IT was with a little bemusement that I read The Irish News story (August 10) which reported that the Anti-Internment League is planning on bringing action against the Parades Commission for, what it alleges, was a breach of Article 11 of the European Convention of Human Rights.
The absurdity of this position from the Anti-Internment League, which campaigns for republican prisoners is highlighted by the fact that many of their members are also the same individuals who orchestrate opposition to Orange parades.
In the strategically inept mind of their leadership, they believe that banning their parade is a breach of Article 11 – while at the same time they would undoubtedly champion the banning of every Orange parade possible. At no stage would they worry about the Article 11 rights of the unionist community. It is this narrow-minded view that renders their arguments null and void.
The parade was billed as being an anti-internment parade. There are currently six republican prisoners on remand. There were more union flag protesters remanded on petty sessions charges than there are republicans on remand for terrorism charges.
There is no internment of republicans. It is a nonsense and a fantasy, contrived in the minds of those driving the failed and criminally motivated dissident campaign.
Let’s remember that these dissident organisations – that many of the prisoners the Anti-Internment League campaigns for belong to – are the same organisations that murdered men, women and children at Omagh. The same organisations that murdered Orangeman David Black, that murdered PSNI officer Stephen Carroll. These people should be reviled, isolated and pursued.
If any community in the years following the peace process have been the victims of political policing it is loyalism. Loyalists and unionists have been hounded and harassed – not for bombing or shooting – but for simply expressing uncomfortable political positions or peacefully protesting.
The criminal justice system needs to put even more emphasis on pursuing the dissidents then maybe the Anti-Internment League would be campaigning for more than a paltry six prisoners next year.
JAMIE BRYSON
Donaghadee, Co Down
Shock at sale of native woodland for private profit
Our Irish-language group, Ionad Buail Isteach na Gaeilge, would like to add our voices those who oppose the sale of native woodland for private development. As a group who have planted native Irish trees for many years, we are shocked and disappointed at the nightmare scenario of publicly owned mature woods at Coill an Chaisleáin Nua, An Longfort – Newcastle Woods – being sold to a private company for private profit.
We are also disappointed at the silence of the enviromental lobby, the Green Party, the Socialist Workers (who campaigned for Avondale Forest) and all the woodland organisations on the destruction of this valuable public asset. Mature native woodland is so rare in Ireland today, surely every effort should be made to preserve any that remain.
The state has run many events commemorating 1916 this year, and how can we honour those who fought for the Irish people’s right to control all our natural resources if we do not oppose this sale. How can Coillte, the state body charged with preserving and renewing our woods and forests (if any still remain) justify selling Newcastle Wood, owned by the Irish people, to a private company, in order to build a luxury holiday complex in Co Longford. The woodland will of course no longer be available to the public, and indeed the natural habitat of native animals will be lost also.
Have we become so obsessed with short-term gain that we can ignore the important issues of native natural habitat for our wildlife. Perhaps some of those people who are so anxious for local work could be employed in forestry work, as a plan of re-forestation for the state has just been launched, the trees to mature in forty years time.
We ask all those who are serious about preserving our natural resources to oppose this sale of Newcastle Wood before it is lost to the nation.
PRIONSIAS NI MHURCHU
Ionad Buail Isteach,
Baile Átha Cliath 2
Austerity or inefficiency?
Our public representatives and other public figures too often emphasise austerity as the main economic issue affecting us. Reduction of the use of public money certainly does affect too many people but the insidious disease of inefficiency is just as damaging.
How often are we pushed from pillar to post to get simple things done? And as the public sector is dominant in NI, the main finger must be pointed at them. All departments seem to have the same ailment, of being nice but ineffective.
The politicians also have the responsibility of “getting things done”. Too often the wish list is publicised then no action plan with resources attached.
As someone who has invested heavily in Belfast and thereby creating some 450 generally hi-tech job opportunities we have been held up by the inability to get practical decisions.
Belfast needs to catch up with other competing cities if it is going to be the catalyst to creating a better whole of Northern Ireland.
The infra structure projects of improving the transport connections with the city and the hinterland must happen, or the investment funds and enthusiasm for development will go elsewhere.
Politicians must look at what is best for the whole community. Their stalling is costly with no real advantage to anyone, particularly their own constituents.
We need more certainty from the local leaders.
TOM EKIN
Belfast BT12
Threat to open green spaces
Love Falls Park is an environmental group fighting to preserve our beautiful Falls Park – recipient of a recent green flag – from a similar fate as Musgrave Park (‘How did we let this happen?’ July 20).
Belfast City Council’s own statistics show that the current stock of 3G pitches are under utilised.
Like Musgrave, there as been no consultation with local residents. Despite this, the threat of pay for play and reduction of access to open, green space hangs over our only park.
It will be too late to wonder how this happened after the bulldozers roll in and destroy our natural, green space. The new Programme for Government includes people having access to open green space, yet Belfast City Council sees fit to fence off and privatise our parks and open green spaces. It may be too late for Musgrave but Loves Falls Park remains committed to saving our park from ‘monolithic’ destruction.
FRANCES MAGUIRE
Belfast BT11
Support for court ruling
A recent determination by the European Court of Human Rights has ruled in June this year that the French courts did not discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation when it declared a marriage between a same-sex couple to be invalid.
In a judgment it confirmed that the right to marriage in Article 12 of the Convention refers solely to the marriage between a man and a woman. The European citizens initiative has obtained more than 85,000 signatures in support of this court ruling.
TERRI JACKSON
Bangor, Co Down
