Republicans are still being interned on remand

Republicans are still being interned on remand

To be a republican today with a belief in ending British rule in the six counties and restoring national sovereignty and re-unification is a crime in the eyes of the 26-county administration. To campaign politically in pursuit of these aims is so great a crime that you could find yourself effectively interned and spending a considerable number of years in prison as a result.


At present they are a substantial number of people in prison on a ‘membership’ charge with no evidence to substantiate this but the opinion of a garda. This is nothing new for republicans for whom injustice is no stranger. Internment aimed at Republicans has been a regular occurrence throughout the history of the 26 county state. In the six counties, the British have not been as blatant to intern people openly, at present, for reasons of political expediency. Instead they have chosen the option of planting falsified evidence and attempted frame ups, fortunately, they have been exposed in quite a number of cases.


However, it seems that the British are preparing to copy the tactics of their Free State allies and evidence of an ever increasing campaign of criminalisation is the forbear to the introduction of the draconian measures already employed in the 26 counties.


That such measures are used by our enemies is no surprise, the Republican cause is used as a jackboot of British imperialism and their Free State lackeys. Unjust and repressive measures like these are necessary to keep such corrupt and undemocratic institutions like the Free State and the six county state-let in existence. Perhaps the most hypocritical aspect of this is that those who deploy these repressive measures masquerade as ‘republicans’ and every Easter are quick to seen paying homage to Pearse, Connolly and the martyrs of Easter week.


Martin McGuinness once proclaimed in a Free State court room that he was a member of the Derry Brigade and “very, very proud of it” and received a six-month jail sentence. At present there are Republicans who are serving six years for membership despite there being no evidence.


On Easter Sunday Martin McGuinness joined Bertie Ahern in Dublin to observe a free state military parade in his capacity as a Crown minister, no doubt to bolster the relationship between the Crown and the Free State. This should be an ominous warning to Republicans in the occupied territory that McGuinness and the rest of the British executive is ready to follow Bertie’s lead and introduce internment by remand. As McGuinness stood with Bertie watching the parade of the perpetrators of Ballyseedy and those responsible for the execution of Republicans, the Crown force which he gives allegiances to (RUC/PSNI) was in the streets of the Creggan harassing Republicans and intimidating nationalist children.


Nevertheless, Republicans should take heart that we still hold true to the ideals and aspirations of the Proclamation.


We have not besmirched the name of republicanism by such acts as allowing imperialist murderers to use our airports while on their way to slaughter innocent people, we have not dishonoured republicanism by being mired in corruption and sleaze, we’ve not tried to desecrate our national heritage by running a motorway thorough the Hill of Tara and by not selling our resources to greedy capitalist companies such as Shell. Yes, today in Ireland those in power see republicanism as a crime yet the sectarian drug dealing UDA are received by the President like old friends and Martin McGuinness rubs shoulders in Washington with war criminals like George Bush.


Gary Donnelly


Paddy McDaid


Mickey Gallagher


Marty O’Neill


E3 Portlaoise.