May Human Rights Update/Ireland 5/6/99 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit source - ireland_list@email.rutgers.edu May 1999 Human Rights Update on Northern Ireland _________________ This Human Rights Update is made available to all Congressional Offices and activists interested in updates on the conflict in the north of Ireland. Human Rights continue to be denied and abused in the six counties, even while the Peace Process progresses. It is the hope of all Irish Americans and human rights activists everywhere that lawmakers in the United States will stand up for the rights of the Irish people who are the victims of state-sanctioned harassment and abuse. On any of the following items, specifics and more detailed briefs are available. Rosemary Nelson Justice Campaign Launched On April 19, husband of slain human rights attorney Rosemary Nelson, Paul Nelson and other members of Mrs. Nelson's family, friends, clients and other civil rights attorneys announced the launch of a campaign calling for justice in the brutal murder of Mrs. Nelson on March 15. The Rosemary Nelson Campaign was officially launched at a Belfast press conference, calling for an independent international investigation into the murder, as well as a wider international and judicial probe of the circumstances surrounding her death. Dr. Robbie McVeigh, the campaign's spokesman welcomed the international support already given to the Nelson family. "The swift support for an independent inquiry into the murder of Rosemary Nelson from both the US Congress and the European Parliament is an important step forward in the pursuit of truth and justice in this case," said Dr. McVeigh. On Thursday, April 15, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for an independent inquiry into Mrs. Nelson's murder. Dr. McVeigh visited the United States the week following the launch of the campaign and spoke both with lawmakers, community leaders and at public meetings about the campaign and the first efforts it was making in the pursuit of the two demands it named at its launch. He also presented to the House International Relations Committee Hearing on April 22, a statement from Paul Nelson about the murder of his wife and the Rosemary Nelson Campaign, which stated that "Human rights lawyers are in the front-line of the defence [sic] of human rights around the world. In this context the murder of Rosemary was a direct and profound attack on the human rights of everybody in Ireland and beyond." "The murder of Rosemary was a terrible event with potentially huge implications for policing and human rights in the north of Ireland. It was, however, primarily a human tragedy for her family and friends," said Mr. Nelson. "Whatever happens in terms of the pursuit of truth and justice in this case, it bears emphasis that our loss can never be replaced." ------------------------------------------------ House International Relations Committee Hearing on Policing On April 22, the House International Relations Committee, chaired by Congressman Ben Gilman (R-NY), heard testimony about the state of policing in the north of Ireland. For close to five hours, witnesses including representatives of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and The Committee for the Administration of Justice explained their views on why a new policing force was necessary in the north of Ireland. But the most stunning testimonies came from Diane Hamill, sister of slain Robert Hamill, and Mrs. Toni Carragher, of the South Armagh Farmers and Residents Committee. Mrs. Carragher, the Secretary and PRO for the SAFRC, testified about the years of intimidation and harassment at the hands of the RUC and joint security forces against the residents of South Armagh. "South Armagh has never known normal policing," said Mrs. Carragher. "It is a force which has looked upon South Armagh as a hostile place to be controlled." She related stories of various attacks throughout the area in which the RUC had been involved and revealed that evidence is now emerging that the RUC was involved ina series of murders of nationalists in South Armagh in the late 1970s. It is the belief of the SAFRC that at least eight murders were carried out in South Armagh by a group within the RUC. Mrs. Carragher also told stunned Congress members of her own personal experiences of brutal treatment at the hands of the RUC. "When put in the context of the oppressive atmosphere of everyday life in Sought Armagh were people dread the checkpoint around the corner or the loud knock on their door, it is not difficult to see why the RUC is unacceptable Our young people must be given the chance to live free from the type of state violence which has been a feature of their parents' and their grandparents' lives." Ms. Diane Hamill told Congressmen and the audience of how her brother, Robert, had been attacked in April of 1997, by a gang numbering at least 30 loyalists, while an RUC Land Rover stood only yards away. Witnesses to the attack saw Robert go down but offer little resistance, indicating that he had most likely been knocked unconscious early on, even though the gang continued to beat, bludgeon and kick his body and head. Ms. Hamill described how Robert was worried about walking through the Portadown towne centre late at night, but he saw the Land Rover there and thought that he and his cousins would be protected as they traversed an area dangerous to Catholics. But when the mob set upon Robert and his cousin Gregory, no help came from the police sitting in the Land Rover. Even more sinister were reports immediately released by the RUC following the attack, claiming it was a fight between "rival factions." The RUC did not even arrest or truly investigate the event until Robert died eleven days later. Thus, said Ms. Hamill, "the RUC from day one were making desperate attempts to distance themselves from any blame for what had happened to Robert when in effect they were as much to blame as the men who viscously kicked Robert to death." After challenging the RUC on this and other aspects of the attack, the Hamill family and their solicitor, Rosemary Nelson, were beset upon by the RUC harassing and intimidating them. "Regularly," testified Ms. Hamill, "my family members have been taunted in Portadown town centre. I have been called a fenian slut and men and women have shouted 'where is Robbie now.' On occasions some loyalists have taken to jumping up and down in front of me, this is their imitation of Robert's murder; this is funny to them." After relating more incidents of harassment from the RUC and the lack of help from Mo Mowlam and the elected representative of the area, David Trimble, MP. Ms. Hamill ended her testimony with a list of questions about the brutal murder of her family and