EASTER STATEMENT FROM THE LEADERSHIP OF THE REPUBLICAN MOVEMENT 2005

"On this the 89th anniversary of the historic 1916 Rising the Leadership of the Republican Movement extends fraternal greetings to members and supporters throughout the world. We particularly extend greetings of solidarity to all our imprisoned comrades held in British and Free State jails and we pay tribute to the Republican Prisoners Action Group who are engaged in a campaign against the British attempts to criminalise our POWs in Maghaberry jail.

"We extend fraternal greetings to all the people throughout the world who are struggling against forces of oppression.

"Since last Easter the Irish people have once again witnessed yet another failed attempt by the British and their Irish agents to re-launch the partitionist parliament at Stormont. We have watched the continued grovelling of all shades of Irish nationalists to British rule in our country, but at the end of the day as we had predicted the grovelling was not enough for the British master.

"It was however significant that once again the Provisionals were prepared to perform a final act of betrayal in destroying all the military material which does not belong to them, but to the Irish people.

"The recent public exposé of their other criminal activities has contributed to a frenzy aimed against Irish Republicanism. This and the murder of Robert McCartney in Belfast are typical examples of what the Provos are about. It is not about freedom, it is not about justice, it is not about equality and, above all, it has nothing to do with the honourable Republican struggle to end British rule in Ireland once and for all. We again call upon this organisation to desist from claiming any linkage to this honourable cause as they attempt to usurp and sully all that true Republicanism stands for.

"Recent acts of intimidation and thuggery illustrate the depths to which they are willing to sink. Republican Sinn Féin functions in aid of prisoners' dependants have been cancelled due to Provo threats and when they have been allowed to take place, people have been intimidated by them during the course of the event. This criminality must be rejected.

"Over the past year our supporters throughout the whole of Ireland have been the subject of continued harassment, intimidation and false imprisonment at the hands of the British Forces of Occupation in the Six Counties and by their lackeys in the Free State.

"We note the outcry from all quarters over the raid on the Northern Bank in Belfast, where has been the outcry over the theft of money from Republican Sinn Féin by the Free State police just a month earlier? These same forces should well remember that they will not succeed where others have failed, and should be mindful of the true saying that it is not those who can inflict the most, but those who can endure the most who will finally over come.

"The past twelve months have been a difficult time for those who remain committed to resisting the continued colonial occupation of our country. We are faced with an unprecedented combination of forces arranged against us. We will undoubtedly see in the coming twelve months a further renewed and forceful attempt to quell Republican resistance to this colonial rule, but let us again reassert our commitment and absolute determination to ensure that this resistance not only remains, but prospers.

"There will never be an acceptance of colonial occupation, however it is remodelled. All Republicans committed to this resistance must unite under the banner of Irish Republicanism. Our unity of purpose will serve both to reject those who have usurped Republicanism and to resist the colonial occupier.

"There will be no surrender, there will be no compromise.

"Onwards to the Republic!"

ESCALATION OF INTIMIDATION BY PROVOS

IN a statement the PRO of the newly-formed Thomas Harte Cumann of Republican Sinn Féin, Lurgan, Co Armagh said that in an attempt to stop the organising of the Cumann, the Provos have threatened and abused its members.

The statement continued: "Colin Avery was so badly beaten that he spent three nights in hospital. He received a badly fractured arm that is still swollen and scarred and stitches to his head.

"Since his release he has been visited by the RUC/PSNI who informed him of a threat to his life by the Provos.

"On the night of Holy Thursday the Provos, in an attempt to stop the stop the sale of Easter Lilies, accosted a young member on the street and gave him a beating, They patrol the streets in a van and all of them, including the gang leaders, are known.

"Their latest action on Easter Sunday morning was to remove the wreaths left at the Republican Plot in St Coleman's Cemetery following our Commemoration. The wreaths were left on the dump with old wreaths but the one from the Leadership of the Republican Movement was torn to pieces.

"So much for people who portray themselves as Republicans. They are thugs, and true Republicans will not be cowed or intimidated by their tactics.

