Burma

Burma is currently ruled by a dictatorship, charged by the United Nations with "crimes against humanity, for its systematic abuses of human rights. It is one of thee most brutal dictatorships in todays world.

While the population go without healthcare, education and food, the regime spends the majority of its budget only on the military. A sad, but undeniable truth, is that one in ten children die before the age of five.

In 1990 the country held elections, in which 82% of the vote was won by the National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Aung San Suu Kyi has since been under House arrest and as of May 6th of this year the NLD have been banned by the Regime.

There are currently 2,100 political prisoners in Burma and NGO's and Human Rights groups have reported them tortured. Ko Mya Aye has been denied urgent medical treatment for a heart condition, as he lays in Taungyi Prison for leading a Student protest. Furthermore the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners estimated that 136 other prisoners are in bad health.

Men, Women and Children are in forced Labour, made to work for the Regime without pay. Many have suffered beatings, torture, rape and even murder. The International Labour Organisation committee on Burma said that Burma had made "totally inadequate" steps to change this.

The Regime is knowingly waging war on ethnic minorities. The Burmese Army have increased attacks on Karen civilians in Eastern Burma. On the 23rd of July the Burma Army soldiers burned 50 homes, a school and a church in the Dah Der village in the Mutraw District of the Karen state. 540 people fled into hiding. The Karens Women's Organisation has released a report documenting the horrors of the regime; crucifixion, burning people alive, raping and gang rape, burying women up to their heads, beating women to death and beheadings.

To find out more, and discover how you can help, visit http://www.burmacampaign.org

God Bless, Peace

War Crimes in Gaza

I believe that everyone should watch this video. For some reason the Guardian do not agree with this video being imbedded so Im just posting a link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLZgNy46aTQ

It investigates the cases of War Crime during the 23 days of the slaughter now being normalised by the name Operation Cast Lead.

God Bless
Peace

Ross Kemp Middle East: ISRAEL

This is a continuation obviously of the previous blog post and the show it refers too. This show starts with a tour of the places in which suicide bombs have taken place. It is an awful thing to hear. So many Young lives lost; It's not right, not in a supposed civilised world.

Let me make my position clear on this; I do not support bombing Supermarkets and Bus Stops. I do not support killing innocent people. However, when people are opressed history has shown time and time again that they nearly always turn to the gun and bomb, as they see little else that they can do. As a result I will not condem people who are responsible for this. I can not condem. I have no right to condem.

Anyway the show continues, and Ross Kemp goes to a training session for the IDF. The man he talks with makes it clear that they have a shoot to kill policy when it comes to those they designate as terrorists.

This show highlights that 24 people have been killed as a result of Bombs/Rockets from Gaza and in retaliation the Israeli forces have slaughtered 4000 Palestinians. The lives of the 24 is regretable. Whether it is 1 life, 24 lives or 4000 lives it is unacceptable. As a Pro Palestinian I do not support the deaths of these people, I do not believe it can be justified.. However this is the arguement used against Israel. The Israeli forces have used indiscriminate, unproportional, heavy handed response slaughtering thousands of innocent people. They have evicted the people, leaving them homeless. They have destroyed their livelyhoods by destroying such things as their Olive Grove's. They have broken the international laws by cliaming land over the green line.

This show highlights that while protesters throw stones, the Israeli forces fire bullets and tear gas and use Watercannons firing "Something very nasty, not just water". It is once again the arguement against the Israeli forces. Heavy handed oppression. Where is the justification for this action?

At this stage the show turns to the settler question. The settler that he chooses to talk to states clearly that she does not believe that the Arabs have rights to live in the area and using biblical language to prove this.

Now at this stage I would like to highlight, that despite what this woman states, the Old Testament, the scriptures that Jews study, states that the land belongs only to God. He gives the Israelites permission to live there, but the land belongs to God. However lets assume that they do have historical and religious rights to the land surely this accounts only for Religious Jews. How does this apply to non Religious Jews? The Israeli state allows settlements of secular Jews and takes land from the Palestinian Arabs to house these people?

I'm gonna cut this here, as opposed to commenting the whole show. But before I end I would like to clarify my position on the Palestinian cause.

I support Palestinian rights to live free from opression. Free from checkpoints and siege. I believe that the siege of Gaza must end. I believe that the checkpoints that stop the Palestinian people from travel in their own land must end. I believe that violence must come to an end. I believe that the construction of the segregation wall must come to an end and the current fortifications torn down. I believe that the state of Palestine needs to exist as a united state. Not a nation divided into the West Bank and the Gaza refugee camp. I believe that the continuation of settlements and land grabbing must halt now.

