Marian Price - One of Us

Guest writer Sean Bresnahan with a piece on Marian Price

Marian Price first entered my consciousness many years ago when I heard the famous ballad Bring them home, probably on a cassette stored in my Father's private collection, supposedly kept away from young, prying eyes along with political memorabilia from the Hungerstrikes of 1981 and wood-crafts made by my Mum's brother during time spent in Long Kesh in the 70's. I think it may have been the Wolfe Tones who recorded it though I don't recall for sure. For a young, inquisitive soul such as myself 'the tapes' wouldn't stay hidden for long and thus my parent's best efforts to keep at a remove from their first-born the terrible political events afflicting our country came to nothing as I heard for the first time the powerful message that "the IRA will set them free!" It was a poignant but inspiring song written of Marian and her sister Dolours, two women forever known in the republican lexicon as 'the Price sisters', two women I immediately developed an affinity for along with the cause they served so well. But who would ever have thought that all these years later we would be calling yet again for the release of one of those poor, long-suffering women from the wretched gaols of England?

721 days and counting...

Incredible as it may seem Marian Price has now spent two full years effectively interned by the British state. What's worse is there is no end in sight to her terrible ordeal. What questions does this ask of us as a society, especially given that we have supposedly entered a new era where the conflict of the past can be resolved through the political process? What does it say about that process itself given that a woman can be held in this manner without recourse to natural justice while those who administer the state fail or refuse to take onboard the gravity of the situation? These are serious questions to be reflected on if our imperfect peace is to prove sustainable rather than for a new generation of Irish men and women to form the opinion that there's no recourse but to lift the gun to once more "set them free". Level-headed people will agree that this is the last thing we need but while Marian Price remains imprisoned against all principles of natural justice then it becomes harder to argue otherwise.

So what kind of society and what kind of political system is this where those like Marian are taken out of circulation on the say-so of a colonial overlord and his faceless spooks, to be locked up without appeal to anything resembling justice? Marian Price is being interned because she has been deemed a threat to the Stormont status quo and as such is to be silenced - just as Gerry McGeough and Martin Corey were silenced in the same manner by those who continue to control Ireland. Martin of course remains imprisoned to this very day, over three years since first they came for him; Gerry thankfully is at home now with his wife and children but not before time.

It should be glaringly obvious that this is unacceptable. It's surely as plain as day that we continue to live in a warped society despite protestations to the contrary that things have moved on and we're living in a 'new dispensation'. The illegal imprisonment of Marian Price, among other things, tells us different. It tells us that when you scratch the surface of the seemingly reformed Northern Ireland state it remains overtly capable of the same repression against those it considers hostile to its aims and objectives. It's fine to use political means to further your goals but only so long as they remain consistent with those of the state. And that is a fundamental wrong and contravenes even the most basic of civil rights.

We rarely hear mention of Marian's plight in the mainstream media, it's as if someone doesn't want us to know just what's going on. But wait a minute, when you stop and think about it they don't! Control of the media is one of the most powerful weapon's in the state's arsenal - a compliant media prepared to tolerate and ignore injustice is a God-send for those who carry out or abide repressive acts such as the ongoing isolation and torture of Marian Price.

Given the distinct lack of attention paid in the mainstream media to the legal processes involving both Brian Shivers, who returned to Roe House to shouts of "innocent man on the wing" despite having his conviction quashed but thankfully has been found innocent of all charges and finally set free this afternoon, and the so-called 'Craigavon Two', who's case, now under appeal, has drawn comparisons to the notorious convictions of the Birmingham Six and the Guildford Four, we can determine that the state has an interest in limiting knowledge about what goes on inside our society where required to further its own corrupt ends.

It's high time those in positions of power spoke out to smash this media blackout and to challenge the very injustices once so rigorously opposed and condemned in the past, particularly after the damning vindication today of Brian Shivers, who in all likelihood has had years taken of his life by his experience of the British 'justice' system. Party politics just can't come into such an important aspect of public representation. If the media refuses to do its job properly, if it compromises its independence and integrity for fear of coming into conflict with the state, then there is an onus on those who claim to represent us to make a loud enough case so that the issues that matter cannot be brushed aside and ignored.

If this is the foundation of the post-1998 'justice' system in the occupied six counties then it is beyond what is acceptable by even the most minimal democratic standard. The fact of the matter is Marian's imprisonment is not only undemocratic, it is illegal. Yet despite the best efforts of those who campaign tirelessly on her behalf to expose all of this nothing ever seems to change, it seems as though we're banging our heads of a brick wall. And all while those republicans with real political influence, in those positions of power mentioned above, seem like they're just playing to the gallery.