"Their actions will be made known to the people of Lurgan and will not be tolerated by the Republican Movement."

SEÁN KEENAN MEMORIAL VANDALISED IN DERRY

IN or around the early hours of Holy Saturday morning, the Celtic Cross memorial in Fahan Street, Derry City, to veteran Derry Republican Seán Keenan was vandalised for the third time in the past year. Anti-National elements had sprayed red, white and blue paint on the monument.

Despite the presence of a British spy-post overlooking the area, and several houses nearby, it seems that these people are not deterred from attacking a memorial to a great Republican, and Honourary Vice-President for life of Republican Sinn Féin.

Furthermore when members of Republican Sinn Féin returned on Easter Sunday evening to lower the National Flag (which had been hoisted that morning), it was discovered that the tricolour had been removed.

We appeal to those involved to respect the memory of a true Republican who believed, like Wolfe Tone, in uniting Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter. Republican Sinn Féin will clean the monument shortly, and restore it to its original state.

EASTER RISING GARRISON PLAQUE UNVEILED

DESCENDANTS of the men and women who formed the City Hall garrison during the 1916 Easter Rising gathered today to see a plaque in their memory unveiled.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Michael Conaghan unveiled the memorial on the front of City Hall.

Lorraine Coyle, the granddaughter of Thomas Coyle who fought with the City Hall garrison, was instrumental in getting the new plaque put up.

She said: "There used to be a plaque but it disappeared, so I said surely there should be something to remember the events by. It's a very proud and very emotional day for us."

She added that it was great to see so many people with contacts to the events had turned up for the commemoration.

Derek Oman, the grandson of bugler William Oman who sounded the fall-in outside Liberty Hall and later held High Street against a British patrol single-handedly, said talking to people at the commemoration was an eye-opener.

"My grandfather never portrayed himself to be a hero, he always kept a low profile," Mr Oman said.

"For the whole family, it's a very proud day. We've gone down the road and seen how much he did contribute," he said.

Joe Duffy, the son of Nurse Bridget Davis who was one of the women in the garrison at City Hall, along with Helena Molony and Dr Kathleen Lynn, said being there was a great occasion.

"I'm delighted to see that everybody appreciates the work they did, as this part is sometimes neglected because of what happened at the GPO and other places," he said.

He said that his mother was there when the leader of the garrison Captain Sean Connolly died and that her uniform with his blood on it was now on display at Kilmainham Jail, where she was imprisoned for a while.

"Our commemoration today of the courage and nobility of the City Hall garrison and its outposts should give us inspiration to devote ourselves to these tasks with renewed fervour so that the Ireland which we build in the 21st century may be of itself the most fitting tribute of all to the fulfilment of the ideals," he said.

There was also an original 1916 Proclamation, which had belonged to nurse Elizabeth O'Farrell on display at City Hall."

FORMER RUC MAN TO STAND FOR PROVISIONALS

THE Provisionals have selected a former member of the RUC as a Westminster candidate. Billy Leonard, who defected to the organisation from the SDLP, will stand in East Derry. The former RUC reservist became the first Provisional member of Coleraine Borough Council last year.

INQUIRY TO CHECK BRITISH ARMY LINKS IN KILLING OF SOLICITOR

THE inquiry into the murder of the human rights solicitor Rosemary Nelson has been widened to consider whether the British army or intelligence agencies were involved in her killing.

The inquiry, which begins next month led by the retired British high court judge Sir Michael Morland, will now consider whether the British government, RUC, British army and other British state agencies were in any way to blame for the car bomb attack which killed Rosemary Nelson or whether they facilitated her death or obstructed the investigation.

The solicitor, who had represented nationalist residents in Portadown's Garvaghy Road during the contentious Drumcree marching dispute, was killed outside her home in Lurgan, county Armagh, in March 1999 by a booby trap car bomb for which la British-backed loyalist death squad claimed responsibility.

Before her death it was alleged that members of the RUC had threatened her life.

