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Irish Republican Socialist Party prisons spokesperson Willie Gallagher has described Mo Mowlam's exclusion of some political prisoners including INLA prisoners as "hypocritical" given the level of violence being used by some groups included in the scheme.
Mr. Gallagher said: "It has been well documented over the past month that many of the groups signed up to the Mitchell principles have broken their supposed ceasefires. It seems that both the British and Irish governments are prepared to ignore armed campaigns carried out by these groups under the cloak of the "Peace process". The sectarian killings in Ballymoney, the attempted murder of two brothers in Derry and the numerous punishment attacks can all be laid at the door of organisations signed up to "Mitchell". Mo Mowlam should explain to the nationalist working class community what the difference is between the LVF which is on a ceasefire which it has broken and the UFF/UVF which are also on ceasefires which they break at will? In conclusion Mr. Gallagher said, 'The IRSP are in contact with INLA POW's and enjoy their full support in our efforts to represent their principled position, we intend to keep them fully appraised of this recent but unsurprising decision by the British to exclude Republican Socialists from this scheme. Of one this we are certain neither the INLA POW's or the IRSP will be diverted from our task of establishing peace and justice through Irish socialism by this hypocritical and farcical position adopted by the British. The Irish people have indicated through two elections this year that they want to see peace, a peace based on justice and equality. This decision by the British does not contribute to that aspiration.' |