God Bless
Peace

Ross Kemp Middle East: GAZA

Tonight, Sunday the 17th January 2010, Sky1 is broadcasting a show called "Ross Kemp Middle East: GAZA", in similar style to his "Ross Kemp on Gangs" shows. I decided to watch it, obviously due to my deep interest in and support for the Palestinian cause.

From the beginning of the show you can tell that it is to present antiHamas / ProIsrael propagandha. Anytime Hamas is mentioned, he refers to them as "terrorists", despite the fact that they are a democratically elected governing body for Gaza. None of his sweeping anti Hamas statements are backed up with evidence or sources. He claims that the people he has spoken to do not like Hamas, but with no evidence of the conversations.

The first conversation shows only a man claiming he has no issues with Israelis, but only the opressive government.

He accuses Hamas of firing rockets into Israel continually. Despite the incredile decline in rockets and the fact that Hamas have yet to admit, or even be accused of firing rockets into Israel since the slaughter a year ago. He then talks to "Islamic Jihad", a militant organisation, and using Israeli figures claims that they have fired over a Thousand rockets in the past year. Independant figures claim it is alot less.

Israel has desimated the Gaza strip, starved the people and continues to leave them homeless, sick and dying. Ross Kemp's entire show belittles the entire situation. He focuses completely on the fact that militant organisations exist. He attacks the "smuggling trade". Now I can not see why this is a bad thing? Israel has blockaded the innocent people of the Gaza strip, doing all it can to make sure no aid, food or treats get into the refugee camp. So in this situation is it wrong that people smuggle in as much as they can to keep life going? The issue of the rising prices for smuggled goods is the fault completely of Israel. Stop blockading the people and this could not happen. Stop bombing smuggling tunnels. I will be as bold as to say, I fully support the smuggling of goods. Hamas have no control over these tunnels, according to the smugglers and actually stop Drugs coming in to the refugee camp. Of course the black propaganda of Israeli and American media will deny this.

However near the end he seems to have a slight change of heart as he realises that these "smugglers" need to do this to put food in the stomach of their Children.

He ignores completely the situation that is actually day to day life. Hundreds of thousands of Men, Women and Children left homeless, starving and dying because Israel has blocked the borders, and decimated the area with massive explosions, including weaponry so inhumane that it is illegal.

Over 50% of Gaza's population are under 18. Impressionable young people, who living under oppression become angry and obviously can see no other option but to Fight. On going Rights marches and protests through out Palestine, West Bank and Gaza, have failed time and time again. Even at these peaceful protests, Israeli forces have used heavy handed attacks on the people and have even killed protesters. What other options do these people see for themselves?

The only hope for these people is calling off the blockade of Gaza and allowing the people to live. Allowing the people to see that the people of Israel do not hate Palestinians. Justice will breed peace and without this what hope is there for the people of Israel and Palestine?

God Bless
Peace

Evidence that You Can't Trust the State

Okay so I'm sure everyone has heard about the "shots fired on police in Fermanagh" at this stage. What I can gather however is that only one shot was fired, yet Police replyed with two shots.

Anyway as I am in Uni this is just a wee short one to highlight that the British state can not be trusted. In recent weeks we have seen a letter to the DUP about policing and justice, with out involvement of SF.

However in relation to the aformentioned incident, it has emerged that members of the British Army were involved in the inncident and that soldiers from the "Special Reconnaissance Regiment" had been involved and had been monitoring movements. We as Irish Republicans are expected to "move on" and trust the state and Stormont despite being told that the Army were not on our streets, nor would they be on our streets, whilst in the background are carrying out Reconnaissance missions on our streets, in our country.

Now I have issues with members of the police force being targeted. Its a personal inner conflict that I would have with my Christian faith. Targeting a member of the police force, just because he is a Catholic members, to enforce a point, is a ideal I can not find myself supporting.

But I think this whole thing raises a bigger issue. It highlights a growing sector of unhappy Republicans, who are constantly brushed off by the executive as being Dissidents, or terrorists. However this highlights that a growing sector of the electorate are unhappy. "Dissidents" are equal members of society and as such have a right to voice an opinion and be listened too. Éirígí, 32CSM and the RNU to name three parties of unhappy Republicans, all without a armed wing, are all ignored as "dissident" Republicans. It is unfair to paint all of these people with the same brush that is used to paint the CIRA and the RIRA.

