South Armagh 32csm urges republicans to reject British institutions in Ireland

armagh | miscellaneous | press release Sunday October 02, 2005 23:21 by Kevin Murphy - 32 CSM sarmagh32csm at hotmail dot com

Decommissioning move must be seen in the context of overall British strategy

The South Armagh cumann of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement call on republicans to reject Stormont and the PSNI as institutions of the British occupation and to engage in urgent debate about the implications the decommissiong move has for republicanism .

With the construction of the H-blocks in the mid 1970’s, the British political and military establishment announced the methods by which they hoped to defeat Irelands liberation struggle . Underpinned by MargaretThatcher, this British strategy was defined as Ulsterisation, Normalisation , Criminalisation of Republican prisoners and making some some form of British rule acceptable to the nationalist community of the occupied six counties .

The events of the last week in particular now mean that Britains counter insurgency strategy as outlined above has been largely successful . There can be no denying this reality . Tragically for republicanism and despite the heroic sacrifices of the past , the success of this British counter insurgency strategy has in no small way been facilitated by the political direction adopted by the Provisional movement over the last decade in particular . We say this not out of bitterness or malice but as cold political fact .

The acceptance of Britains Stormont parliament has underlined the provisional leaderships acceptance of British rule in Ireland as legitimate . However their recent move to finally surrender Republican arms is a clear acceptance by them that armed resistance to British rule is no longer legitimate . That these hard won and protected arms have been surrendered on the pretext of gaining admission to a British parliament frankly beggars belief . This move clearly signals that the Provisional leadership now view the British crown forces as the only grouping with a legitimate right to bear arms in the occupied 6 counties. It can not be viewed in any other way within a clear Republican analysis , or indeed any rational analysis .

Having fully recognised the legitimitacy of British political and military institutions in Ireland while simultaneously denouncing Irish resistance as illegitimate, it is now abundantly clear what the Provisional leaderships next logical step within the process of Ulsterisation and normalisation will be . Sadly it will be to urge young people within this community to play an active role within the P.S.N.I., an armed and belligerent force of British occupation in Ireland . While the SDLP have long acted in a capacity of collaborating with this armed British force , we note that local Provisional representatives have made the first step along a similar path by recently meeting with the PSNI in Newry and Mournes council offices . At a a national level their leadership have sent unmistakable signals that participating in this force is an eventual certainty . Having decommissioned republican weaponry this certainty is now much ,much closer .

South Armagh 32 County Sovereignty Movement urge all Republicans, especially our youth , to reject all British institutions in Ireland. We remind the people of South Armagh that anyone joining the P.S.N.I. or its district boards will simply be viewed by Republicans as just another member of the British occupation forces . Such a proffession has always been seen as dishonourable and will remain so . We urge them not to be fooled by the soundbites and posturing of political opportunists from whatever party .

We strongly urge all Republicans at this perilous time for our nation to engage in open and far reaching debate, and to critically analyse these latest developments from an honest and principled Republican perspective . Republicans should continue to view all British institutions in Ireland as a hostile usurpation of Irish sovereignty and Irish national rights under international law .The British occupation of Ireland is as illegal and immoral now as it ever was . No verbal trickery or media hype from establishment politicians can ever change that fact .

Is mise ,
Kevin Murphy
P.R.O.
32 County Sovereignty Movement
South Armagh
[email protected]