The British Six-County secretary, Paul Murphy, yesterday widened the scope of the inquiry after submissions by human rights campaigners. Jane Winter of British Irish Rights Watch said she had given Mr Murphy evidence suggesting that British soldiers may have been involved in the murder.

The inquiry into Rosemary Nelson's death is one of four tribunals recommended by the Canadian judge Peter Cory on controversial murders in the Six Counties.

But the British government came under renewed pressure this week over its attempts to pass a bill which would allow ministers to decide what can be heard in public in future inquiries. The inquiries bill will enable any inquiry to meet in large part in secret and will give British government ministers powers to direct aspects of it.

Judge Cory's recommended inquiry into alleged collusion between British state forces and loyalists in the murder of the Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane in 1989 will not be set up until after the bill is passed, sparking criticism from the Finucane family of a "government controlled charade".

The judge told a Washington committee that the new legislation "would make a meaningful inquiry impossible", creating "impossible terms for any international judge asked to chair the inquiry". He described it as "an intolerable, Alice in Wonderland situation".

Lord Saville, who chairs the Bloody Sunday inquiry, has said he would not be prepared to serve on a tribunal under the new terms.

The Law Society, Amnesty International and eight other human rights groups this week issued a statement warning that any inquiry held under the proposed legislation "would not be effective, independent, impartial or thorough, nor would the evidence presented to it be subject to sufficient public scrutiny".

In order to command the trust of the public, the inquiry system must allow :close public scrutiny" and allow the relevant victims to actively participate. "The inquiries bill does not do this," they warned.

LUDLOW MURDER REPORT TO BE PUBLISHED SOON

THE Barron Report on the 1976 British-backed  loyalist death squad murder of nationalist forestry worker Séamus Ludlow is to be published "within weeks".

The Dublin Administration has been considering the contents of the report since Judge Henry Barron submitted it last year.

A Dublin government source said officials remained concerned about the possible repercussions of publishing certain names contained in the document.

It is understood the names include those of the chief murder suspects, investigating gardaí and witnesses.

The report will be presented to Leinster House before being considered by members of the Leinster House Joint committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights.

It is likely that the committee, which has already studied the Barron reports on the British-backed loyalist bomb attacks on Dublin and Monaghan during the early 1970s, will hold a series of hearings before making a number of recommendations to the Dublin government.

The names of the four men suspected of abducting and murdering Séamus Ludlow as he walked home from a Dundalk pub in May 1976 have been in the public domain through media reports.

His relatives have repeatedly called on the Dublin government to set up a public inquiry to uncover the full facts surrounding the murder.

The family was disappointed after it emerged in 1999 that the Six-County DPP had decided not to charge four suspects despite their arrest one year earlier.

They have continued to express concern about allegations of a cover-up involving State forces on both sides of the border to protect those involved.

Meanwhile, relatives are continuing to wait for a new inquest into Séamus Ludlow's death to be held by Louth county coroner Ronan Maguire.

In December, Ronan Maguire said that he was confident of holding a preliminary hearing into the 1976 border killing in early January.

However, it is understood that he is still awaiting further information on the case from the 26-County police. The coroner has already completed his study of an internal garda report, compiled by retired Chief Superintendent Ted Murphy, into the initial murder investigation.

The Ludlow relatives have described the case as a "burning sore" which has continued to fester for three decades after the abduction and murder

SDLP LAUNCH 'UNITY' PROPOSALS

WITH Westminster elections getting ever closer, nationalist posturing between the SDLP and the Provisionals increases. On March 21 the SDLP launched in Belfast, Dublin and Newry, their proposals for a United Ireland, this comes only weeks after the Provisionals called on the Dublin government to draw up a green paper on the subject.

The SDLP proposals again are based on the present partitionist system stating that a United Ireland can only come about with the consent of a majority within the Six Counties rather that a decision of the people of All-Ireland acting as a unit. However the SDLP claim that unlike the Provisionals they believe that a majority within the Six Counties is required for a United Ireland rather a majority of unionists.

