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Date Posted: 06:37:08 08/31/02 Sat
Subject : Irish Political Status Committee welcomes foundation of Republican Prisoners' Action Committee
Date : Thu, 29 Aug 2002 13:07:24 -0500
PRESS STATEMENT 29/08/02
Irish prisoners' solidarity group in London welcomes foundation of joint group in Ireland.
The Irish Political Status Committee, a broad-based group working in support of Irish republican prisoners, today welcomed the formation of the Republican Prisoners' Action Committee on August 25th in Belfast.
Their statement follows:
The IPSC warmly welcomes the foundation last week of the RPAC.
According to reports, this committee for the first time since the Good Friday Agreement (and for many years before that), establishes in Ireland a broad committee, supported by a number of Irish Republican organisations and
progressive individuals as well as families of the PoW's.
The IPSC has for over two years been working on exactly that basis also, as it was our perception that the seriousness of the prisoners' situation, and their marginalisation since the GFA, as well as the relative isolation of groups opposed to the Agreement, called for the utmost cooperation between groups of different political views that remain, however, committed to
opposition to British Imperialism.
We look forward to cordial and close cooperation between ourselves and the RPAC on initiatives in the months ahead, and we assure them of our support. No doubt the British state, and other enemies of Irish freedom, will view this latest development with trepidation. No doubt many attempts will be made to fragment this new unity, and such attempts will no doubt be resolutely opposed. Since our foundation over two years ago, we have survived attempted interference by former Irish Republicans who support
the GFA; attempted intimidation by British fascists and Loyalists; and surveillance, , attempted intimidation and infiltration, and informer-recruitment by British State intelligence.
At this point in time Irish Republican struggles in the prisons are intensifying. Prisoners in Maghaberry have withdrawn cooperation and suspended liaison with the prison authorities as a result of the seriousness of the prisoners' situation. Not so long ago, Irish Republican
prisoners in Portlaoise were attacked as they protested their conditions. As long as Britain occupies any part of Ireland, it remains the case that there will be found Irish women and men who will resist that occupation. Some of those resistance fighters will inevitably be imprisoned by the British and Irish states for their activities. As long as that remains the situation, the IPSC will continue to support them, while at the same time calling for total British withdrawal from Ireland, and we welcome the
opportunity to cooperate with organisations in Ireland that are committed to similar objectives.
Irish Republican Prisoners have the right to
* segregation from Loyalist and non-political prisoners;
* representation by the prisoners of their choice;
* at minimum the same facilities offered to other prisoners, including compassionate leave;
* political status.
In support of those objectives, we will be picketing the Irish 'Free State' Embassy in London on Saturday September 14th 2002 at 3pm, 17 Grosvenor Plave, LONDON, SW1 ( Hyde Park Tube ) and hosting a social evening leter the
same evening at the "One Hundred Flowers Cultural Centre", 2a Belgrade Road (off Stoke Newington Road) London N16, at 7pm.
Performance's From The Vol. Joe O`Connor Republican Flute Band Performance's From Revolutionary Music Group From Turkey Statement issued London, 29 August, 2002.
Enquiries: Diarmuid Breatnach, 0208 690 9926.
IPSC, BM BOX 1981, LONDON, WCIN - 3XX. E-Mail: statusnow@yahoo.co.uk
Web Address : http://humanrightsonline.net/ipsc.html
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