlessly asserting the > absolute right to march," he said, and by refusing to enter into > genuine dialogue, the Apprentice Boys had prevented any progress. > > "Dialogue is about building trust," said the LOCC spokesperson. > "After Tommy Cheevers' misrepresentation of our dialogue to date, > where do we stand in relation to trust? It seems we are back at > square one." > > In the documents, LOCC presents evidence of an overwhelming > nationalist consensus on the parades issue. Locally, the > residents' group points to a survey carried out by Coopers and > Lybrand in June 1996. Results of the survey revealed that 95% of > people living within the Lower Ormeau community wanted the > Apprentice Boys rerouted away from the area. > > Ninety-one percent saw the parades issue as an issue of > sectarianism, while 80% thought that politics rather than culture > lay at the heart of the marching issue. A mere 2% believed that > parades going ahead in silence without local agreement would be > acceptable. > > Addressing opinion within the wider nationalist community, the > documents cite comments made by a number of religious and > political figures. Parish priest Fr. Curran describes parades by > the Loyal Orders as humiliating to "us as a Catholic people". > > Brid Rodgers of the SDLP points out that "so-called traditional > routes are the product of sectarian coat trailing of previous > generations". But it's not an evaluation confined exclusively to > nationalists or Catholics. The documents also quote a Reverend > Crawford, writing in "Loyal to King Billy" in 1987. > > "With its politically divisive and sectarian character and its > aggressive parades and demonstrations, the Orange Order stands in > the way of any serious change in the North of Ireland," he wrote. > "Its rallies are a spur for street riots and its dogged belief > that it should be allowed to march anywhere in the land, the sign > of ownership, causes conflict with Catholics and, since the > Troubles began, with the British security forces." > > The submissions expose the underlying issues behind the notion of > "traditional". Representatives for the Apprentice Boys have > placed considerable emphasis on the traditional nature of their > parades, an emphasis reflected in the Parade Commission's own > criteria. > > However, as the LOCC documents point out, "placing emphasis on > the traditional nature of parades misses the point that nearly > all contentious parades are longstanding and in fact the > longstanding nature of the abuse and provocation associated with > those parades has created the situations of contention and > confrontation in the first place." > > The LOCC points out that the tradition of parading at Easter was > initiated by the Apprentice Boys in the 1930s in opposition to > commemorations of the Easter Rising by republicans and "to > reclaim the roads and streets for unionism". The motivation is > political rather than cultural. > > The LOCC also discuss criteria laid out by the Parades > Commission. These criteria include "the presence of sites > associated with past events which give rise to sensitivity within > the community". Lower Ormeau residents point to Sean Graham's > bookmakers, where five local people were killed by loyalists in > 1992 and which has been the focus of subsequent abuse of the dead > and injured and their families by Orange marchers and bandsmen. > > "The sense of deep, grievous and personal pain felt at seeing > dead loved ones mocked and their memory abused cannot be equated > with any indirect sense of insecurity which may be felt within > loyalist communities as a result of a small number of parades > being re routed," says the LOCC > > The documents address the question of demographic change. "The > Apprentice Boys' representatives cannot blithely speak of > tradition without recognising that the area has changed > significantly since those traditions started." They point out the > availability of alternative routes, but an offer to allow > marchers to cross the bridge and turn left along the Stranmillis > Embankment was ruled out by the Apprentice Boys. > > The case against Apprentice Boys and other loyal orders parading > through the nationalist Lower Ormeau Road is compelling. The case > for rerouting contentious Orange parades away from nationalist > areas is a reasonable compromise in which there are no winners or > losers. > > The fact that Orangemen and Apprentice Boys can't accept > rerouting as a compromise gives lie to their claim that their > parades are a cultural expression of their identity and > traditions. Unless, of course, that identity is oppositional > rather than affirmative. In other words, an identity based on > being anti Catholic, anti nationalist, reactionary and sectarian. > > There are over 3,000 Orange parades in the north of Ireland every > summer. Nationalist residents have requested the rerouting of > only a handful of the most contentious parades. No one wants to > ban Orange marches; nationalists ask only that the loyal orders > restrict themselves to parading where they do not give offence. > > The overwhelming majority of nationalists view Orange parades as > triumphalist, coat trailing exercises. Like the white > supremacist, whose identity is most fully expressed through the > prism of anti black racism, the Orangeman appears to cling to an > expression of himself through the subjugation of his Catholic > neighbour. As we face another summer of disruption, confrontation > and in many nationalist areas, fear of sectarian violence, our > message to the Orange and other loyal orders is clear. Prove us > wrong. Reroute away from nationalist areas. > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> History: The 1917 IRA Convention > > Following the failure of the Easter Rising in 1916, the > leadership of the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Republican > Brotherhood (IRB) were in the main arrested, sentenced or > interned, or executed. Those who remained at large had to > obviously curtail their activities in the few months after the > Rising, but not for long. > > Despite the difficulties it entailed, Irish Volunteer units, or > what remained of them throughout the country, tried to meet > regularly. The first serious attempt to draw the strands of the > military republican organisation together again came following > the release of Cathal Brugha from hospital in November 1916. > Believing that he'd been severely disabled after