EASTER COMMEMORATION 1998

EASTER MESSAGE FROM THE LEADERSHIP OF THE REPUBLICAN SOCIALIST MOVEMENT

COMRADES,

We welcome you here today on the 82nd anniversary of the 1916 Easter rebellion, this date, the most revered in Irish Republican history is when we as socialist republicans rededicate ourselves to the ideal of an all Ireland socialist republic.

We send revolutionary greetings to our imprisoned comrades in Long Kesh, Maghaberry and Portlaoise, your sacrifice is not forgotten. To our support groups in Britain, Europe and North America, your work makes Irelands revolutionary struggle possible. To the working class communities from where we draw our support among the unemployed, marginalised and disenfranchised, we salute you. Your pain is our pain, your anger is our anger, your struggle is our struggle and your freedom will be our freedom.

Today on the 82nd anniversary of the rising, the republican ideal is facing one of the most despicable attempts to neutralise and marginalise it. The radical and revolutionary ideals of Connolly and the national aspirations of Pearse remain under the twin threat of division and imperialist capitalism. The British are trying to achieve by stealth and duplicity what they could not achieve by force of arms, sectarian pogroms and inequality, the pacification of Irish Republican resistance.

The Irish volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army stood shoulder to shoulder in Dublin when they took on the might of the British Empire in 1916. It is that unity that we aspire to; it is from that unity that we draw our inspiration and determination to continue the struggle for a socialist republic. An Ireland for the ordinary people, not for big multi-national business, not for the Americans, not for the British and not for the capitalist pan-nationalist front, that is our struggle.

It does not take an Einstein or a learned person to see the clearly pro-unionist bias of the final 69-page draft of the Mitchell Treaty. All shades of unionism represented at Stormont said following its release that at no time from partition has the union with Britain ever been more secure. Unusually for us we find ourselves in agreement with them. Despite the weasel words-the media hype and carefully manipulated euphoria, the outcome of this flawed political process is a charter for further conflict. Its very essence is anti-republican, it attacks and undermines the very premise of the republican ideal. What we are witnessing is the realisation of the nightmare scenario that republican socialists flagged up over two years ago.

Events over the past 72hours showed the real agenda of two if not all three of the participants in the so-called pan-nationalist front. Always directed by the need to emasculate the republican struggle the Free state government, the SDLP and their financial backers in America consistently out manoeuvred and lead a willing Sinn Fein leadership down the road of capitulation.

The Provisional leadership arrogantly refused to consider a 'plan B' involving a broad republican / socialist front, seeking to achieve our aims through an unarmed strategy. Believing in their elitism that there was neither need for accountability to the republican grass-roots and burning all their bridges as they went along-the Provisionals ensured that they would have to sign up to whatever came from this pacification process. Too many reputations and careers by now depended on it.

What can be said for a Republican Party that can sanction the introduction of a 66% remission of sentence clause for political prisoners conditional on their recognising and abiding by set conditions? Furthermore, how can this self-same party agree to the continued imprisonment of INLA and other IRA POWs because they refuse to bend the knee and wish to continue the struggle against the British occupation of our country?

There is no 'green' hue to the final Mitchell agreement paper. For all the window dressing, and despite whatever Adams and Hume may try to tell us, the outcome of this process holds nothing for republicans. Comrades, the republican ideal has never even been on the table, and we are being asked to believe that this agreement is some kind of 'stepping stone' to an eventual united Ireland. This agreement is no more than capitulation to reactionary unionism and has now put in place a device to copperfasten partition. Any assembly or cross border body is another lock that will have to be undone before the final goal of a 32 county socialist republic can be realised.

Many will try to misrepresent our aims, objectives and methods, Comrades, let us be clear- we are not against peace, we yearn for peace. We are not against dialogue, the IRSP have been engaged in talks with those prepared to talk during the entire length of the flawed political process.

What we will not and have not done is engage in a process that ignores Britain's centuries old subjugation of the Irish nation. A process that has elevated sectarianism and religious intolerance to an expression of legitimate cultural identity. A process that has poured hundreds of millions of pounds into our communities in an attempt to buy our nationality, our socialism and is meant to quench our thirst for freedom.

That day has not arrived, unfortunately there will be those who will attempt to convince you that it has or the current agreement is some type of 'stepping stone' or 'transitional' agreement towards a United Ireland. That, Comrades is rubbish.

The Leadership of the Republican Socialist Movement utterly rejects that analysis. Just as true republicans rejected the treaty in 1921. While despair at the action of one section of the 'republican family' is apparent - all is not lost. We are calling for the mobilisation of republicans and a fight-back from the Irish nation. Firstly, in the forthcoming referenda we are calling for a massive 'No vote. The Irish people must reject any interference with articles two and three of our constitution. Failure to do so will leave a section of our nation - the nationalists in the north-east of Ireland - as stateless citizens living in their own country. It will also prolong British occupation.

Secondly, we call upon those republicans remaining within the Provisional movement to send a clear message to the Adams leadership. They must demonstrate that they will not be railroaded into accepting proposals that are an assault on republican ideals. They should display the same courage that they have shown down the years and overwhelmingly reject this unionist agreement at their forthcoming Ard Fheis.

Viewing what is being proposed through this process, the following comment from Sean T O' Kelly speaking during the debate on the Treaty in 1921 is very relevant.

"She (England) must laugh to think that while we play with words she gets adopted the system of government she ever wished to impose upon us. Let me remind you that we have not got Irish unity in return for this oath. The two great principles for which so many have died, and for which they would still gladly die - no partition of Ireland and no subjugation of Ireland to any foreign power - have gone by the board in this Treaty."

Our enemies in whatever guise they come, take heed - This struggle has not been about the Irish working class swapping one set of foreign capitalist rulers for a home grown version of the same thing, this struggle has not only been about forcing a British withdrawal. This struggle is for the liberation of every man, woman and child in Ireland from exploitation, from capitalism, from sectarianism and most of all from the yoke of British imperialism.

We know what is required to achieve a political solution and therefore peace in Ireland. A British intent to withdraw from the six-counties coupled with the establishment of an Irish socialist state. This can be achieved by negotiation but only if Britain is prepared to negotiate. At no stage in the past three years has there been discussion centred on the option of a 32 county socialist republic.

Britain maintains its occupation of Ireland, agreement or no agreement, by force of arms, whilst that military occupation continues we reserve the right at any time to engage the British forces in Ireland and those who target the nationalist working class.

Through the politics and agitation of the Irish Republican Socialist Party and the cutting edge and tenacity of the Volunteers of the Irish National Liberation Army move forward together, one creed, one class and hasten the day when our aim is achieved.

At this grave of so many of our fallen comrades, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the struggle for Irish freedom and socialism? Let us salute their sacrifice, for these men and women were not only soldiers of the republic but ordinary men and women with families, homes and communities, they were valued by all equally.

In conclusion, I use a quotation from James Larkin who wrote this about the Treaty of 1921 but it is equally valid today and reflects the position of the Republican Socialist Movement.