RSF Vice-President Visits Sweden

international | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Thursday September 14, 2006 21:33 by RSF - Republican Sinn Fein

International Solidarity with Republican prisoners!

The Vice President of Republican Sinn Fein Des Dalton was a guest of the Swedish Ireland Information Group over the weekend of September 9\10. At a public meeting in Uppsala on September 9 he spoke about the plight of the Republican prisoners in Maghaberry prison

The Vice President of Republican Sinn Fein Des Dalton was a guest of the Swedish Ireland Information Group over the weekend of September 9\10. At a public meeting in Uppsala on September 9 he spoke about the plight of the Republican prisoners in Maghaberry prison. "This prison struggle is not a recent phenomenon but is one almost as old as the Republican Movement itself. Criminalisation of Irish Republican prisoners has over a long period been used by the British Government to discredit in the eyes of the world the Irish people's fight for freedom. If they can show that Irish Republican prisoners are criminals, then by extension their cause is also criminal using this logic.

This is why the ongoing prison struggle is so important and why this latest campaign by Irish Republican prisoners must be fully supported by all people who cherish freedom, democracy and oppose British rule." Des Dalton said.

"This latest attempt to criminalise the Republican struggle is unique in Irish history in that in this instance the policy of criminalisation has been endorsed by those who would describe themselves as Irish nationalists and republicans. The various commemorations of the 25th anniversary of the H Block hunger strikes by those who signed up to the criminalisation of Irish Republican prisoners with the signing of the Stormont Agreement in 1998 is an act of sickening hypocrisy.

The Provisionals and the other so-called constitutional parties who signed up to the Stormont Agreement on April 10 1998 are guilty of collusion with the British government in the criminalisation of Irish Republican prisoners. At the stroke of a pen they undid all that was won on the backs of Bobby Sands and his comrades."

He also expressed Republican Sinn Fein's appreciation of the work of organisations such as the Ireland Information group as well as spelling out RSF's view of the current political situation in Ireland: "The Ard Chomhairle of Republican Sinn Fein extends greetings and solidarity to the Ireland-Information Group. We applaud your long-standing support for the Irish people's struggle for national independence. Republican Sinn Fein has always been conscious of Ireland's place in the international fight against imperialism in all of its forms. All of the peoples of the world who struggle for national freedom are our comrades.

"In Ireland, whilst former comrades have been incorporated into the apparatus of British Rule in Ireland, Republican Sinn Fein and the Republican Movement remain committed to the ongoing campaign for an Ireland free of British occupation. We seek to build a New Ireland as set out in our EIRE NUA programme. We believe this provides the blueprint for a just and lasting peace for all of the Irish people.

"Our goal is that of the patriot James Connolly, to build a community of free nations. We look forward to continuing to working with the Ireland-Information Group in advancing the cause of a free Ireland and a world free of imperialism." Des Dalton concluded. The General Secretary of the Ireland Information Group Joel Hogberg also addressed the meeting. A very successful fundraising social was held with the profits sent on to support the prisoners and their families. Similar functions as well as a picket of the British consulate in Gothenburg are planned for the near future by what is a very enthusiastic group of young people.