While the executive continues to ignore the voices of these people, brushing them off as mere dissidents and while the PSNI continue to stop 110 people a day under the terrorism laws, the ranks of the armed wings of Republicanism will swell. This "peace" will begin to show up the cracks that it is painted over. Where we at this stage do not have "violent conflict" on our streets, we still have conflict and where people continue to ignore it, it will boil over.

It is my belief that this "Peaceful Society" that these politicians talk about, is at a very real threat of collapsing in on itself. The British state and the DUP have not learnt from their past. The same tatics they used against SF are the same tatics they now use againts "dissidents". SF are now the biggest Republican party in the occupied state. These same tatics will cause the ranks of the very "dissidents" they are trying to ignore, to grow.

Now this was supposed to be a short one and as a result I don't really have time to build a conclusion. These are just more thoughts going on in my head. I will write in more detail later.

God Bless
Peace

Objection to the DPP Meetings

So I would like to pass an opinion here, that will sit unpopular, esp with supporters and members of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement and the Republican Network for Unity.

The 32CSM deem this protest as a success. I'm not actually sure that is the word I would use. I mean I guess yea, in so much as the protest disrupted the meeting, and I believe that it was called off early, then yes it was a success. However the action and tactics used are, at best, questionable.

It was a public meeting, and I fully recognise the right to stage a protest and I agree with the 32CSM/RNU objection to the DPP and support for the PSNI/RUC. However they were completely undignified in their protest. The use of horns and whistles and man handling of hotel staff, plays right into the hands of the media and the British black propagandha machine. The footage caught on this evening can be used to easily paint the aformentioned groups as rabble, hoods and trouble makers.

This is in stark comparasion to the recent RSF protest at the DPP meeting on the Lower Falls, in the Clonard Youth Hall. This protest was both dignified and could not be painted as anything other than a valid political protest. PSF councillor Marie Cush explained that the protest effectively lasted just over 4 minutes.

"They came in and sat at the front. A woman sang a song, then they left" - Marie Cush

In my opinion this would be more effective than that of the 32CSM/RNU protest, for a few reasons. I know Republicans, who support PSF, but who are weary and still are finding it hard to adjust to PSF's stance on policing. To these people, with Republicanism at their heart, the sing protest of RSF is more likely to make them settle, to agree with the RSF stance, which at heart they probably already believe in, but have not voiced. However the equivlent in Derry will be likely unconvinced as it seemed so unorganised.

Now I will admit to being uncertain in myself about these things. I mean clearly the 32CSM/RNU protest got more media attention, meaning it was brought to the attention of more people than that of the RSF protest. One is brought to question the use of protest, if media attention is not there. Further more RSF left after staging their protest. I guess, imo, I rekon the best way to carry out these protests would be that of RSF, but to not leave. To stand at points throughout the hall staging silent protest with signs/posters/banners like that carried by the 32CSM/RNU.

I'm niave I guess, and at best do not obviously have the anwsers. I merely feel that this tactic supports our right to protest, but allows others their right also. Maybe its a contradiction

Now just to clarify, I do not condemn or disagree with the 32CSM/RNU, merely on this situation I wasn't sure that they acted the best they should have. I support anyone aiming for a 32 County Socialist Republic. I don't agree with the term "dissident". I also don't agree with the Public condemnation of PSF and PSF condemnation of anyone who is not PSF.

God Bless

William Frazer / Alan McBride / Fair

So in recent days I have discussed this with various people and so I thought I’d post my thoughts. I have heard William Frazer talk before and decided to check out his website for the group FAIR, or Families acting for Innocent Relatives. I wasn’t shocked at what I saw which is unfortunate.

William Frazer’s father was a member of the Ulster Defence Regiment, the replacement of the B Specials. They were eventually amalgamated with the RIR. His father died when he was shot by the Provisional Irish Republican Army, the PIRA, on the 30^th of August 1975. Over the next ten years four members of William Frazer’s family were shot by the IRA. William Frazer after applying for a firearm was rejected, as he was “known to associate with Loyalist Paramilitaries”.

