Sinn Fein
The Week in Review
07 – 14 May 2014

Peace process ‘must be defended from Cameron’s partisan approach’
On 11 May Sinn Féin MLA Martin McGuinness called on the Irish government to defend the peace process as the British government takes an increasingly partisan approach to key issues in the North.
The Deputy First Minister said the two governments had abdicated their leadership role as guarantors of the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and a number of other issues.
Martin McGuinness said: ‘For some time now Sinn Féin has been concerned that the British and Irish governments are not properly engaged in the management of the peace process. Despite the efforts of Richard Haass and Meghan O’Sullivan, the toxic issues of parades and symbols remain unresolved and there is no agreed approach to dealing with our troubled past. The two governments have abdicated their leadership role on these and a number of other issues.’
He added ‘We have also expressed our deep concern at the increasingly partisan and pro-unionist approach of the British Prime Minister and his Secretary of State. The failure to address issues like the Pat Finucane enquiry, the Bill of Rights and an Irish language act are indications of a less than even-handed approach.’
He said that recent comments by the British secretary ‘of state warning of an undue focus on killings by British state forces, her rejection of a review of the killings of 11 civilians by the British Army in Ballymurphy in 1971 and her lack of enthusiasm for the Haass proposals point to a British government increasingly aligning itself with rejectionist unionism’.
He said that despite recent requests David Cameron had not met the Sinn Féin leadership ‘to discuss our concerns around the failure to implement key commitments’, adding ‘the admission by David Cameron that he has been meeting privately with the DUP calls into question the British government’s joint stewardship of the peace process’.
He went on to say that the British Conservative party had ‘not grasped the fundamental principles of the peace process’ and seemed ‘unable to think beyond their traditional disposition to unionism’. David Cameron was ‘clearly wooing the DUP and extreme unionism. There is a growing Conservative/Unionist symmetry, not just on issues relating to the peace process but also on the savage welfare cuts which the DUP and the Tories are trying to impose on the most vulnerable in the north of Ireland’.
He concluded: ‘the increasingly pro-unionist and partisan position of the British government demands a more assertive and decisive response from the Irish government. It demands a strategic, political and diplomatic defence of the peace process and of the right of all our people to equality and justice.’

Sinn Fein to give post-election Westminster Briefing
On Tuesday 17 June senior Sinn Fein representatives will speak at a Westminster briefing, following the European and local government elections. The meeting will discuss the political situation following the elections, and in the light of recent developments in Ireland and around the peace process. The meeting will e at 7pm, the Grimmond Room, Portcullis House, House of Commons, SW1A OAA (Portcullis Public entrance on the Embankment). All welcome.

Sinn Fein Chair warns of ‘reckless agenda’ of ‘playing poker with the peace process’
Writing in the Belfast Telegraph on 8 May, Sinn Fein Chairperson Declan Kearney said that PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott’s denial that a ‘dark side’ in the PSNI was involved in Gerry Adams’ detention was ‘wrong’.
Mr Kearney said that Gerry Adams’ arrest was ‘based on differential policing’ which ‘sends out a stark message to republican and nationalist victims and survivors, following the explicitly one-sided interventions by Theresa Villiers, culminating in her contemptuous dismissal of the Ballymurphy massacre families’.
He said the arrest was ‘political; a reaction to island-wide growth in support for Sinn Féin’.
Pointing to new polls which ‘suggest Sinn Féin may get its biggest ever vote, and become the largest Irish party in the European Parliament’ he said ‘such electoral advances frighten the establishments north and south’, adding ‘history shows when inertia grips the peace process negative forces become dominant.’
He further writes: ‘ongoing carnival of reaction from unionist extremists proves that. Disengagement by both governments has created the existing political impasse. DUP and UUP refusal to endorse the Haass compromises have deepened that impasse. The Boston College tapes contrivance gave that old guard RUC rump a pretext to move against Gerry Adams. He was agreeable to co-operate with the PSNI. But senior figures chose the charade which occurred instead. What happened was done with British cabinet approval. Theresa Villiers knew over two days beforehand. Others will also have known. They will have calculated sizeable political fallout.’
He said that ‘Negative interventions by this British Government have been causing real damage to the peace and political processes. It has demonstrated manifest bad faith and allowed the agenda to be set by unionist extremists and now most recently by its own ‘dark side’. This suggests a withdrawal of political commitment for our conflict resolution process.’
He concluded in his piece: ‘Key players within the Conservative government and state agencies are playing poker with the peace process. That is a reckless agenda. Those complicit in the last week’s events, should understand that the Sinn Féin membership will select and elect our Party leadership. For now, Sinn Féin has elections to contest; and, a strategy of change to implement. We will not be deterred.’

