The Republican Forum for Unity
29/10/2008
Launch of “The Republican Forum for Unity”
Over the past ten years – since the signing of the Good Friday agreement – Irish Republicans have witnessed a dramatic change in the manner in which the struggle for National Liberation and the establishment of a 32 county Republic has been waged.To say that not all Republicans agree with, nor comprehend how such changes are leading to the establishment of a 32 county democratic socialist Republic, is to point out the obvious and is evidenced by the large number of groups that now exist with the stated aim of establishing such a Republic.There are those for whom the local British assembly represents the best route forward while for others the very existence of a local assembly stands as a bulwark against National Sovereignty and as such hinders not helps the struggle for National Liberation. Still others are so frustrated by the lack of progress or a clear strategic way forward or a unity of purpose that they have given up on the Republican struggle ever arriving at its revolutionary objective.In short, the Republican vision, as eloquently articulated in the Proclamation of 1916, appears to be distorted by divisions and lack of agreement around core Republican positions. That being the case a number of Republicans feel that ten years on from the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, the time is appropriate for Republicans to review where the Republican struggle stands and how best we can collectively pursue the sentiments expressed in the Proclamation.Such a review needs to address not only were we stand in relation to core Republican beliefs but also how we attempt to be pro-active on those beliefs within the Republican tradition. This is vital to ensure that we move our core aims beyond the aspirational and into the attainable. Towards this end all views should be encouraged and given equal weight using the rule of thumb that at this juncture it is of equal importance to consider where we, individually and collectively, are going to as were we are coming from.Towards this end a grouping of Republicans comprising members of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement, the Irish Republican Socialist Party, the Republican Network for Unity and a number of individual Republicans are formally launching “The Republican Forum for Unity”.Within this Forum all issues of importance to Republicans can be openly discussed with the intention that the ideas generated will be taken back to existing organizations for the purpose of focussing political activity to achieve more definitive results. In this way Republicans can begin to address the areas of division that have been created due to lack of open, frank and democratic discussion and begin the process of establishing an agreed Republican agenda rather than Republicans merely responding to a series of ‘contrived’ crises.“The Republican Forum for Unity” will undertake a series of Public Meetings throughout the country to outline our position and secure as much support for it as possible. It is an open Forum and its future is in the hands of those who freely participate in its workings. The first debate under the title “The GFA: Ten Years On” will be held in the Tower Hotel, Derry at 8.00pm on November 6th 2008. Dates and Venues for further debates in the months ahead will to set later.
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This Unity grouping seems to be looking into the past and looking at the "short fallings" and "sell out tactics" of Sinn Fein...but at NO stage have they ever come across, collectively or individually with a viable argument on what to do differently than SF? We all know the answer that they will peddle to this "Dont talk to the Brits", "A Police service, Brits out, a United Ireland (etc)". This is what we all want and more, such as the issue of housing and homelessness that was raised in the Tower Hotel in Derry at the first public session. This was answered by a commitment to achieve proper housing and adequate services - OK this is ideal, but how can this be done sitting on the sidelines squeaking in? It can't. This group will never have a significant voice to raise concerns on everyday issues if they don't have the support of the people in which these everday issues affect. How can this be done?....Stand for election and get a voice - campaign on issues that affect people and HAVE answers for them, not 1918 rhetoric. Dont stand on an anti-SF ticket becasue this failed miserably (as was seen when SF yet again increased their vote) on the back of the Peggy O'Hara campaign and was an ongoing joke in Derry, even in the McCann/Sandinos camp!
Other questions where raised at this meeting that contributed nothing to the outline of what independent Republicans came to listen to. What was this group setting out to do? Unite anti-agreement factions and move forward?...OK - this was done (I think...), so now what? Do we wait on "man-made earthquakes such as Canary warf" (Lawerence O Neill 6-11-08 Tower Hotel Derry) to forward the struggle? This should never be the case again in the present climate - this was an ill-informed thing to say when you are trying to be serious about a new group that wants to be taken seriously and it raises the question - are all the groups in this umbrella group singing from the same hymn sheet? Or will there be a split and have ramifications such as those that existed within the Judean Peoples Front and the Peoples Front of Judea?...I'll wait and see. And, in the meantime this article continually ran through my head before, during and after the "Unity" meeting... What do you think?
INLA: Dissidents Infiltrated by MI5 (from Derry Journal 25 December 1999
The INLA has rubbished a new militant group of republican dissidents fiercly opposed to the setting up of the Northern Ireland Assembly, which has reportedly set up a brigade in Derry.