Having lost family in the war in Ireland, it is understandable that William Frazer is obviously very against the IRA. It is obvious that he would be anti Republican and a little bitter. However William Frazer is a sectarian, bigoted and racist man. He clearly is hateful of all things Catholic, Republican and Irish. William Frazer has said that Loyalist paramilitaries were necessary during the Troubles and defends and congratulates the RUC and the British army for colluding with Loyalist murder gangs. After the signing of the Good Friday Agreement William Frazer stated that the IRA prisoners should not be released and that the Loyalist prisoners should not have been locked up in the first place.

Now at this stage I wish to discuss FAIR. This is William Frazer’s campaign set up to represent victims of the IRA in South Armagh during the Troubles. However he does not provide representation for those who were slaughtered at the hands of the Loyalist gangs, the RUC and the British Army. The website reflects the extent of hatred that William Frazer is engulfed in.

The very top of the page has the very blatant image hyperlink that is titled “Attacks by Catholic Extremists”. This image takes you to a list of articles, with titles such as “…Armed Catholic Extremists on the street” and “Catholic Extremist Orange Hall attack” etc. There is even an article entitled the “Role and Responsibility of the Roman Catholic Community”, placing responsibility for those that died on the hands of any Catholic in the occupied counties.

Also on this site is a section entitled “The Hunger Strikers, The Truth”. Now the first thing that strikes me here is the complete irrelevance of this section on the site. This is merely a section of his site to paint those who died on hunger strike of being “Criminals, Murderers and thugs”.

As I said one can understand William Frazer’s bitterness towards the IRA but his blatant hatred of the Catholic and Irish communities is just so intense that I believe it clouds his ability to fairly represent anyone. The website FAIR blatantly harbours the kind of Sectarian hatred that has been tearing our society apart for years. I believe that it is ridiculous to consider his campaign when it comes to victim support. Not that it should be ignored, but taken lightly.

I am forced to compare his attitude with the commendable attitude of Alan McBride. Here is a man, whose wife, Sharon, lost her life in a Shankill Road fish shop when an IRA bomb exploded killing nine other people, including her father in 1993. This man, as to be expected, has no love for the IRA, but he is not a bigoted man. He has not be left with the same sectarian, racist and bigoted mindset as William Frazer.

Evidence of this can be found, in recent statement by Alan McBride, where he recognises Britain’s role in prolonging the violence; and calls for all governments, including the british, to compensate victims of their terror.

“Questions have to be asked about who was arming the loyalists,” he said. “Other nations, including the British state, were involved in supporting acts of terror and I think that they too should be held to account. I think that if nations were involved in supporting acts of terror, it’s only right that they should compensate the victims of that terror. I wouldn’t want this want this to be piecemeal, I want this to be right across the board, victims of violence on all sides should be compensated”.

This is a strong comparison to the bigoted mindset of William Frazer who never got over the awful events in his life, and let them turn in to anger, which of course leads only to hate. He is clearly so overcome with hatred that he has recently made calls so ridiculous that they could only delve Ireland back into serious day of dark violence.

On the FAIR Youtube page, in recent videos he calls for redeployment of the Army or SAS into South Armagh? It is hard to believe that a man who claims to support the victims of South Armagh is actually calling for the Army to return to its streets, inevitably causing more bloodshed.

I commend people such as Alan McBride, who though suffered terrible loss during the on going Irish Struggle and the War, are able to stand up and recognise the similarities between two communities and the importance of letting them come together, as opposed to William Frazer who is constantly trying to create divisions.

God Bless
Peace

Libyan Compensation Controversy...

Gerry Adams discusses Libyan compensation controversy...

Libya Compensation

Since this issue is becoming more regular on the New broadcasting channels across the occupied six counties, I thought it was an issue that maybe I should look into more.

The issue here is that the Libyan Government is accused of supplying weapons to the Irish Republican Army back in the 1980’s. These weapons then went on to be used in the armed campaign in the fight for freedom from British Occupation. During this war many people lost their lives including, regrettably, innocent civilians. The families of those that lost their lives, including the families of the occupying forces, are now trying to claim compensation of the current Libyan government.

Today a woman on UTV news, who’s Father died following a booby trap, was interviewed. I do not have the exact transcription of her words, but she was saying that everyday she has to relive the loss of her father. She spoke of how it hurt that her father was not there for the little things. It really struck a chord with me. When I thought about this I could simply not understand how she felt compensation from the Libyan government would be of any help. Would a pay out from Gaddafi help her to get over her Father? Would it make it easier not having him there, as long as she had more money? The answer to this question is quite simply no. No amount of money will ever help her to get over the loss of her father.

