<HTML><PRE>Subj:	 RMD980216 Irish news for Monday 16 February
Date:	98-02-16 09:41:00 EST
From:	rmlist-reply@irlnet.com (RM_Distribution)
To:	rmlist-reply@irlnet.com (Multiple recipients of RM_Distribution - Sent by)

     IRISH NEWS ROUND-UP
     http://irlnet.com/rmlist/
     
     Monday, 16 February, 1998


1.   Talks in crisis as Sinn Fein set to be barred
2.   Felons harassment continues
3.   Urgent action needed for unemployed in Limerick
4.   Analysis: Equality must underpin negotiations

_______________________________________________________________


>>>> Talks in crisis as Sinn Fein set to be barred
     
     
     Dublin Castle, the former headquarters of British rule
     in Dublin, was today the ironic setting for an
     extraordinary attempt to oust Irish Republicans from
     peace talks.
     
     The international media turned out in force in Dublin
     to record a potentially disastrous day for Irish peace
     efforts.  The expectation remains that Sinn Fein
     President Gerry Adams and the rest of his party's
     leadership will, following an official request by the
     British government, be removed from the peace talks.
     
     There was an air of drama as negotiators gathered to
     discuss allegations of IRA involvement in the shootings
     last week of a leading loyalist paramilitary and a
     prominent drug dealer.  Last week the IRA denied the
     claims that their ceasefire was broken, but RUC police
     insisted the organisation was responsible.
     
     This morning's session saw Britain's governor in
     Ireland Mo Mowlam officially announce her government's
     move to ban Sinn Fein.  Talks resume this afternoon
     with a plenary session to discuss the move.  No
     decision is expected until early tomorrow, when the
     governments may seek to minimise an embarrassing public
     ejection in fornt of the world's media by simply locking 
     the gates to Sinn Fein's negotiating team.
     
     Although Sinn Fein is a legal and independent political
     party, unionists moved with alacrity following the two
     shootings to have the party expelled. The deputy leader
     of the Ulster Unionists, John Taylor, today confirmed
     his party would quit the talks and thereby collapse the
     process, if Sinn Fein wasn't forced out.
     
     But the expulsion bid raises broader issues beyond the
     implications for the current peace process.
     
     Sinn Fein will be seeking legal opinion on the manner
     in which the expulsion process ignores the party's
     supporters in favour of traditional anti-Republican
     propoganda painting the north's third largest party and
     the largest in Belfast City as "the political wing of
     the IRA".
     
     Meanwhile, four men charged with involvement in one of
     the attacks are likely to mount a legal challenge to
     re-establish their right to a presumption of innocence.
     Facing a special non-jury 'Diplock' Court in Belfast,
     the men have already been found guilty by the RUC Chief
     Constable Ronnie Flanagan who branded the four as IRA
     men in a collective unionist rush to direct blame
     toward Republicans, and by extension, Sinn Fein.
     
     Nationalists have responded with fury that no effort
     has been made to identify the loyalist killers of up to
     twenty Catholics in the past eighteen months by
     loyalist organisations involved in the talks.
     
     And with a polls showing 80% support for Sinn Fein's
     continued participation, there is grave disquiet among
     26 County nationalists that the Irish Prime Minister
     Bertie Ahern appears to be toeing the line on the Sinn
     Fein ban.
     
     Speaking outside Dublin Castle, Gerry Adams expressed
     the widespread belief that Britain's governor in
     Ireland, Mo Mowlam, had already decided to expel his
     party.
     
     "Either it's going to be a proper peace process or it's
     going to be a sham. It's going to be a kangaroo court
     in which the British government has already decided we
     have to walk.
     
     "They're trying to put everybody else, including the
     Irish government, into that loop with them - all at the
     behest of [Ulster Unionist leader] David Trimble.
     
     "The British government are making allegations against
     our party. And I know that the British government have
     decided to put us out of these talks."
     
     He said Sinn Fein would be in at the Dublin Castle
     talks "to listen to what they have to say - and to
     challenge what they have to say. There are no grounds
     whatsoever for the expulsion of Sinn Fein from these
     talks."
     