If only the likes of Nuala Perry and the others who work so hard alongside her had access to the kind of power readily available to former comrades of Marian's such as Gerry Kelly or Martin McGuinness - no way in hell would she have been in prison for two weeks never mind two years. Despite a few Council resolutions, and the odd call for her release at a party Ard Fheis here and there, for all our political representatives really seem to care Marian Price could spend another two years interned by the British, then another two, then another. At least that's how it appears, because actions speak louder than words and the one thing we've yet to see here is action.

We can call for Marian's release 'till we're blue in the face, we can burn the candle at both ends behind the scenes, we can pass resolution after resolution after resolution. But it's there for all to see that the Brits simply don't care, they're determined to carry on regardless. Because there's no real compunction for them to seriously address this situation, there's no political pressure of significance being applied to make them seriously reconsider their actions. Is this something we as a society should be prepared to tolerate? What kind of a political system is this when it accepts the silencing of political opponents and buries away reality to keep up the pretence that all is well and normal?

Not one we should feel obliged to give any allegiance to, that's for sure.

I feel if Sinn Fein, both as the largest Nationalist party and as a constituent element of the government here, really believed the situation to be as serious as they say then a much stronger course of action would be pursued, just as we saw upon the arrest of Padraig Wilson. We would see the full exercise of their power for to bring about justice. Imagine the spectacle of Martin McGuinness using his position as Joint-First Minister to draw awareness to Marian's plight; imagine if Gerry Kelly offered to resign his seat in protest at the continuing failure of the state to resolve the unjust situation relating to the imprisonment of a one-time comrade; imagine if Sinn Fein said it would resign all its seats if this was not dealt with immediately because it could not in all conscience continue to prop up a regime that regards internment as a viable policy to deal with political opponents.

The fact that Marian Price or internment does not feature in the conversations between the First and Deputy-First Ministers regarding the 'roadmap' for the way ahead tells its own story. But what kind of 'shared future' is it anyway if it has at the level of its foundation an innocent woman being held without charge or trial for years on end against even the most basic concept of justice?

Whether it's 1971 or 2013 internment is wrong and an indictment on any society that claims to be 'normal'. Because there is nothing normal about internment, there is nothing normal about what is happening to Marian Price.

The politicians at Stormont would do well to remember they are supposedly there to represent us all, regardless of political persuasion. After all in any fair society both human and civil rights should be universal and not selective. If some of those aptly named 'folks on the hill' had the courage of their private convictions they'd be pressing for an immediate, unconditional resolution to this sad, sad situation and they would not take no for an answer. That they can't or won't do so invites accusations that they just don't care. Do they care? At times its very hard to know. What's for sure is that, just like the media, their continuing silence can rightly be considered as complicity whether they choose to accept this or not, whether they do genuinely care or not. By choosing to effectively ignore all that's happening, despite being in full possession of the facts, by continuing to prop up a system that interns and tortures and victimises the likes of Marian Price, then they share in the guilt of the state that has brought all this about. They would do well to remember the famous words of Martin Niemoiller in his poem 'First they came' - for God only knows where this will end. The likes of Marian Price, Gerry McGeough, Martin Corey and Tony Taylor may be among the first but it's unlikely they'll be the last if Britain is allowed to roll out its modern version of internment unopposed.

Somewhere along the line our representatives must decide are they prepared to tolerate this, to stand still for this; somewhere along the line Sinn Fein and the SDLP are going to have to decide where it is they stand - for a role in government at all costs or for human rights and justice no matter the consequences.

We have to remember - we must never forget - that Marian Price, this true and unstinting republican who never once in all her long years of struggle let us down, is in there for us. She could easily have walked away from this fight years ago and no-one would ever have suggested she'd let anyone down or failed to play her part. But she didn't; she played her part and more. She continued to stand up for the oppressed people of Ireland, those 'wretched of the earth'. She continued to give voice to their rightful demands for freedom, justice and peace. And so we must be out there for her.

It's incumbent on us all that from this day on we do more, that we renew and redouble our efforts to draw attention to this shameful situation and put yet more pressure on those with political power or influence to demand that something is done, to demand and to secure the release of our comrade. We know what her response would be if this were done to you or I because ultimately and at the end of the day, no matter how iconic the name, no matter how high she may be held in our esteem, Marian Price, our very own Aung San Suu Kyi, remains and will always be simply 'one of us'.