The other argument about needing justice doesn’t really cut it for me. The men who were involved in the death of her father will never face court, jail time or whatever one would deem justice. Furthermore it brings up the controversial issue as to whether an Irish man fighting for freedom in his Country, should have to face an English court, for an action of war.

Furthermore, if Libya pays out and compensates the families of those who lost people to IRA actions, who then will pay out compensation for those who lost family to the British Army, UDA, UVF, UFF, LVF or the RHC? Aidan McAnespie’s family had to fight for years, to receive a statement from the British Government that didn’t even contain an apology never mind compensation. Who will pay out this family? Who will pay out the families of Patrick Doherty, Gerald Donaghy, John Duddy, Hugh Gilmour, Michael Kelly, Michael McDaid, Kevin McElhinney, Bernard McGuigan, Gerald McKinney, William McKinney, William Nash, James Wray or John Young? Who will pay out the families of those slaughtered by Loyalist murder gangs, known to be involved in collusion cases with the British forces, such as Pat Finucaine?

British army agent, Brian Nelson, passed on information to the UFF, regarding Irish Republicans, and 80 of whom were attacked by the UFF and 29 shot dead.

The British state can not create a grade level that determines who is and is not worthy of compensation as a result of war in Ireland

So if the British state insists upon supporting these claims against the Libyan government they can not discriminate against Irish Republicans. They would then have to insist upon compensating the victims of their own War machine.

So my conclusion is one of mixed feelings. I feel that compensation claims from these families, have little to do with justice. They appear to be little more than a way to make money out of the troubled past of Ireland However surely if the Libyan government payout these victims then it opens the gate for Irish Republicans to take up cases against the British state, a result of which would legitimise the Irish struggle after such a long time. The British state could not discriminate against the victims of the British Army and as a result they would have to fully acknowledge their crimes in Ireland

Make up your own mind...

The following are exerpts from tesitmonials from IDF soldiers, in relation to Operation Castlead. You make up your own mind who you believe, the State controlled messages, or the fire from the dragons mouth

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
Testimony 51: "We were told soldiers were to be secured by fire-power. The soldiers were made to understand that their lives were the most important, and that there was no way our soldiers would get killed for the sake of leaving civilians the benefit of the doubt… People were not instructed to shoot at everyone they see but they were told that from a certain distance when they approach a house, no matter who it is - even an old woman - take them down."

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT - ROOFS, CELLULAR TELEPHONES, NIGHT TIME
Testimony 49: "Among other things, he strictly forbade us to climb up to roofs. He explained in fact that the air force has the 'go ahead' to fire at anyone seen on a roof."

Testimony 41: "You can't identify too much at night and anything that moves you engage in order not to take risks. It was not defined this way officially, but it was obvious. Any movement on the ground at night was doomed."

Testimonies 13 and 14: These describe an incident where an old man carrying a torch at night, walking towards an Israeli-held building, approached from about 150 metres - and was allowed to approach to 25 metres with no deterrent fire, before he was shot dead.

Testimony 14: "Everyone is shooting and shooting and the guy's screaming. The commander comes downstairs, glowing. 'Here's an opener for tonight'. He was asked why he wouldn't confirm deterrent fire. He said, "It's night time and this is a terrorist."

HUMAN SHIELDS
Some testimonies described the use of Palestinian civilians as human shields, for example by making neighbours enter suspect houses ahead of troops. The use of human shields is prohibited under article 51.7 of the Geneva Conventions.

Testimony 1 "To every house we close in on, we send the neighbour in, 'the Johnnie'… Sometimes the force would enter while placing rifle barrels on a civilian's shoulder, advancing into a house and using him as a human shield. Commanders said these were the instructions and we had to do it…"

BUILDING DEMOLITIONS
Testimony 2: "Part of the concept of razing was what the Israeli army calls 'the day after' consideration. Obviously this campaign would end at some point… The question was in what condition we'd leave the area, whether more exposed, a state that would afford us better firing and observation conditions, and far greater control. This was the principle behind all that razing - namely razing for our benefit.

Testimony 52: "Most of the destruction that went on there was not necessary.

AGGRESSIVE ATTITUDE
Testimony 43 : "One guy said he just couldn't finish this operation without killing someone… [describes the shooting of a man "apparently some sort of lookout"] … I can definitely say he was not armed. I can definitely say the soldier regarded this as some children's game and was delighted and laughing after this. I think that a normal person, even having killed an armed terrorist, would not be amused."

