The sheer breath-taking audacity of Sinn Fein-I.R.A. knows
no bounds. Caught red-handed over a series of breaches of
the Belfast Agreement and still wedded to the philosophy and
strategy of “the armalite and the ballot box”, the
republican movement still tries to blame others for the suspension
of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the complete breakdown
in trust.
Republican leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness still
trot out familiar phrases like “Sinn Fein is wedded to
the Good Friday Agreement” and “we have been working
tirelessly for peace”, when everyone outside the blinkered
following of Sinn Fein-I.R.A. know the reality is completely
different.
The list of incidents in recent years involving Sinn Fein-I.R.A.
is a formidable one – Florida, Colombia, Castlereagh,
‘punishment beatings’ and the expulsion of people
from Northern Ireland.
The latest allegation concerning Sinn Fein spying on the
other parties in the power-sharing Executive, and the possession
of lists of all the prison officers and many police officers
in the Province by the I.R.A. is sub-judice, as a number of
people have been charged.
But the very fact that the issue caused extreme alarm throughout
the democratic parties, and is certain to lead to many people
having to be re-housed for security purposes, is proof enough
of the poisonous atmosphere at Stormont, created by the failure
of Sinn Fein-I.R.A. to meet the requirements of democracy.
The latest crisis to face Northern Ireland is the responsibility
solely of Sinn Fein-I.R.A. – this is the fourth suspension
of the Assembly. The republicans have cynically abused the
democratic process and used the power to further their agenda
– an agenda which includes retention of its huge armoury
of weapons by the I.R.A., as Sinn Fein exacts concession after
concession from the Government.
The concessions are awesome and appalling – the destruction
of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the release of terrorist
prisoners, many convicted of murder and causing explosions,
the dismantling of security towers, the removal of British
symbols from buildings, and the right accorded to Sinn Fein
M.P.’s to have an office in Westminster – complete
with Irish tricolour – without those M.P.’s taking
the oath of allegiance.
All these concessions have simply been pocketed by Sinn Fein,
dismissed as ‘irrelevant’ and republicans have simply
moved on to their next demand.
On top of all this Sinn Fein has infiltrated and manipulated
‘concerned residents groups’ to create tensions
over peaceful and traditional Orange parades, and Sinn Fein-I.R.A.
has also been involved in the tensions and violence at Belfast
interface areas during the past summer.
In the run-up to the referendum on the Belfast Agreement
in May 1998, the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland stated that
“careful and detailed consideration” had been given
to the Agreement. “We had hoped that would offer such
a real prospect of peace that we could positively endorse
it. Sadly, that has not been the case”, Grand Lodge said
at the time.
The Orange caution over the Agreement has been proved right.
At the time, the Grand Lodge listed a number of key areas
of concern, including the failure to copper fasten the decommissioning
of illegal terrorist weaponry, the prospect of unrepentant
terrorists in the Executive of a proposed Assembly, and the
inclusion of mechanisms to make further concessions to the
I.R.A.
Whilst it gives the Order no pleasure to be proven correct,
the reality is that the Grand Lodge warnings have proved totally
accurate.
Apart from some token decommissioning – who knows how
much, or perhaps how little? – there has been no real
movement on this issue. However, there has been much evidence
of re-arming by terrorist groups.
Minister of Education Martin McGuinness has admitted his
involvement with the Provisional I.R.A., and it has been claimed
by a number of political analysts and writers that a number
of leading members of Sinn Fein still sit on the I.R.A. Army
Council.
In addition to shootings, the punishment beatings, the expulsion
of anti-social elements’ from Northern Ireland and the
orchestration of street violence have continued.
Add to that list Colombia, the Castlereagh break-in, Florida,
and the spy ring at Stormont and people are entitled to ask
“Are we living in a fantasy world?”
Up until the recent Assembly suspension, it seemed that Sinn
Fein-I.R.A. was being allowed to do whatever it liked, at
whatever cost, provided the ‘peace process’ did
not collapse.
Where do we go from here? The real concern must be to ensure
that the already damaged rule of law and the belief and democracy
does not collapse.
The Orange Institution has often stated its conviction of
the value of a devolved Assembly in Northern Ireland, but
it must be of the kind and quality acceptable to all who want
fair and just government.
For devolution to succeed and have any credibility there
can be no fudge and no excuses.
Only those obviously committed to solely democratic means
can reap the rewards of the democratic process.
Unionists must unite in working for a just and truly peaceful
settlement in Northern Ireland, and the Government must meet
its responsibilities.
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