TEN YEARS ago this without trial was re-introduced in the North of Ireland. more than a passing relevance. cessors of the internees of ten years ago are the political prisoners in the H Blocks and the women's prison in Armagh.
GEOFF BELL recalls August 1971 and changed.
The North of Ireland is the largest prison camp in the came being 60 yeals asu been such because that was the only way it could exist. when reano was divided in 1921, against the wishes the majority population, the Northern state could only survive Dy repression.
Inal was wny, as soon as the statelet came into existence in 1921. ment without trial was immediately invoked. Over Republican Dylllpathisers were arrested within a couple of weeks.
It was not until 1924 that this first period of internment ended.
week, internment As an anniversary, today it has The sucthe fateful day in explains why little has the ineffective IRA 'border campaign' ternment lasted 1956-61. Over 400 were deLantee and jailed without trial for lengthy In many ways the internment which began was different HUSU of Its predecessors.
ror tnis lime tne poncy ol jailing without trial release date was invoked not so much against a supposed threat, but against political threat.
True, some of those interned were members of the IRA, , but others were activists in the civil rights movement which had wide apart and my hands pressed wall. Durall this time could hear a verbal droning noise, which sounded to me like electric saw This continued for can only describe. as an indefinite period of time.
stood there, arms against the wall, feet wide apart.
legs, back began to ache.
perspired free, the noise and the heat were terrible My circulation had stopped. I flexed my to start the blood flowing again. They struck several times on the hands, ribs, kidneys, and my kneecaps were kicked. My hood-covered head was banged against the wall.
sprung up in the North of Ireland in late 1968 to demand equal treatment for Catholics, and repeal repressive legislation.
Among those arrested on 9 August 1971 were Michael Farrell, John Murphy and John members which was then a loose organisation on the left wing of the civil rights campaign.
Such arrests made the political meaning of inECTENCOLN ced.
The demand for civil rights for Catholics had been answered by a gross attack on the rights of those who nate been the demands!
For this reason, ternment signalled the end of the civil rights campaign. This Was because the repression had successfully eliminated that campaign, but because it had shown the pointlessness the demand for the reform of the North of Ireland If, in the final analvsis the that state was to lock up its opponents and throw aWay the kev. then showed that the state itself incapable of being Was reformed.
Internment thus became the recruiting tor ProvIsional IRA, who now emLong Kesh as it was in 1971. British soldiers in 1972 looking for escaped internees. barked on a campaign to enthrow the state and to partition Ireland on which it was Dastu.
Internment was eventually phased out in 1975 By then the Unionist Government had been abolished, Westminster and direct LuIc had taken its place.
But the resistance continued because the Labour Governmen showed little inclination to tackle the root cause of the "rouble undemocratic Northern and the Catholic discrimination and repression which went with it.
Internment as a policy had proved ineffective, and the torture of those who had been its victims the European Court Human Rights British Government needed locking up its opponent Those arrested from 1976 onwards were still denied trial by juries but did have their case tried by a single judge. The normal rules of evidence were changed so that many instances one danseu lau to prove Scotland ABERDEEN: SC available at Boom DUNDEE available Dundee City Square outside Boots 4-5.30pm, Fri 4-5.30pm, S EDINBURGH: Thur 4.15-5.15pm Bus drews Square and bottom or Waverly SEnd, Princes Si Ist May Books, or Better Books, For More info on local acti May 4.30-5.30pm at Central Sia available at Barretts, Byres Rd; Clyd al Lane: Hop Sar Wales NEW OF every Sat in town centre PONTYPRIDD: SC sales every Sat . oe sales outside co-op in Cornmarker.
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