Press release on normalisation

The removal of the remaining British troops from Bessbrook is not a "vindication for Sinn Feins peace strategy" and a victory for Irish republicanism as is being proclaimed, but rather it is a further victory for British governmental policy in Ireland - a policy which is condemning further generations to conflict.

The BBC stated that "the move is a step in Northern Irelands normalisation programme in response to the [P]IRA's declared end to its activities".

This normalistaion programme has been British policy in Ireland since the 1970's and has always been opposed by Irish republicans meaning it could not be implemented until now. With this in mind what the BBC statement is saying is that the British are now able to implement this policy as a result of the capitulation and surrender of the provisional movement.
Despite their confidence we in the 32 County Sovereignty Movement are in no doubt that republican resistance will force them to once again drop their facade of normality and expose the occupation for what it is.

Britain still maintains its illegal claim to sovereignty over the 6 counties and this claim is recognised by all the constitutional parties in Ireland. The British army can be returned at any time to aid the 'civil power' and defend the status quo. But even if they were not all that has happened is that the occupation is taking a new outward and 'acceptable' form which they hope will make it all the more effective and this new form of occupation will still be defended by a heavily armed paramilitary police force and an intelligence apparatus which is entrenching itself more than ever in the north.

Republicans must work together to build unity on shared principles and in doing so come up with a viable alternative to British parliamentary activity in Ireland. With this in mind we in the 32CSM have recently released a document entitled "Preparing An Irish Democracy" which we hope can be the first step on this road. We would encourage everyone to read it and engage with us and others in building a new alternative to the failed politics of partition, an alternative which can lead us to our objective of a Socialist Republic.

Kevin Murphy
PRO
32 County Sovereignty Movement
South Armagh

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32CSM CONDEMN MISREPRESENTATION OF REPUBLICAN UNITY INITIATIVE.

The 32 County Sovereignty Movement condemn the recent misrepresentation of the Republican Unity initiative as an attempt to stop any attempt at an agreed republican strategy in its tracks. Speculation in a number of Sunday Papers that Óglaigh na hÉireann (whom the media refer to as the Real IRA) have agreed to renounce armed struggle in conjunction with the INLA and Continuity IRA is completely without foundation. It is our opinion that such stories have been deliberately planted in the media in order to cause divisions among the republican organisations and independent republicans involved in the embryonic stages of a Republican Unity project. This project has at its core the concept of republicans working initially on areas of agreement rather than continuing to focus on areas of disagreement. It is our hope that following a period of practical cooperation republicans could unite upon agreed areas of strategy and policy in order to build a much more effective challenge to Britain’s illegal occupation of the north of Ireland. Whether these stories have been planted by the NIO, MI5 or pro state ‘republicans’ it is clear their motivation is to divide republicans on one issue rather than let them unite on the scores of issues they already agree upon. There is also the additional result of unsettling and confusing the volunteers from each of these organisations and the wider republican support base. It is simply ludicrous to believe that these military organisations have come to this position on the back of one meeting of such diverse political opinions and we would urge all republicans to consult their own logic and reasoning rather than allow these diversions to have their intended effect.

Preparing An Irish Democracy

Following on from the publication of our discussioon document Republican Unity the 32CSM put forward a proposal to various republican groups entitled Preparing An Irish Democracy which was aired at the recent meeting of republicans in Derry City on this subject.

The document can be found here: http://www.politics.ie/wiki/index.php?title=Preparing_An_Irish_Democracy_-_32CSM_%28Document%29

We would encourage all republicans to read and discuss the document and all criticisms both positive and negative will be welcomed.

Vol. Raymond McCreesh

Monday 21st May will mark the 26th anniversary of the death on hunger strike of Volunteer Raymond McCreesh, South Armagh brigade, Óglaigh na hÉireann.

Raymond was the third of ten men to die on hungerstrike in 1981 in an effort to win political status for republican prisoners of war. As a result of the strike the British government eventually granted all of the prisoners demands and political status was reintroduced in everything but name.

As a result of legislation passed after the signing of the good friday agreement in 1998 and with the consent of Sinn Fein and the SDLP political status was once again removed. Everything that had been won by Raymond and his comrades at the cost of their young lives was bargained away and in the process another generation was condemned to struggle for recognition as political prisoners.

Right now in maghaberry prison Irish republicans are being criminalized by the prison regime for no other reason than like Bobby Sands they too sought to free their country from foreign occupation.

In 2003 as a result of a dirty protest by Óglaigh na hÉireann (whom the media refer to as the Real IRA) prisoners republicans achieved segregation from loyalists and criminals. Last weekend however the prison authorities began moving criminals onto the republican wing in what seems to be an effort to undo the concessions which had been previously won.

The republican prisoners also find themselves locked up for up to 23 hours a day, have inadequate educational facilities, are not allowed to freely associate with one another and are subject to constant strip searches and other forms of harassment and degradation. Their families are also subjected to intimidation and harassment when visiting them.

As the people of South Armagh remember the great sacrifice made by Ray McCreesh we must ask ourselves what it was all for? Are those who suffer today in another British prison any different than he was? and do they not deserve the same support as we gave the men of 1981?

The constitutional nationalist parties have been completely silent on this issue and we in the 32 County Sovereignty Movement challenge them to state publicly why they agreed to the removal of political status and do they think that republican prisoners should be labeled as criminals because of their opposition to British rule in Ireland? We would ask them that now they are in government in the 6 counties will they finally do the right thing and restore political status for these men?

Hopefully this situation can be resolved in a proper manner and our communities are never again forced to go through what they did in 1981.

Kevin Murphy
PRO
32 County Sovereignty Movement
South Armagh

Constable Murphy to the rescue

Press release: "Peace" monument

The proposal by Bertie Ahern to build a "monument to the peace process" in the border region is yet another attempt to further the policy of normalizing British rule in Ireland.

Ahern said “The Good Friday Agreement has settled the constitutional issue. The principle of consent is accepted and everyone’s rights and aspirations are protected in the new democratic institutions.”

What about the right of the Irish people to freedom and self-determination? Obviously this is not a factor for those in the halls of power in Ireland both north and south.

What he refers to as the "principle of consent" is nothing more than the old unionist veto repackaged. This principle means the aspirations of the Irish people can be vetoed by a minority of 18% and as such should be opposed by all republicans and democrats in Ireland.

We in the 32 County Sovereignty Movement believe that the 5 million euro which is to be put aside for this monument could be better used to benefit the Irish people by putting it towards hospital beds or alleviating the problem of homelessness.

We also think that it is premature to erect a monument to peace when the core cause of the conflict still remains. That cause is Britain's claim to sovereignty over a part of our country which is in fact illegal under international law.

While we would like to see peace in Ireland the reality is that as long as the British remain here there is always the possibility of renewed conflict. The Irish people have a legal right to resist the occupation of our country through whatever means they deem necessary including the use of armed struggle.

If people want to see a day when we can erect a monument to a real peace in Ireland then they must join with us in seeking to remove the British from these shores and helping to establish an all Ireland Socialist Democratic Republic.

Kevin Murphy
PRO
32 County Sovereignty Movement
South Armagh