Testimony 50: "The atmosphere was not one of fear but rather people too eager to shoot other people."

VANDALISM OF PALESTINIAN PROPERTY
Testimony 39: "The guys would simply break stuff. Some were out to destroy and trash the whole time. They drew a disgusting drawing on the wall. They threw out sofas. They took down a picture from the wall just to shatter it."

Testimony 52:
Q: Was there boredom at any point during these two weeks?
A: Much boredom.
Q: So what does one do to relieve this boredom?
A: I told you, fire at water tanks, I don't know, out of boredom. When there's nothing else to shoot at, you fire at water tanks."

WHITE PHOSPHORUS
Testimony 8:
Q: Why fire phosphorus?
A: Because it's fun. Cool… I don't know what it's used for… I don't understand what it's even doing in our supplies if we're not supposed to use such ammo. It's ridiculous.

Testimony 11: "There was an area of about 200-300 square meters of glazed sand.... We understood this resulted from white phosphorus, and it was upsetting… in training you learn that white phosphorus is not used, and you're taught that it's not humane. You watch films and see what it does to people who are hit, and you say, 'There, we're doing it too.' That's not what I expected to see. Until that moment I had thought I belonged to the most humane army in the world."

RELIGIOUS RHETORIC
Testimony 15 [describing a talk by a military rabbi]: "Lots of pathos, the kind of religious discourse I'm a bit familiar with: war of choice, holy war - differing rules. He spoke less in religious terminology… and was much more into militant faith. He aimed at inspiring the men with courage, cruelty, aggressiveness, expressions such as 'no pity, God protects you, everything you do is sanctified'. The gist of these statements was perhaps to bring things into agreement with religion, with God and whoever this man was supposed to represent, that everything or nearly everything is permissible. "

"Republican" Bonfire...

I'm just home from a night at the Fort Bar just off the Falls Road, and I am fully disgusted at the disgraceful sights I was met with, in an area I once respected. I am writing this straight up, so excuse the bad grammar etc.

As I drove to the Fort I past the monstrosity that has been refered to as a "Republican" Bonfire.

In my humble opinion the whole concept, the disgusting behaviour surrounding it and the horrendus displays of hate are everything Irish Republicanism is not.

The Bonfire was decked with flags of the union, amoung others. If you have read or refer to my previous blogs about the bonfires you will find that I am disgusted by the use of flags on Bonfires. This is merely a symbol of hate. Once you are lost in hate, your Republicanism slowly dies, as a Republic based on the hate of others is not the Republic that our fallen heros have died for. However to heighten the disgracefulness of these flags, directly across the road is a Mural that states all flags are welcome on the Falls, meaning all people are welcome. These flags are shouting "YOUR NOT WELCOME" to anyone that is Unionist, loyalist or even just happy to British.

The alcohol fuelled hatred left the lower Falls and Divis covered by debris, as drunken fools fell over themselves. As we walked past two girls they began to burn a "Northern Ireland" flag, whilst wrapped in my flag. This is a great insult to me and should be an insult to other Republicans. If they insist on flauting the fact that they are bigoted bastards, I would appreciate if they didn't do so whilst wrapped in the Irish Tricolour, a flag of peace.

To further the disgusting behaviour they were actually hijacking and joyriding cars. What in the name of our good God was the point or logic behind that. It is completely non Republican. It is detrimental to society.

The people lining the lower Falls and Divis tonight where no better than the Bigoted fools that danced around the eleventh night bonfires faluting hatred of everything Irish and Catholic.

It may seem harsh, but these people are not practising Republicanism or Irishness or anything in anyway related. They are "celebrating" hatred, bigotness and alcohol fuelled idiocy. I have lost some of my respect for what I saw as Republican Belfast.

God Bless
Peace

Leonard Cohen Legitimises the Nakba

Protests at the Leonard Cohen concerts in Dublin and Belfast have been organised by various organisations such as the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (http://www.ipsc.ie) to protest against the musicians intention to play later this year in Tel Aviv, Israeli contolled Palestine.