     "I note the fact that the IRA have said its ceasefire
     is intact. It is a big thing for the IRA to say - it's
     the IRA's credibility being put out there. Can the
     cause of peace be helped by us being dumped out of
     here? That is the question the two governments have to
     ask."
     
     An outraged Mr Adams pointed to his party's long
     struggle to achieve inclusive negotiations, asking:
     
     "Has the Sinn Fein party played a leadership role?  Has
     the Sinn Fein party tried to create the conditions to
     make all of this passible?   And has the Sinn Fein
     party in any way dishonoured any commitment which our
     party has made inside or outside of these talks?
     
     "I defy any leader here in the Irish parliament, in the
     north, in Britain or in the USA to give an honest
     answer to that.  The answer, if they're honest, is that
     we have done nothing except create these
     opportunities."
     
     Britain's governor in Ireland Mo Mowlam indicated
     yesterday she was planning to exclude Sinn Fein.   The
     British government's support for unionist intransigence
     is already being seen as a significant factor in the
     current process and a move against Sinn Fein will
     undoubtedly undermine nationalist confidence in the
     process.
     
     Ironically, Mowlam was praised for her courage last
     month in holding a meeting with a panel of notorious
     loyalist killers in Long Kesh prison at the height of a
     murder spree by their organisation. But yesterday she
     said: "The Northern Ireland talks process is only open
     to those committed to the principles of peace and
     democracy."
     
     Writing in a Belfast Sunday newspaper she said there
     were "fundamental principles" at stake and the British
     government would "defend" the integrity of the talks.
     
     Other factors are said to be impacting on the today's
     events.  A number of reports suggest Sinn Fein is to be
     invited to return to the talks process by St Patrick's
     Day -- the date of Bill Clinton's showcase political
     gathering of the north's political leaders at the White
     House.
     
     But last night, Sinn Fein's Chief Negotiator Martin
     McGuinness warned that if his party is ejected from the
     multi-party talks, events on the ground could prevent
     it returning.
     
     "We could conceivably have a situation where people out
     there who are attempting to destroy the peace process
     and any hopes of a negotiated settlement could conspire
     to create circumstances which would make it impossible
     for Sinn Fein to get back into these talks," he said.
     
     The Mid Ulster MP told BBC:  "This is very dangerous, a
     very serious and a very grave situation.
     
     "We are seeking to avoid that and I think the only way
     it can be avoided is by the British government facing
     up to the reality that it has  no case, none
     whatsoever, to  exclude Sinn Fein from these talks."
     
     Today party Chairman Mitchel McLaughlin suggested
     grassroots Republicans could demand that his party stay
     out of the talks if were seen as a fraud.
     
     Speaking in Irish radio, McLaughlin said there had been
     grave unease among Republicans since the publication of
     the Propositions on Heads of Agreement, a strongly
     pro-unionist document which had been proposed in
     January as an agenda for negotiations by the two
     governments.
     
     But both he and Mr McGuinness made it clear their party
     would fight hard to prevent its expulsion and to make
     the peace process work.  McGuinness said there was "no
     justification whatsoever" for the party to be put out
     on the basis of non-violence parameters named after 
     talks chairman George Mitchell.
     
     "Sinn Fein has not broken the Mitchell principles, we
     are not linked with any paramilitary group, we are a
     political party in our own right."
     
     His party would not allow their 200,000 supporters
     to be treated as second-class citizens and be put out 
     "on the streets", he stressed this lunchtime.  "This 
     is an issue of equality."
     
_______________________________________________________________
     
     
>>>> Felons harassment continues
     
     
     
     The RUC vendetta against the Felons Club, a West
     Belfast social club for ex-POWs, continued this week
     with further harassment of the Association's former
     secretary.
     
     RUC harassment in the area has escalated in recent
     weeks, with heavy raiding in Lenadoon and Twinbrook
     leading to angry protests.  The construction of a new
     electronic spy mast which now towers over Andersonstown
     in the heart of west Belfast has added to tension in
     the Republican heartland.
     
     On Friday afternoon 6 February, around a dozen RUC
     personnel, armed with submachine guns and hand guns,
     and accompanied by British soldiers entered the
     premises of a West Belfast youth club where children,
     many as young as 7 years of age, were playing.
     
