Conference tallis::celt

1296.0. "NEW BRITISH ATTACK ON COMMUNITY GROUPS IN NORTH OF IRELAND" by KOALA::HOLOHAN () Wed Dec 15 1993 12:13

From the Irish People (Dec. 14, 1993):


NEW BRITISH ATTACK ON COMMUNITY GROUPS IN NORTH OF IRELAND

The British parliament recently enshrined into law the policy of denying
funding to community groups in the North of Ireland on political grounds.
What was previously just an optional decision by the British Secretary of
State for North Ireland is now required by law.

Amendment

Britain's unelected House of Lords added an amendment to a bill making $500
million to a billion dollars a year from a national lottery available to
sports, cultural and charitable organizations.  Their amendment requires the
British Secretary for North Ireland to deny funding to any group if "it
appears to him that an organization concerned in terrorism in North Ireland or
in promoting or encouraging it might directly or indirectly benefit" from its
activities.

Culture

Their Lordships decided that "benefit" might include anything including
"enhancement of reputation."  By that standard any Irish cultural organization
could be denied funding on the basis that the Irish Republican Army is also in
favor of Irish culture.

Under the new act it will be illegal to disclose any information that is used
to deny the funding.  This means that the British government will never have
to produce any evidence at all to support its political discrimination.

Past

On October 20 the House of Commons enacted the House of Lords bill into law.
Only the British Labor Party and the SDLP voted against it.  In the past the
British government has used their political discrimination policy especially
to target West Belfast community groups.  The two best known victims were Des

Wilson's Conway Mill Education Project and the Irish language organization
Glor Na nGael.  An international outcry forced the British to restore the
funds to both groups.

Glor na Gael

The new law will make it even easier to deny funding and practically
impossible to challenge it in court.  Until now the British Secretary  had to
show that the organization denied funding had "close links" to a "terrorist
organization."  Now there don't have to be any links at all, just some
mysterious "indirect benefit."

In the past Glor na Gael and other organizations have been able to take the
British government to court when their funds were cut off.  This will be
practically impossible under the new law.  How do you prove that there will be
no "indirect benefit" to a "terrorist Organization" when you can't even see
the evidence the decision was based on?

Opinion

From now on the only court that will matter will be the court of public
opinion.  Especially international public opinion. Even when the British don't
care about people in the North of Ireland they still care intensely about
their reputation in the United States.

This means that Irish Americans and others who care about freedom will need to
be alert for new British political censorship of North Ireland community
groups.  Energetic and sustained support for the first victims of this new law
can deter the British from trying to implement it again.

    
    Mark,
    This is a serious question for you!
    
    Why should the British government spend lottery money to build say, an
    athletic stadium that is run by Irish Nationalists, who by their own
    definition do not want to be part of the U.K.?
    Or am I missing something now?
    
    Bill,
    Oh BTW merry Xmas.

re. .1

  That's simple, if by British definition, north east Ireland is part of
  the U.K. then unless certain groups in the U.K. are to be considered
  second class citizens, government funds should be distributed fairly
  amoung it's citizens.

  Are you saying you believe it's ok for the British to withhold funds
  that might be used to encourage Irish culture and language?

                        Mark

    
    Absolutely not Mark lets make that quite clear.
    
    The point is and it's this point i would like an answer to and since
    you raised the topic, you are best placed to answer it! The Nationalists
    in NI have declared themselves to be unwilling to be part of the United
    Kingdom. Why then should they expect British lottery money to be spent on
    their cultural activities?
    Are they going to buy these lottery tickets and there by, surround
    themselves with all things British?
    
    It's a valid question and one that deserves an answer please.
    

    
    There are also Welsh nationalists and Scottish nationalists. Should
    these groups also be deprived of funds for their cultural activities?
    If Ireland were to be united, do you think the Irish government would
    be justified in denying funds to a minority loyalist population who 
    would still regard themselves as unionist and British?
    
    Denis.
    
    

    
    Well there is an obvious difference Denis, Scotland and Wales are still
    part of the UK and there is no war being waged by Nationalists.
    If Scotland voted itself out of the UK then it is not reasonable to
    expect the English government to fund anything.
    

  re. .5
   Nope, they're probably content to steal Scottish Oil.
                  Mark

    So Tell Mark
    
    This stealing of Scottish oil by American Oil Companies.  Is it
    something else you know nothing about. ??  Or perhaps an article from
    Cross-Fire he He He........
    
    Regards
    
    Bruce