Sinn Fein launch election campaign: Putting Ireland First
On 12 May Sinn Fein launched its bilinual election manifesto for the 2014 EU election in Dublin and in Belfast. It can be read in full here.
Sinn Féin is standing four EU candidates: Lynn Boylan, Dublin; Liadh Ní Riada, South Constituency; Martina Anderson, North constituency; and Matt Carthy Midland-North-West.
Speaking at the events, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said Sinn Fein was standing ‘a strong team of candidates in the European elections’. He said that ‘our team Ireland means that voters in every party of this island will have an opportunity to vote for a Sinn Féin candidate’. The Sinn Féin team includes three women and one man, ‘all of whom are hugely experienced political activists, with a wealth of political experience’ Mr Adams said, adding ‘our message in the EU and local government elections is one of hope and change’.
Sinn Féin is ‘pro-European. We want a different kind of Europe – we want a social Europe that defends the rights of citizens and stands up against the vested interests of big business and the political elites’ and, Mr Adams said ‘we want an economy that serves citizens not the elites’.
He said the election provided the electorate ‘across all 32 counties with the opportunity to change the political landscape by electing a Sinn Féin team of MEPs who will oppose austerity policies; promote Ireland’s interests in Europe and not Europe’s interests in Ireland’.
This would be ‘a team of Sinn Féin MEPs who will promote and defend the peace process’ and that Sinn Féin MEPs `will all also seek greater investment in job creation, frontline services, agriculture and rural Ireland, and our young people’ he said.
He concluded: ‘Sinn Fein believes the political landscape in changing and on May 22nd in the north and on May 23rd in the south voters have an opportunity to make a real difference by voting for Sinn Féin’ and urged people to ‘vote for change’ and Vote Sinn Fein. He said ‘voters can be certain that when they vote for Sinn Féin candidates they are voting for a party that keeps its election promises; has a first class record of active representation; of getting things done, and of placing their interests first.’

Failure to investigate MRF ‘an insult to victims’ – Kelly
On 13 May, speaking after the PSNI told the Director of Public Prosecutions there would be no investigation into the activities of the Military Reaction Force, despite admissions by former members of the group in a Panorama documentary, the North Belfast MLA said: ‘Anyone who saw the interviews with ex-members of the Military Reaction Force (MRF) will be astounded the police have said there will be no investigation into these incidents. In the programme, ex-British soldiers admitted being involved in attacks against innocent Catholics and nationalists.’
He added, ‘Many of these attacks happened between May and September 1972 at the height of the conflict. Members of the MRF were involved in drive-by shootings, which at the time were blamed on loyalist gunmen. Not only have none of these ex-soldiers been arrested but the the PSNI has not attempted to identify them or even question them under caution. This is in the face of others being questioned under caution about issues going back 40 years.’
He said ‘This latest knockback to families whose loved ones were killed by British state forces comes in the aftermath of Theresa Villiers refusing a Hillsborough-type inquiry to the families of those killed in the Ballymurphy massacre. People will be left with the clear view that British state forces remain above the law. This is a further insult to victims and families of those targeted by this undercover military unit.’

Families of Dublin/Monaghan bombing victims launch civil action against British Government
On 14 May the families of those injured and bereaved in the bombing of Dublin and Monaghan launched a civil action against the British Government to secure disclosure of all relevant papers.
Sinn Féin Deputy Leader Mary Lou McDonald TD said: ‘This week marks the 40th Anniversary of the Dublin/Monaghan bombings that claimed the lives of 34 of our fellow citizens and injured many more. The suffering of these families has been compounded by 40 years of cover up and lack of support. These families have campaigned for truth and full disclosure from the British Government and the Gardai as to the involvement of British Government agents in the commissioning, executing and covering up of this attack.
She added ‘Two motions have been passed in the Dáil supporting the rights of the families to truth, calling on the British Government to make available all the relevant files and information. At every turn the British Government has refused to hand over files for the families. It is a poor day when families have to go down this route, because of the failure of the Irish Government to uphold the rights of citizens and hold the British Government to account’.
Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín O’Caoláin TD, added: ‘The British Government has acknowledged the reality of collusion in a number of cases including that of Pat Finucane. A number of inquiries have clearly demonstrated the involvement of British agents in the killing of 34 on the streets of Dublin and Monaghan in 1974. Over the past 40 years successive British and Irish Governments have failed the families and the British government have colluded to in the covering up of this attack.’
He concluded ‘Over Christmas Richard Haass released proposals that would unlock the past, the British government has refused to endorse and support these proposals. There is a responsibility to address the past in a holistic way and that must include the British government who were a party to the conflict.’

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