In July 2005 almost 200 Palestinian civil society organisations called for a "Boycott, Divesment and Sanctions against Israel until it complies with international Law and Universal Principles of Human Rights". Since 2005 Israels regime has become even more hateful and cruel, with the Seige on Gaza still not being lifted. The aparthied wall has been condemned as illegal by the UN and yet Arabs are still unhoused for its continued construction. More people are being unhoused for building developments in the West Bank. More and more checkpoints have been set up, breaking human rights laws. 2009 began with another slaughter of Palestinain civilians by Israeli armed forces, backed by the USA finacially and with weapons, that left 1,300 murdered, 0ver 400 of whom where women or Children and 86% o whom were declared civilians. News later revealed that innocents has been slaughtered intentionally. During this slaughter houses, hospitals, schools and mosques where attack with phospherous gas, which is illegal.

It is based on this that Leonard Cohen has been called upon to cancel his Tel Aviv appearence. At nearly every performance this year, different organisations have organised protests outside his shows, as letters from many orgainsations where ignored. To further add insult to the cause of Palestinian human rights, Leonard Cohen cancelled his Palestinian date instead.

A letter signed by 4 Jewish academics wrote

"You will perform for a public that by a very large majority had no qualms about its military forces' onslaught on Gaza... You will perform in a state whose propaganda services will extract every ounce of mileage from your presence... And you are telling the Palestinians ...that their suffering doesn't matter."

IPSC echoes that call.

In further news, as we already know in the latest elections Israel elected a Right Wing, more so anti Palestinian party. The education minister in this regime has decided that the word Nakba should be dropped from text books. Despite the fact that the word only appears in the book aimed at Arab Israeli citizens.

The passage in question, which occurs in one textbook aimed at Arab children aged around eight or nine, describes the 1948 war, which resulted in Israel's creation, in the following terms: "The Arabs call the war the Nakba - a war of catastrophe, loss and humiliation - and the Jews call it the Independence War.

Furthermore, despite the fact that Israel celebrates this every year, the new regime is trying to pass a bill that will make it illegal for the Arab Israelis to mourn this day in commemeration of the Nakba every May 15th. More Racist rule from Binyamin Netanyahu's regime.

Also, I have been trying to follow the story in Honduras, which is something I will blog about if I can educate myself further. However one thing that does bear mentioning is All EU countries pulled out their diplomats from Honduras within days or weeks apppearently. However when Israel was slaughtering the people of Gaza Hugo Chavez was the only leader with the testicular fortitude to remove his Israeli ambassador. That is a bit dissapointing.

God Bless
Peace

Inspired by a True Story...

You can't decommision attitudes (*Harsh Language*)

So there is alot of talk these day about how we all want to move towards peace, especially since the decommissioning of the loyalist weapons has been spoke about these days. Maybe I'm just a pessimist but I'm not wearing the rose tinted glasses everyone else must be wearing.

We are certainly in a period of less conflict, but is it peace? Well anything other than a physical peace? No, it is not. Still we see flags hoisted to mark ones territory from another, Kerbs painted and the typical traditional hate marchs that happen each year at this time.

Yes at this time each year the loyalist communities try to claim ownership of the month of July. The fresh flags are hoisted, the murals touched up and the sectarian bigoted activities begin. The Fenians are expected to stay either at home, or to leave for the month, at least until after the twelth.

It's not hard to see that with all the talk of loyalist decommisioning, that little has been done to decommision the attitude that the taigs don't belong. In recent years the "council" has hung signs stating "Glengormley; Its Your Town". However at the same time every year, in a completely hypocritical move, they allow the scrap metal to be erected that states "This is most certainly NOT your town; It's ours". The Orange arch cover in anti-irish and anti-catholic sentiment is erected right in the centre of the village, a s'posed public area.

A year ago, at Easter a women was forced, by the PSNI, a s'posed impartial Police Service, to remove her Irish flag. The national flag of her country. And Yet with out any arguement, permissions or consideration for the lowly second class "tims", hundreds of anti-irish flags, UVF Flags and flags of the Foriegn "Union" are hoisted all around my village, where I live. Again to remind me, that I merely have residence there. I'm not part of the community. I'm second class.

Then begin the bigot hate parades. The "Loyal Orange Lodge", an organisation that claims to be religious, march through Nationalist area, all over the occupied state, playing songs such as "Kick The Pope" and lyrics such as "Up to our neck in fenian blood 'til the day I die", with band names such as "KAI: Kill All Irish" and waving more sectarian flags. They claim its their traditional routes. I guess they are right. Hate is their tradition. What has kicking the Pope, Killing fenians and harassing locals got to do with christianity? About as much as the "Christian" Ku Klux Klan who marched the streets of the south, harassing and harbouring hate against the "second class lowly niggers" and waving their flags to represent hate.