concluded, "The cost of publicly challenging the RUC is grave. They failed in their duty to protect my brother's life. When we asked why we have been intimidated and harassed. We have no remedy. I feel the RUC as it stands today is sectarian and totally unacceptable in a modern society. I want a police force I can call upon when I need to but more especially I want a police force that will protect me and not leave me to be murdered because I am a catholic." Other witnesses included Fr. Sean McManus of the Irish National Caucus, who delivered a history of the RUC in Ireland and the policing abuses that have occurred; Monsignor Raymond Murray, author of several books about policing and prison authority abuses and chairman of Relatives for Justice, who testified about the sectarian nature of the RUC. Dr. John McGarry of the University of Western Ontario testified about possible answers to a re-organization of the police force in the north of Ireland and Ms. Jane Winter of the British-Irish Rights Watch echoed the calls of the other human rights organizations present for a totally new police force in the six counties. Close to 200 observers came to view the hearing, many who did not fit into the hearing room viewing it on closed circuit television in another area of the Rayburn House Office Building. At the conclusion of the hearing, Congressman Chris Smith and Ben Gilman both re-iterated a call for the complete disbanding of the RUC and the formation of an entirely new police force, representative of the communities and intent on protection and service, rather than harassment, intimidation and division. Congressman Gilman's office revealed that there had been months of intense lobbying by both the British Embassy and the State Department against holding the hearing. Members of other communities in the north of Ireland were also asked to testify, but no one came forward before the final witness list was closed. -------------------------------------------- U.S. Congressional Resolutions regarding Rosemary Nelson The House International Relations Committee passed H.Res. 128 on Thursday, April 15 after a short mark-up, and was passed by the full House of Representatives on April 20. H.Res.128, introduced by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) and co-sponsored by Congressmen Gilman, King, Crowley, Payne, Menendez and Walsh, condemns the murder of Rosemary Nelson and calls for the protection of defense attorneys in Northern Ireland. This resolution calls on the UK government to launch an inquiry totally independent of the RUC and to issue a detailed, public report on the murder of Mrs. Nelson, to institute an independent inquiry into allegations of systematic harassment and intimidation of defense attorneys by security forces, and to implement the UN Special Rapporteur's recommendations for an independent inquiry into the possibility of collusion in the murder of Patrick Finucane in 1989. The House International Relations Committee also introduced an amendment to HR 1211, the massive international relations spending budget bill, which called for restrictions on the FBI's training of the RUC. The amendment said that unless the president had ratified that a complete independent inquiry into the murder of human rights attorney Rosemary Nelson had been instigated by the UK government, as well as an investigation into the harassment and intimidation of lawyers throughout the north of Ireland, the RUC would be barred from participating in training sessions with the FBI. The amendment and the bill passed through Committee on April 15. Since that time, the FBI has stated that despite Congressional efforts to limit its actions, it intends to continue training courses for the RUC, building upon a 13-day course started with the RUC and the Gardai in January. ----------------------------------------- Continued Loyalist Attacks Loyalist attacks on Catholics have in fact increased since the April 1998 Belfast Agreement, in the face of unionist calls for the decommissioning of IRA weapons. No efforts have been made to quell the violence, which has seen 5 murders since July 1998, including that of a police officer in Portadown, three small children, a Catholic man, and human rights solicitor Rosemary Nelson. In a report compiled this month of loyalist attacks since December 27, 1997, there have been over 1500 Loyalist attacks on Catholics, and those only ones that were reported by the press. These attacks include petrol bombs thrown at homes and at people, shots fired, people shot in their bodies and heads, murders, gang attacks, burnings, stonings and mob harassment of Catholic communities in Portadown and Harryville. The report also finds that many have been beaten and burned out of their homes. In fact, in a 7 month period, from the start of last year's marching season to the first of the year, 1,350 families requested re-housing due to intimidation or attacks. There have been no public outcries from government officials about these ongoing attacks, and there have been no prosecutions of the attackers or murderers. The full list of Loyalist attacks can be found at http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/mbs.cgi/mb377379. --------------------------------- Report from the Garvaghy Road The Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition reports this month that April began with further Orange demonstrations in Portadown over the Easter period. A loyalist mob attacked homes in the Nationalist Obins Street area on Easter Monday. A 27 year old Catholic man attacked by the mob suffered severe head injuries and required major surgery. It is now known that he will be partially disabled for life. A Catholic widower was forced to leave his home in the Armagh Road area of Portadown. A Catholic family living in the Drumcree area became the target of sectarian threats and abuse, particularly on the night of April 15th. Throughout the month, rallies and marches were held at the Corcrain/Obins Street interface on April 3rd; town centre, April 6th; Drumcree, April 9th; Corcrain/Craigwell Avenue interface, April 13th and again at Drumcree on April 17th; town centre to Drumcree on April 24, 29 and 30th. The Orange Order has threatened to increase its number of marches and intimidation of the Garvaghy Road residents until it is allowed to march through the Catholic neighborhood in a parade banned by the Parades Commission last summer. The Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition website is http://members.aol.com/garvaghy. ============================ For more information, contact: Cari Zall, Human Rights Director - Irish Northern Aid Committee website: http://inac.org/human_rights ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nytire-05.12.99-09:31:54-20275