The following is a statement released by republican prisoners in Maghaberry outling their current position regarding the prison protest.
Statement from POWs, Roe 4, announcing the end of their current protest action.
Following the signing of the August 2010 agreement with the prison service, Republican POWs continually attempted to resolve all outstanding issues. Despite the continued use of the brutal forced strip searches we regularly engaged with political parties and groups who showed an interest in bringing a resolution to the impasse.
This process of dialogue lasted nine months. The amount of time and effort put into this process cannot be overstated. Unfortunately despite this lengthy engagement all we had to show were the injuries inflicted during these searches and beatings. The resumption of protest action became inevitable. On May 6th 2011 we commenced our current phase of protest action.
We are now into our 19th month of this phase of protest. Our resolve and commitment are unquestionable. As Republican POWs we are prepared to meet head on any attempt to reintroduce failed policies of the past. This should never have to be the case.
Following intense and detailed discussion and analysis, we, the Republican POWs on Roe 4 have decided on a unilateral initiative which we believe will provide the space required for a resolution of the current impasse.
As from Wednesday 21st November 2012 all Republican POWs on Roe 4 landing will cease our current protest action.
This initiative should be viewed as a genuine and sincere attempt to create the conditions in which a conflict free environment can flourish whereby all are treated with respect and dignity is guaranteed. A dialectical process of engagement to resolve all issues should be the order of the day. Confrontation need not be part of the environment that we all have to live and work in.
Upon launching this initiative we call upon all those political parties and groups who profess to share our stated aim of a conflict free environment to immediately seize upon this initiative. We call upon you to use your political influence and position to bring about the progressive change that is required.
We call upon the prison service management at all levels to jettison the failed policies of the past and to move forward progressively.
Finally, to all who have campaigned on our behalf, we applaud your commitment and steadfastness and ask that you continue to highlight our plight.
For our part, we will not be found wanting in the task that lies ahead.
Republican POWs, Roe 4, Maghaberry.
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Knowing what it is like to have to undergo such protests it is good to see it ended for the sake of the men. But it is not the attitude of the prisoners that is an obstacle to progress but the attitude of prison management. It rather than the prisoners needs to step back in order to produce real change.
ReplyDeleteAs you well know, any jail agreements were largely down to the POA's willingness to implement them on the ground. Good faith was generally in short supply with conflict being the natural order of things. The system had an opportunity back in 2010 to move to reslove the issues as agreed with the prisoners. David Ford failed to show political leadership and the situation slipped back into protest. What we have now is a public commitment from him to replace strip searching with new technology which is presently being piloted in Magilligan and Hydebank. Once again the ball is in his court.
ReplyDeleteThe heading is somewhat misleading: Republican prisoners on Roe 4 ended their 'dirty protest'. Prisoners on Roe 3 are continuing with thier action. All prisoners remain steadfast in the refusal to comply with the full body strip search until such times as Ford introduces the new technology.
Anthony
ReplyDeleteI agree with you.
Alec.
I, like you am trying to fathom why Roe 4 have ended the protest and Roe 3 have not, are we to read between the lines again?, has the death of Not So White Mr Black, brought the regime to change its attitude against forced strip searches?, Something is amiss here, maybe we will have a com from Roe 3, and, we will have clarification on the whole situation, When Magilligan and Hydebank got the new technology to me that was a kick in the arse to Roe 3 and 4, ford was trying to play the ace card, saying, I can have it were ever I want, but, you lot can rot and wait for it, how many more PO's does he want to lose, one more and he's out of a job!
I think that's a good move. I remember in the H-Blocks guys saying the real changes occured when the prisoners when they came out from behind the doors.
ReplyDeleteI for one hope things start to improve and those in charge of jails and those at Stormont munching on steak and prawns get some sanity!
This move puts the prisoners in the moral 'right'.
Itsjustmacker,
ReplyDeleteit does become very confusing for those of us who do not watch the splits and divisions all that closely. I just tend to take the view that prisoners have rights regardless of their station in life and that prison staff have no more right to beat prisoners than bus drivers have the right to beat passengers. As an ex prisoner I feel a responsibility to speak out against the very things I wanted people to speak out against when I was on the receiving end of the boot. For me it is a stand alone issue. For other ex-prisoners it is a matter of linkage. It ends up in trade off which I don't think is the right way to go.
Alec is it unfortunate about the heading and I hope it does not lead to confusion.
Alec,
ReplyDeletewe took the following from a web page as advised:
Statement from POWs, Roe 4, announcing the end of their current protest action.
The title seemed to be consistent with that. However, all clarification is welcome.
As Frankie says WTF ! Its such a pity that we have such mixed signals coming out of the jail,it is there that unity is required now more than ever, it is a disgrace that the agreement of 2010 has not been implemented and as Anthony rightly says the poa need to have their bigoted horns pulled in and made treat the people in their care with due respect,any disunity now will be homed in on and exaggerated by those in power.I really hope an end to this dispute is in sight but hope never really got republicans anywhere,so my only advice is to those men is to stick together comrades...
ReplyDeleteThe statement heading is accurate if we treat the term 'Republican Prisoners'in its generic sense. Actually, there is no confusion as the statement clearly refers to the prisoners on Roe 4 having ended their protest. There has always be differences between prisoners whether because of affilation or tactical disagreements, and the prison system has always sought to exploit such differences to it own advantage. General statement on the desireability of unity will not change the facts on the ground.
ReplyDeleteToday prisoners alligned to Cabhair ended their protest as well. They were housed on Roe 3 along with Cogus prisoners.
ReplyDeleteAlec,
ReplyDeletethat is good news. Hopefully there is progress. I wonder if others like me don't really know the difference between these groups, Cogus or Cabhair. I tend to see them just as republican prisoners. I don't know if it is a good or a bad thing not to know what divides them all.
Yeah Anthony I see republicans in prison sin é.
ReplyDeletemackers
ReplyDelete'I wonder if others like me don't really know the difference between these groups, Cogus or Cabhair. I tend to see them just as republican prisoners. I don't know if it is a good or a bad thing not to know what divides them all.'
EXACTLY but not just in prison, what divides them on the 'war' front? do they not share a common enemy?
Glad the protest ended with a satisfactory conclusion and hopefully this time the agreement will be adhered to.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that a lot of republicans find the fact that other republicans were denied access to the canteen the day after seriously disturbing.
Nuala,
ReplyDeletea lot of republicans find the fact that other republicans were denied access to the canteen the day after seriously disturbing.
it just looks so much like the jails back to at their old worst in terms of republican management.