Then comes the enviormental nightmare of the bigoted Alcohol fueled hate fires. All over the occupied state once again, huge piles of wood are stacked, made ready to be set alight on the 11th night so that local hoods, loyalists and bigots can dance to sectarian music, flags wrapped around them and reminise of the old days where it was okay to hate fenians openly. Anyone that tries to argue these fires are anything other than a hate celebration, is undermined by the use of Irish Flags, Pope models and, horrifyingly, the names of children killed by loyalist bigots used as toppers for their fires.





Note the Use of Sinn Féin posters.








Note the use of a "Papal Figure" on the top






Note the use of many Irish flags, and a poster displaying the 10 men who died on the 1981 Hunger Strike, who died for the rights of Republican and Loyalist prisioners.







Note the writing on the flag. It says "Fuck Micky Bo". This is in relation to Michael McIlveen. A 15 year old boy, beat with Baseball bats, and had his head kicked and jumped on, by fully grown loyalist men. He was 15, and he died at the scene. Why? He was a Catholic.

Mervyn Wilson Moon (20), of Douglas Terrace, had admitted murder at the start of the trial. Christopher Andrew McLeister (18), of Knockeen Crescent, who had been on trial for murder, was found guilty of manslaughter. Paul Edward David Henson (19), of Condiere Avenue, was convicted of affray and criminal damage. Man Slaughter and criminal damage?? The UDA then threatened the father when he tried to have the flag removed. Striking similarity can be found in the Robert Hamil and the Kevin McDaid cases. Police have accepted now that members of the UDA and the Pride of the Band Orange flute band were involved in murdering Kevin McDaid, beating up his wife Evelyn and issuing threats to his son, and the family of Damien Flemming.

So what do I make of the loyalist decommisioning? Not a dam thing. The UVF, the UDA, the RHC and the LVF were all involved in collusion cases with the British Army and the RUC, and nearly all of them, if not all, were members of the "Loyal Orange Lodge". Nearly every RUC member was also a member of both paramilitaries and the LOL.

The IRA decommissioned four years ago, and only now are we hearing of loyalists making the move. Not only that but they have been considering financial grants to help them do so. That is the biggest insult imaginable to the families of the 1,000 innocent people slaughtered by those bastards. The UVF have claimed to have decommissioned everything and the RHC claim the same. The UDA "have begun" the process. The LVF haven't made a mention, and it seems no one is gonna ask either. With the UVF/RHC, they had three witnesses, whom they chose, and now expect to move into a political role. This is a disgusting thought.

When the IRA decommisioned, the loyalists threw every possible road block imaginable. They demanded they chose the witnesses, and then refused to even consider decommisioning until the Army Council was declared no more. They did it. Four years ago. At this stage if the IIDC report the decommisioning of weapons I will accept that. But I will not accept the legitmising of their bigoted beliefs, by allowing their "army council" to remain.

Further more we have been reminded of the words of David Irvine, a loyalist paramilitary himself, that the "war is over". To even consider the actions of the loyalist paramilitaries to be a war is an insult to the intellegience of any Catholic, regardless of wether they are Republican or Nationalist. Most of the 1,000 killed had no involvement in either the IRA or even Sinn Féin. Most were working class Catholics just trying to live a life. Kidnapping Catholics, pulling them into a black taxi and slaughtering them with butchers knifes in an alley can in no way be called a war. They were not, and can never be legitimised as an army.

They were a band of armed bigots, out to kill anyone Catholic or Irish, and when that was no longer acceptable, they took their hate out on eachother and terrorised the normal, true Protestant people.

To call loyalist paramilitaries or the "LOL" a Protestant organisation, is an insult to the many great Protestant churchs in our world. It is also an insult to the Protestant history of the Irish people. Many of the Irish revolutions were led by decent working Protestant citizens, both in Political and armed arenas. Many men and women involved in the rebirth of Irish culture were of Protestant denominations.

The point I want to make is, its a simple fact that we are not in a time of peace because mindsets are the same. We only want peace, as long as its "our" peace. The loyalist idea of peace, is that we don't use weapons anymore, and that we Irish Republicans, just accept that this is "Northern" Ireland, and just forget about a United Free Ireland. To help us on our way to this thought process, they will of course hoist the flags, sing the songs and parade on the streets and continue to antagonise the locals.

You Can't Decommision Attitudes

God Bless
Peace