The INLA leadership heaped scorn on the new organisation, claiming it comprised of "gangsters masquerading as republicans" and has been infiltrated by MI5.
INLA representatives requested a meeting with the Journal following the papers front page story about the new umbrella group, claiming they wish to set the record straight.
They said they strongly objected to their organisation, which has been on ceasefire since last August, being linked to the new group. They claimed the new group was trying to raise its political profile to attract new members, and deserved no credibilty.
Accusing the new groups leaders of scaremongoring, the INLA claimed "They are basically three people who are buck idiots. We dont want misguided young people in Derry to be taken in by empty rhetoric".
According to the source quoted in last weeks article, the renegades, members of the Continuity IRA {CIRA}, the Real IRA and leading members of the INLA infuriated by the Stormont Assembly and the Irish Goverments rescinding of Articles 2 and 3 of the Republics constitution, had elected a seven strong army council at a recent army convention across the border.
However the INLA leadership claimed that a former leading member in Derry had been dismissed from the organisation as a result of criminal activity, and did not defect to the new group because of political disaffection.
The INLA claimed the individual had been under investigation by the organisation prior to being expelled a week before its ceasefire last August.
"He was dismissed a week before the ceasefire but he had been sent to Coventry for a number of months because we didn't trust him" they claimed.
In a stinging attack on their former colleague, the INLA accused him of trying to agitate conflict between the INLA and the IRA and carrying out robberies not sanctioned by the North West leadership. They claimed that while he was being detained at Castlereagh detention centre earlier this year, an associate released a statement to the media from the INLA calling on the IRA to control former members who were engaged in criminal activity. The INLA claimed their former colleague knew that the robbery of a van in William St carrying cigarettes had been carried out by the IRA. The IRA were incensed by the statement and after his associate refused to retract it he was the victim of a punishment attack.
"For long periods certain individuals in Derry who were in the local leadership used their membership to cover for their criminal behaviour. We feel that our dead volunteers memory was being sullied by this and they deserve the truth to be told. They did not die so that our movement could be used as a cover for criminals who may be controlled by the British Secret Service.
"The individual was dismissed from the Republican Socialist Movement and immediately began spreading the falsehood locally that he was against the imminent INLA ceasefire. This was to create the impression that he was a hard-liner and ingratiate himself with the members of Republican Sinn Fein {RSF}. At no time did he voice opposition to Republican Socialist Movement {RSM} strategy while he was a member" the INLA claimed.
They continued "Much speculation has appeared in the media concerning former INLA members joining new groupings. At times these were scare tactics emanating from the British and aimed at those taking part in so-called peace talks.
"All investigations of these stories proved that the INLA remained virtually completely intact. No seepage of members occoured. One former member in Derry aligned himself with expelled members of RSF in Derry and began approaching serving INLA members in County Derry asking them to join the IRA and go on training camps.
"These offers were refused and were reported back to the North West leadership. The former RSF personnel were informed that the INLA would take action if this type of activity continued. They denied all knowledge".
The INLA said that two representatives of the RSM attended a meeting in Derry to clarify their position.
"Those present were representatives from RSF, CIRA and a Chicago based Irish American RSF support group. The 32 County Sovereignty group failed to attend because of a number of arrests.
"The RSM representatives gave their analysis which briefly was that armed struggle no longer was justified given the Irish peoples vote in the referenda. Our position was that we were against the current political strategy of the Provisionals solely because we believed it would not deliver either peace or a united Ireland. Our analysis on armed struggle was surprisingly enough not challenged by those present.
"This meeting was later released to the media by others who were attempting to give the impression that unity existed amongst those who were against the return to Stormont. At no other time did RSM discuss or meet with these people".
The INLA said "We believe that MI5 have infiltrated these groupings. It is also our belief that others within this group, although genuine and well meaning, are blinded by their hatred of their former comrades in the republican movement. It is this hatred borne out of the elitism they learned from their version of Irish republicanism-nationalism which is the main driving force behind them".
The INLA added "We challenge anybody to come up with one genuine name who left the INLA and went to a dissident group. We don't want young people in Derry to be taken in by gangsters masquerading as republicans.
"We dont want them to go out and kill people or go to prison for inflicting violence on their community, whether that community is Catholic or Protestant, just because of the misguided views of a very small group of individuals.
"They are giving the impression they are big group which is going to effect peace and peoples lives. We wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. We are opposed to the current political situation but we are not going to bomb it out of existance. Our ceasefire stands" the INLA leaders said.
-- Statement Ends --
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