IMGpapers 1980–83

Newspapers of the International Marxist Group and its forerunners, 1980–83

British Labour and Irish 'security'

· Socialist Challenge No. 188, 12 March 1981 · p. 4 of the scan · 789 words

The scan: sc-n188-mar-12-1981.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive, opens at this page)

Uncorrected machine reading. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from a scan of a newspaper page, and the page was cut into articles by machine, at the headlines found by their type size. Nothing has been corrected: expect misread words, text from a neighbouring article, and titles that are the machine reading of the headline, some of them only fragments. Quote from the scan, not from this page.
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page 4 of the scan

THE unions are asked to submit their views.

ing up these questions, and this week we deal with the final one, headed 'Security.

'SECURITY' as it has come to be practised Britain has proved no more man aeuonemism for repression.

sadly it nas been previous Labour which have been associated with this repression.

was Labour government which introduced the Prevention of Terrorism Act described at the time as 'draconian' by secretary Roy Jenkins as well as the Emergency Powers A CI and une change of rules which nas situation in the H Blocks and Armagn prison Torture Labour was which governients the discredited and partisan Ulster Defence Regiment, and who introduced the SAS into Northern Labour was government which was found guilty by Amnesty of torture in police stations in Northern Ireland.

Such repression has proved necessary because in maintaining a presence in British governments have gone against ine wisnes or ine Irish people as a whole.

In the most authoritative survey undertaken, conducted the Irish economic and Social Research Institute in October 1979, 70.8 per cent of those in the Republic of Ireland June ment: 'The should governmen declare its intention to withdraw whether the majority Northern Ireland agrees or not. Polls A further cent agreed that government should announce its intention to withdraw from Northern Ireland at a fixed date in the future.

These figures, takee response to the same questions in Northern respectively 23.6 per cent and 31.6 per cent in favour - add up to a majority of the Irish people as a whole who avour some form of British withdrawal. Socialist Challenge 12 March 1981 Page 4 has produced a conSocialist Challenge has run a series takNorthern Ireland The next steps?

THE DILEMMA - A LABOUR PARTY CONSULTATIVE PAPER There have also been natosue drawal in British opinion polls Britain has no right to place its own conditions onla withdrawal, which would be best exercisea immediately. However the government sure that in the process of such a withdrawal the repressive police and institutions erected by the British are abolished. End Other aspects of interference Irish affairs, including restrictive legislation economic and social affairs, should also be ended.

• The disarming and disbanding of the Ulster Defence Regiment.

• The repeal of the Emergency Provisions Act.

Act.

prisoners of socially legislation finan discrimithe 1949 and all legislation through Britain fairs.

• The conditions mined represenopinion, assemoly. MY grandfather once said that the imprisonment of the lark is a crime of the greatest cruelty because the lark is of the greatest symbols of freedom and happiness.

He often spoke of the spirit lark relating to a story of a who incarcerated one of his loved friends in a small cage The lark having suffered the loss of her liberty, no longer sung her little heart nad she longer anything to be happy about. Atrocity The man who had committed the atrocity, as my grandfather called Last year's International Women's Day protest outside Armagh prison now in the second week of his hunger strike in the H Blocks of Long Kesh, Northern Ireland.

mad, ruthless 'terrorist, this is Bobby Sands' evocative reply, first published two years ago in An Phoblacht/ Republican News herself to suit his pleasure or benefit.

Murder The lark refused and the man became angry and violent. He began to pressurise the lark to sin‹ but inevitably he receiver One took more drastic steps. He covered the cage with a black cloth. depriving the bird of sunlight. He starved it and left it to rot IRISH political prisoner Bobby Sands is Portrayed in the British media as a The ordinary prisoner will in no way jeopardise a single day of his remission. Some will grovel, crawl and inform on other prisoners to safeguard themselves or to speed up their release. They will comply with the wishes their captors, and unlike the lark, they will sing when told to and jump high when told to move Bobby Sands: a spirit for freedom an ordinary conforming prisoner; I am a political freedom fighter.

Like the lark I too have fought for my tivity now languish, but also while on the outside where my country is held captive. I have been captured and imprisoned but like the lark I too have seen the may eventually be murdered But dare I say similar to my little friend freedom that can not be quenched the most horrendous ment. Of course, I can be murdered but while I re main alive I remain what 1 am, a political prisoner of war and no one can Chance tal

----- pull-quotes -----

sultative paper on its Irish policy. A series of questions are posed and CLPs and affiliated

constituent 32-county

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