     The reason for this display of military might was to
     deliver a summons to John Bradley, a former Felons
     Association secretary, who was supervising the play
     scheme.
     
     "We asked the RUC to withdraw their armed officers from
     the children's immediate vicinity," says John, "but
     they refused."
     
     Only two days earlier the RUC had raided John's home.
     They conducted the raid knowing John would be absent.
     At the time he was at Woodbourne RUC barracks on club
     business. The RUC then waited until John had returned
     to the Felons Club before arresting him. He was held in
     Grosvenor RUC Barracks.
     
     During three hours of questioning, on the advice of his
     solicitor, John exercised his right to silence. He was
     released without charge and summoned to appear at an
     RUC barracks for further questioning in March. But
     within 48 hours, he was the focus of RUC harassment
     once again. A judicial review against the RUC's action
     is currently being pursued through Belfast High Court.
     "It's simply a device to circumvent my right to
     silence," says John. The summons -- known as a
     Requirement Order -- compels answers to all questions
     under the threat of an immediate imposition of a five
     year jail sentence.
     
     "The Felons Association has run a licensed premises for
     over 30 years without once having its licence revoked,"
     says Liam Shannon, club manager. "The recent upsurge in
     raids and arrests of club members is clearly an attempt
     by the RUC to undermine the issuing of a new licence."
     

_______________________________________________________________
  
     
>>>> Urgent action needed for unemployed in Limerick
     
     
     THE Sinn Fein candidate in the Limerick East
     by-election has called for urgent steps to be taken to
     deal with the high unemployment levels in the
     constituency.
     
     Highlighting the plight of the unemployed, Jenny
     Shapland said, "There are areas in Limerick, such as
     the sprawling Moyross and South Hill estates, which
     suffer 70% unemployment.
     
     "The hopelessness this situation has created has in
     turn led to social deprivation resulting in youth
     turning to a life of crime. For these areas the economy
     of the Celtic Tiger is a myth.
     
     "Local employment co-operatives such as Moyross
     Employment Cooperative has consistently worked hard to
     tackle the problem and they should be commended for
     their efforts in finding both schemes and proper jobs
     for the unemployed."
     
     Shapland said, however, that a comprehensive strategy
     to tackle the problem and take Limerick into the new
     millennium is required.
     
     "There is a need for major employers, relevant
     government departments and educational and training
     agencies to join with local communities in developing
     training schemes which will provide real skills."
     
     She continued, "Priority should be given to the long
     term unemployed who should be offered training
     constructed to give them confidence and motivation.
     
     "Training should be geared to provide the relevent
     skills which will open access the jobs that are coming
     on stream in Limerick. It is only through such training
     that security in employment can be assured.
     
     "Moreover," she added, "it is only through the
     implementation of the minimum wage as advocated by the
     ICTU that people will be encouraged away from the dole
     dependency which has been created by a history
     unemployment being passed down through the
     generations."
     

_______________________________________________________________
     
     
>>>> Analysis: Equality must underpin negotiations
     
     
     ------------------------------------------------------
     Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams on the need for
     equality to be at the heart of the British government's
     decision-making.
     ------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     "We need a strong and effective culture of rights which
     guarantees equality for all citizens. It must be
     developed in our schools, in our homes, in our places
     of work and entertainment, in government departments
     and agencies, in local councils, in every layer of our
     society."
     
     Justice issues are the essential foundations of any
     functioning democracy. They are basic fundamental human
     rights which should be protected and upheld. They are
     also inalienable rights which are universal and not for
     negotiation.
     
     The six county state, created for unionists and
     dominated by unionists, has never been equal to the
     need for real democracy and equality. It has never been
     able to afford all its citizens the justice and
     equality fundamental to a peaceful and democratic
     society.
     
     Nationalists, who historically in the north east of
     Ireland were subjected to abuse and discrimination,
     were immediately labelled second-class citizens at the
     founding of the state and treated as non-citizens in
     our own country.
     
     The pillars which underpined the north's state were
     discrimination, inequality and intolerance. Whether a
     democracy is functioning morally or not depends on the
     morality of the ends it pursues and the means it
     employs. Clearly in this context the north has never
     been democratic. The consequence has been a cycle of
     repression, conflict and resistance.
     