being badly > wounded during the Rising, the authorities discharged him. > > Brugha, who'd been Vice-Commandant of Dublin's Fourth Battalion, > was visited at his home in Rathgar on the night of his release by > two IRB men, Sean O Muirthile and Diarmuid O'Hegarty. They > explained the state of play with the IRB, but Brugha said he > didn't wish to have any more to do with the IRB. They turned to > discuss the Irish Volunteers, or the IRA, as it was becoming > known. > > At Brugha's behest, the two other men undertook to organise a > small representative meeting of the Volunteers. This was held at > Fleming's Hotel in Gardiner Street later that month and was > attended by about 50 Volunteers. Cathal Brugha presided over the > meeting, though he was still on crutches. A provisional committee > was established under him to further establish contact with areas > not represented at the meeting and inform them of future > organisational moves. > > Progress was slow for the next few months, but with the release > of some prisoners in December 1916, a swing in the public's > attitude towards republicanism and the early victories in the > Westminster by-election in February and May, headway was being > made. With the general release of POWs in June 1917 and the > victory of Eamonn de Valera in East Clare, the Irish Volunteers > signalled that they were back in action again. > > During the East Clare election campaign, Volunteer units from > Clare and the surrounding counties paraded publicly and prevented > on occasion the police from interfering with the electoral > process. The succeeding by-election in Kilkenny in August, where > a number of released POWs played a prominent role, signalled the > resurrection of the Army of the Irish Republic. > > Early in August, a meeting was held in the offices of Craobh > Cheitinn of Conradh na Gaeilge in 46 Parnell Square. Those in > attendance included Eamonn de Valera, Cathal Brugha, Thomas Ashe, > Diarmuid O'Hegarty, Diarmuid Lynch, Michael Collins, Michael > Staines and Richard Mulcahy. It was decided at this meeting that > an Army Convention would be held to establish a National > Executive of Oglaigh na hEireann. The date of the Convention was > chosen to coincide with and to use the cover of the larger > gathering of republicans in Dublin on October 25 and 26 1917 -- > the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis. The date chosen was the Saturday morning > of October 27, when large numbers of republicans being in the > city would not draw the attentions of the police, who'd presume > they were still be around following the Ard Fheis. > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> Analysis: Britain's racist medics > > BY FERN LANE > > Old racial stereotypes, even in supposedly multicultural Britain > are, it seems, proving as difficult as ever to shift. The latest > great British institution to be officially branded > "institutionally racist" is the medical profession. The third > report of the Social Security Select Committee of the House of > Commons, which was published on 19 April, has called for an > investigation by the Commission for Racial Equality into the way > benefits claimants are treated by the Benefits Agency's Medical > Services, the body which assesses sickness and disability benefit > claims. > > The report found that doctors routinely "made inappropriate > references to claimants' ethnic origins" in their assessments and > accused many physicians of "cultural insensitivity". It cited the > example of one doctor who blankly refused repeated requests to > remove his shoes when entering an Asian household, resulting in > the medical assessment having to be carried out in the hallway, > and of another who refused an application on the supposition that > the claimant was able to kneel when he went to prayer in his > local mosque. In fact, the individual concerned was obliged to > sit on a chair throughout prayers. Other abuses recorded in the > report reveal quite shocking ignorance on the part of doctors and > included one claimant referred to as "a pleasant negro lady" as > well as refusals to provide female doctors for female patients > and the failure to provide interpreters where necessary. > > Predictably, this stereotyping of ethnic groups also extends to > the Irish community. Indeed, the report noted that "there is a > particular problem with racial stereotyping of Irish clients", > noting one particular case where "a doctor made allusions to an > Irish claimant's alleged alcoholism, when in fact there was no > evidence that the claimant was a drinker, let alone an > alcoholic", and another of a doctor "asking an Irish client if he > had a drink problem and being unwilling to believe the client > (who is a diabetic and doesn't drink at all) when he said he did > not drink". > > The report severely criticises the lack of appropriate training > given to doctors in both their general attitudes towards ethnic > minorities and the language they use in their assessments. It > recommends that those "who demonstrate cultural insensitivity > should receive immediate remedial training" and that those > doctors failing to improve their performance after such action > has been taken be sacked. > > The investigation reveals how deeply ingrained racism is in much > of British life, despite the fact that British culture has always > been quick to absorb -- or simply rob -- the aspects of other > cultures it considers 'safe' and economically rewarding; music, > fashion, food and so on. It remains to be seen whether the > recommendations contained within it will be implemented, given > that so many other aspects of government also stand accused of > institutional racism; the Metropolitan Police and the Home Office > to name but two. It also comes at a time when a vicious media > campaign against refugees is being waged, overtly racist new > immigration legislation has been introduced, and opposition > leader William Hague has unashamedly stated his desire to see all > asylum seekers and immigration applicants put into detention > camps. > > > > > > > > > c. RM Distribution and others. Articles may be reprinted with credit. > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > RM Distribution > Irish Republican News and Information > http://irlnet.com/rmlist/ > > PO Box 160, Galway, Ireland Phone/Fax: (353)1-6335113 > PO Box 8630, Austin TX 78713, USA mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > > RMD1000429210402p1 >
