Fianna Fail, SDLP,O'Fiaich OFF THE FENCE!

British treachery is not something new to the Anti-Imperialist movement or to the Irish Working Class. Over decades the British have manoeuvred against the rebellious Irish - often with success and sometimes with setbacks. We may have impeded the ability of the British to criminalise the prisoners, but we have not yet succeeded in neutral -ising this policy and such was the tosk with the last round in the prison struggle. As we engage in an new struggle around a Second Hunger Strike, the bitter lessons of British Betrayal are sharply engrained in the minds of many thousands who organised and marched for the protesting prisoners. Memories of promises made - false promises -on the basis of "secret talks and deals" have lingered. These have generated among many a new determination not to trust those like Haughey and other Fianna Fail leaders who refused the mandate from the prisoners’ supporters and instead lobbied the British on their own secret terms.

Also remembered are those like O'Fiach who asked Hunger Strikers to end their fast, without offering support for the organised campaign to win the five demands. These people offered the prisoners no~ thing, only the spectre of defeat -and created the opportunities for the British and their cohorts to isolate ond outmanoeuvre 10 starving political prisoners.

The decision by the prisoners to go on another hunger strike has not been taken lightly. We believe that they are well aware of the consequences are grave. This decision illustrates their extreme frustration and anger. The British government's officials in charge of prison policy in the six counties cynicallysresponded to every move the prisoners made, thereby encouraging the present outcome. But this Hunger Strike decision also illustrates the limitations of actions the prisoners can take inside the prison walls and the weakness of the mass movement on the outside. The confusion inside the campaign at the ending of the last Hunger Strike and the ensuing demobilisation of its forces, clearly left the prisoners with their backs to the wall. Promised concessions were then withdrawn and possible success started to shift towards a major setback.

People's Democracy expresses its deep concern that a second Hunger Strike is to begin. The last one indicated all the dangers of placing the massive responsibility for the struggle and principles involved on the shoulders of individual prisoners. They are indeed brave ond courageour defenders of all the protesting prisoners. However, the tasks involved in defeating the British can only be successfully carried out by a mass movement - one which has its roots deep inside the organised Irish working class.

Therefore, the major task for the Anti-Imperialists is to remobilise the mass campaign against the reneging by the British and for the implementation of the five demands. Getting the thousands of people who previously marched and organised before into the campaign again will not happen automatically. Definitive and clear plans will be necessary to galvanise the forces in the campaign. Projects must be built which will carry out its central needs. Pressure must be put onto the Nationalist Bourgeoisie . They must jump when we shout and come when we whistle!

Fianna Fail and the SDLP hostage to our demands and not give them a mandate for more secret talks which they will use to demobilise the masses.

We must politically defend the right of the National H-Block/Armagh campaign to exist against the sectarian attacks by Loyalists. These attacks are their attempt to obstruct the right of the anti-unionist population to politically organise. If these. remain unchallenged, they could succeed in demobilising layers within the campaign ond politically isolating the Northem minority from the rest of the Irish Working Class. We must also counter the pro-Imperialist propagonda of Gerry Fitt and his cohorts. Through initiatives like the "Dump Fitt" campaign in West Belfast, we con ensure that never again will he and others like him be able to speak for the anti-Unionist population.

- We must avoid making overestimated and dangerous assessments of the present balance of strength between the Anti-Imperialist movement and British Imperialism. The can only l2 44 to pushing the campaign beyond its capacity, threaten its credibility ond possibly break the tenuous links with the Southem working class. We must hold SUPPORT THE PRISONERS unprincipled. Rumours that the CPI has 'disiplined’ members who