     Unionists cannot be held solely responsible for this.
     Britain's policy created a sectarian state.
     
     Since the collapse of Stormont the British government
     has failed to effectively tackle economic and
     structural discrimination against Catholics and the
     continuing cultural discrimination which denies Irish
     children their right to be taught through the medium of
     Irish. It is British policy which today labels
     nationalists as inferior and second class.
     
     The excesses of the British state in defence of the
     northern statelet have been well documented.
     
     Every major human rights agency in the world, from
     Amnesty International to Helsinki Watch, has accused
     Britain of torture, summary execution and extensive
     violations of human rights. The British government
     holds the distinction of having been found guilty
     before the European Court of Human Rights more than any
     other signatory since 1950.
     
     This then is the reality of the northern statelet. Over
     75 years on a life support of oppression, injustice and
     inequality, it is a history of failure. It was a
     unionist one-party state which rejected basic
     principles of democracy, justice and equality.
     
     The entrenched unionist mindset that denied these basic
     principles to a section of our people, and which still
     prevails today in councils and institutions dominated
     by unionists, has to end if we are to genuinely bring
     about the a democratic settlement.
     
     No longer can the unionists defend ... or the British
     government maintain ... a status quo that is recognised
     internationally as being inherently undemocratic and
     which has been chiefly responsible for fuelling the
     conflict.
     
     The British government need to fill the democratic
     deficit. Equality should now be at the heart of the
     British government's decision-making and it must
     underpin our deliberations. It cannot be simply an
     illusion. It must be a fact.
     
     We need a wholehearted commitment to ensuring national,
     political, social and cultural rights to freedom from
     discrimination for all citizens on parity of esteem and
     on just and equal treatment for the identity, ethos and
     aspirations for all our people.
     
     We need a strong and effective culture of rights which
     guarantees equality for all citizens. It must be
     developed in our schools, in our homes, in our places
     of work and entertainment, in government departments
     and agencies, in local councils, in every layer of our
     society.
     
     This must mean:
     
     * equality in employment opportunities;
     
     * equality in economic investment into areas of high
     un-employment;
     
     * equality for the Irish language and culture;
     
     * equality in the provision of resources for education;
     
     * equality for political representatives;
     
     
     We need:
     
     * to tackle the difficult issue of cultural symbols, of
     flags and emblems;
     
     * an end to repressive legislation;
     
     * a new unarmed policing service under democratic
     control;
     
     * speedy progress on the issue of political prisoners,
     their conditions, transfer and release;
     
     * to address outstanding human rights abuses by state
     forces providing redress under standards of
     international law;
     
     * to establishment a human rights commission and human
     rights court.
     
     
     These and much more are matters for the British
     government - not for negotiations. These are matters of
     policy - not negotiations. These are rights, civil and
     political, which every citizen in every democratic
     state should be entitled to. They are enshrined in
     international law, they have been advocated by
     international courts and human rights organisations
     world wide.
     
     The British government should act on these issues
     immediately by outlining a programmatic approach which
     delivers real change, which makes equality a reality
     and which builds confidence in the wider peace process.
     The immediate responsibility for equality rests with
     the British government and there should be no
     artificial distinctions, no arbitrary barriers placed
     in the way of these rights. This is a government which
     has placed human rights in other countries at the top
     of its international agenda.
     
     Equality is not a threat to unionists. It means civil
     and political rights for unionists as well as
     nationalists. Whether it is the right to march, or the
     right to worship or the right to vote - these are
     civil, religious and political rights which must be
     guaranteed and protected.
     
     In search for a just settlement, parity of esteem,
     equality of treatment, and full human rights protection
     must be guaranteed.
     
     There must be no artificial distinctions, no arbitrary
     barriers standing in the way of these rights.
     
     These are not minority rights but rights which every
     Irish person should enjoy.
     
     There is nothing complicated, or unreasonable about
     these goals or their achievement. But they will not be
     achieved without leadership and it is our task to
     provide that leadership.
     
     Inequality and social exclusion are the enemies of
     peace. We need a partnership, based on equality, which
     will empower and improve the quality of life of
     citizens by being open, inclusive and democratic. Sinn
     Fein intends to chart this course.





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Subject: RMD980216 Irish news for Monday 16 February

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