Worker Republic Is Our

The retreat of the middle-ciass Te politicians im the fect o Loyalist intransigence has escallated into 4 virtual stampede. This is nothing new. But much more dangerous is the fact that some Republican and Socialist organisations are tending to be drawn in on the wake of this retreat.

At an early date the SDLP set the pace by betraying every promise they made to the antiUnionist people. The history of their sell-out on internment, on the RUC, on the rent and rate strike, on the Council of Ireland, etc_, has been well docurmented im the “Unfree Citizen’. __ The Southern Government have equalied and surpassed this despicable record of SDLP cowardice From 1969 amen Jock Lyncn refused to lift a finger in defence of the Northern Minority during the August pograms, to the total opposition of the present Southern regime to the very idea of a united Ireland, the pattern has been the same. In the last fortnight we have had the Southern Minister of Foreign Affairs, Garret Fitzgerald, and the State Censor, Conor Cruise O’Brien, coming out firmly against even the concept of a United Ireland.

Garret Fitzgerald in an interview in the ‘Irish News’ on June 24th said ‘It’s not going to be possible to * find a solution that will satisfy all Our aspirations at once’. He then quickly assured the loyalists that he had no intention of asking them to give up their aspirations for a sectarian Protestant State, and that all the giving would have to be STATEMENT FOR PUBLICATION RE: PATRICK TEER DECEASED \ \ I Republic accepting things that would not have been acceptable five years ago”. His final kick in the teeth for the northern Catholics was to make excuses for loyalist ntransigence by saying “THE TROUBLE IS THAT THEY (the majority community) HAVE SUFFERED SO MUCH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY OVER THIS PERIOD THAT THEY’RE NOT IN THE MOOD AT PRESENT TO MAKE CONC LCCC —_ — = YY FS LOSS Fe ~ Fitzgerald hasn't heard about the suffering of internment, Bloody Sunday, Sectarian Assassinations, British Army and RUC brutality, population in the North. Or could it be that he doesn’t know of the 50 years of Loyalist dictatorship in the North during which time the Catholic population have endured brutal pograms, scandalous unemployment, and every form of blatant discrimination.

Conor Cruise O’Brien, never one to be outdone when it comes to licking Britain’s boots, announced during an interview on his own private radio station, R.T.E., that in his opinion it was almost illegal for anyone to want a united Ireland. He might allow people to think about it, but certainly talking about it is out!

Phil McCullough, Camp PRO Hut 22 — Cage 3, Long Kesh Internment Camp, Lisburn 3rd July 1974 When the then leader of the opposition at Westminster Mr. Harold Wilson visited this Camp in Autumn 1971, his comments afterwards were: “A very grim place” .. . ‘“The sooner it is closed the better’. Today this man and alleged Socialist, is now Prime Minister of Britain, and there still remains here in Ireland that very same “grim place’, but with one grim exception. Yestreday the 2nd July 1974, a lad named Patrick Teer from Westrock Ave., Belfast, became a victim of Harold Wilson's administration in Long Kesh Camp. He was not assassinated by the right wing elements or British Army firepower, but by the vile and barbaric nature of the British policy of Internment without trial in such a ‘grim place’ as Long Kesh. We the Camp Council challenge the lie spewed out by Colonel Sillitoe nd his public relations henchmen at the N.|. Office that Patrick Teer ‘died’ as they claim. Patrick was MURDERED by the system. Three months ago, Patrick was interned without Trial by overlord Merlyn Rees. He had no previous medical Confusion of Republican and Socialist groups 0 0 } Uv , © aii OMSt W a lack of clarity and class unqualified orderlies.

great thirst. — aes wee rw eUr N 1G UIGU, Among the Republican and Socialist groups a defeatist attitude to the loyalists has always been most obvious. In the Official Republican movement, it has resulted from UDA/IRA patrols, and their attempts to court loyalist favour by hysterical condemnation of the Provisionals in their anti-imperialist war. These = cress = ae cme we oe us U = Ss = are leading increasingly to the disillusionment of many of their own membership. (If you bang your head off a brick wall for long enough, you get a headache — no matter how thick your skull may be!)

Provisionai Sinn Fein, because of consciousness in their politics are showing increasing confusion since the loyalist strike. Thus we have the spectacle of certain sections of Sinn Fein tripping over themselves to talk to the UWC while other sections are adamently Npposed to such a course. This confusion can be clearly seen by comparison of ‘An Phoblacht’ and ‘Republican News’, the former tending in general to be in favour of such talks, whereas the latter tends to change its opinion weekly, one history or illnesses. On Wednesday 26th June 1974, he reported ill to the Camp doctor with what he believed to be ear trouble. He received the usual ‘off the cuff’ treatment, namely an anti-biotic called ‘Penbritin’. Patrick remained ill despite the table treatment.

At mid-day Sunday 30th, June 1974 he was so ill that he had to confine himself to the Medical Cage. Despite the size of this Camp, several square mile in diameter, and containing almost 2,000 men, there never has been a permanent doctor attached to it. The Medical Cage contains two small! Nissen huts surrounded by the usual barbed wire and mesh fence. One Nissen hut is used for dispensary and doctor use, and the other for the confinement of sick Internees who are locked up for 21 hours per day. Because of the: shortage of manpower within the Prison Officers Association, thére are insufficient traine medical personnel leaving the treatment and care of Internee patients to Despite the very obvious pain and torment which Patrick was undergoing at Patrick received pain relieving tablets. After two agonizing hours the doctor eventually arrived at the Camp. Patrick was still screaming and moaning with pain. On examination Dr. Hall stated that he believed that Patrick had Jaundi He was again left to endure this pain for another two hours until an orderly arrived to give him an injection which calmed him down but left him with a Ht ure way OT propiems. week in favour of talks. with the loyalists, and the next week calling them fascists.

The retreat of the middle class parties of the SDLP and the Southern Government in the face of extreme loyalism is only to be expected. These parties have no interest in the working class, other than for votes, and so they have no qualms about delivering the Catholic working class of the North into a fascist Protestant Northern State. If that will mean peace for their big business interests to continue raking in huge profits,

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the time, a qualified Doctor was not requested by the Prison Officers in charc but they did state that one would possibly be available ‘sometime that day’.