IN EXPRESSING solidarity to those suffering prisons we recall, in the fifteenth year of this last base of our historic struggle for independence, those the world who are similar struggles.
To our black brothers and sisters in Africa, and especially those who struge aunder apartheid in South Africa, we as solidarity. To those in Central oppressed by regimes. to the Palestinians, deprived = homeiand, to the Basques and to men and women denied freedom ie people committed to gaining we pledge mindful that the successful conclusion o: eur struggle is a victory for you, just a: = victory for you is a victory for us.
i: Dublin's submissiveness and willingness to assist in Reagan's controversia electoral visit to Ireland is any indication, then we can Dublin, despite lip-service to the principre of Irish neutrality, is content take us pawns in Reagan's NATO chessboard, a chessboard upon which that geriatric whizz-kid seems intent on starting World War III.
Irish republicans need to be active in campaigning for world peace, against nuclear weapons and for Irish neutraliAnd before our opponents point to our position on the legitimacy of armed struggle in pursuance of national independence and freedom, let me point oui that there is no contradiction.
The suppression of small nations throughout the world and the arms race being pursued by the super-powers are but opposite sides of the one coin. support national liberation is to be opposed to imperialism position on international issues is based on its position on the national question surely as the London government's foreign policy is reflected in its attitude to Ireland.
We will continue to campaign for the restoration of Irish democracy and to articulate the desire of our people for freedom and independence, regardless of Dublin smears or British violence.
Ireland geographically, historically and culturally is one nation. We as one people have the right to be free, and in that freedom divided sections of our people will find the regardless of religious affiliations.
The Dublin Forum report does not provide the basis on which such a sociery can be built.
What emerged was not a blueprint for a united, independent and peaceful Irish society but an Irish establishment alternative to the policies of Sinn Fein.
Nowhere in the Forum reality of Britain's claims sovereignty contested. Nowhere in the report is the right of the Irish nation to national self-determination asserted.
It should be noted that Sinn Fein's exclusion from the Forum London and Dublin governments. throughout engaged in totalitarian our solidarity, that SUIC disenfranchised at least people whose report stressed.
government needs to be met Dublin's declaration withdrawal.
business-like stitutional, state.
Partition Over sixty will calle government in ment understands.
The Thatchel respect for Dublin.
heaps praise on FitzGerald.
Nothing has really changed report is the Irish starkly exposed. ovalism can onlv be effectively sustains sectarian Socialist Action 30 November 1984 102,000 nationalist and republican voters, the very 'alienation' the Forum society.
Sinn Fein's view is that the British with a firm, united and unambiguous demand from all Irish 'nationalist' parties, for an end to the unionist veto and for a aLC for British Within the new situation created by these measures, it is then a matter of negotiations between representatives of all the Irish parties, and this includes those who represent today's loyalist voters, to set the conColluliti political arrangements for a new Irish years of partition, neo-colonial status. has so conditioned the Dublin establishment that it is not within their grasp to tackle the British the way that governgovernment has no Mrs Thatcher accepts silver tea-pots from Haughey and our part we are not surprised by any of this.
- Inings are merely becoming clearer and the contradictions inherent in our two partitioned statelats are becoming more tackled by removing the system of privilege which alu undermining its quasi-religious base by the creation of a just and pluralist Sinn Fein offers to those presently tied to loyalism the equality denied to them for so long under the British connection. Irish independence means for loyalists the opportunity to play, for the first time, a meaningful role, the rest of us, in shaping a new Irish Dublin Dublin has failed these people and left them to the mercy of the Paisleys of this world in much the same way as successive Dublin governments have failed Irish nationalists.
lot of attention is drawn by Dublin's politicians to the 'threat to democracy' in the twenty-six counties. Most of these 'dangers to democracy" are self-inflicted.
within this statelet diluted by Section 31 (the section of the Irish Broadcasting Act denying Sinn Fein access to the television extradition, by disenfranchising voters by the denial of the true origins of this statelet and the facts of Irish history -particularly that of our history dealing with physical force resistance to Britain's claims on Ireland - and by an impressive armoury of repressive legislation.
The smokescreen nationalist rhetoric raised by Dublin fools no one, no more than the verbal and intellectual gymnastic displays establishment speakers monuments through this statelet. We at least are consistent.
LONC KESH
not only salute Roger Casement. We salute also the brave men aboard the Marita Anne.
For my part, I wish to concentrate on another election in the North this year — an election that we all missed. It was, however, principle of with ballot. So secret was this ballot that the names or une canciuales secret their kept a secret and even the date of the election itself was not disclosed. Even the voters were unaware, wards, that it had taken place.
The results, well publicised. Apparently, Northern nationalists voted in a secret landslide for Garret FitzGerald, Peter Barry and Dick Spring to be their representatives. Not surprisingly the ment has accepted this election result. They were obviously in on the secret as well.
North - eds), by If Dublin tionalist opinion in the North then they are quite welcome to contest as many seats as they like. In the meantime, on behalf of those we represent in Derry, Tyrone, Armagh, Fermanagh, Antrim and County Down, Dublin any right to speak or act on our behalf. that ourselves.
democracy - have you noticed the etfects of just 2,304 votes cast for us in Dublin Central? AS We upholders of democracy the secret • were kept a manifesto was until after- elected them however, have been British governwishes to represent na- ficial Sinn Fein denies We are quite capable of doing While on this theme - it's called SOUL the discovered to that over two thousand people voted for Sinn Fein, they decided that all Sinn Fein councillors elected in the twenty. six counties several years before should suddenly stop representing those who And so we have seen the ministerial campaign of refusing to meet Sinn Fein councillors making representations on behalt of their constituents We have even seen attempts to interfere in the internal elections of a trade union.
Yet according to the EEC election results, Sinn Fein represents just about the same number of voters as the OfUnionist 52,500 voters than the Labour Party; 90,000 more voters than the Workers Party with or without their fundraising wing -and 112,000 more than the Alliance Party. And yet those in high places continue to pontificate about the threat to In another equally important and related dimension of life in Ireland there is an absolutely hypocritical attitude on the right to family planning and contraception the question divorce and marital breakdown, the invidious social distinctions which surtime
Photo: CAMERA made redundant.
Where young people are through no fault of their own, with on their hands there facilities to occupy that time — and petleft,