Under their proposals in such a United Ireland the Stormont Agreement would continue to operate, with the Stormont Assembly as a regional parliament within a United Ireland, and parliamentary representatives elected to Leinster House rather than Westminster. What they fail to point out is that the Stormont Agreement makes absolutely no provision for such arrangements; indeed they would be outside of it. The Stormont Agreement states clearly that a majority of both communities would be required, underpinning the present Unionist veto. The SDLP who proclaim themselves as the staunchest upholders of the Stormont Agreement are being less that honest in their document.

With the SDLP expected to come to close quarters with the Provisionals in the forthcoming Westminster elections, particularly in Foyle and South Armagh more of the same can be expected in the coming weeks.

COMPANY CONDEMNED OVER WORKER'S PAY RATES

A MULTINATIONAL construction company was accused in Leinster House on March 23 of "master fraud", "grand larceny" and "corporate criminality" over pay rates to Turkish workers on Irish construction sites, amounting to millions.

Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins made the accusations as a report by the 26 County Labour Inspectorate into the International company Gama Construction was due to be made available to the 26 County Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment Micháel Martin.

Joe Higgins said that Gama construction combined "the most advanced technology with the most primitive techniques of worker exploitation" through slave wages.

He added that the company was exempt from income tax because of an agreement between 26 County Deputy Premier Mary Harney and the Revenue Commissioners.

 "Apart from the slave-wage rates, that agreement gives the company a hugely competitive edge over other construction companies that pay trade union rates. This is the most severe corporate criminality."

Joe Higgins demanded that the Garda fraud squad examine the accounts "forensically" to see exactly how "this fraud was perpetrated."

The 26-ounty Department of Enterprise inspectorate began an investigation into pay practices by the company following a complaint by Joe Higgins, who on March 23 held up payslips and bank statements of Turkish workers.

Referring to one worker, he said the minimum pay rate was 12.96 euro an hour but this employee worked 330 hours one month-more than 80 hours a week-and got less than 1000 euro when he should have received at least 4.200 euro.

His Turkish bank account statement showed he received less than 250 euro a month to spend in Ireland and the remainder, less than 1000, was paid to an account in Turkey.

"When the investigation began, the Turkish workers were coached, under severe duress, to say the money went to accounts in their names in Finansbank in Holland. They had to be coached because no worker knows, or knew" that they had such accounts, he said.

"What we have is a master fraud by a major entity in the construction scene in this country, a grand larceny of workers' wages amounting to millions of euro each month."

Joe Higgins demanded that Trade Union rates be paid immediately to all workers, and all back money should be paid.

NIGERIAN STUDENT TO BE ALLOWED TO STAY INDEFINITELY

The Dublin government's immigration policy was dealt a blow when 26-County Justice minister Michael McDowell was forced to reverse a decision to deport a 20-year-old Nigerian student who had been due to sit his Leaving Certificate in June.

Olukunle Elukanlo was deported on March 14 along with other Nigerians pressure is now mounting to reverse some of these deportations. Olukunle I was due to fly back to Ireland on Easter weekend. The student held a press conference in Lagos on March 25 to outline his plans to fight for more "humane immigration laws internationally." The 26 County Embassy in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, made contact with Olukunle. The local office of the International Organisation for Migration has asked to make the flight arrangements.

Focus is now moving to the case of Nigerians based in Athlone and Castlebayney who were also deported on March 14. Residents Against Racism in particular called for the return of Elizabeth Odumsi and Iyabo Nwanze, who between them left four children behind them in Athlone. The women each brought with them one of their children with them to Nigeria when they were deported.

Iyabo Nwanze's son Emmanuel (8) and Elizabeth Odumsi's children Mabajoye (18), Oluwaseun (14), and Olwasegun (11), are now in hiding in the midlands to avoid deportation. The two women had been rearing the children on their own.

Meanwhile, a public meeting took place in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan on March 24 seeking the return of Nigerian mother of three, Nkechi Okolie, her two sons Ike (16) and Chukka (6), and daughter Chidinima (10), who had been living at Knocktornagh.

MAN ALLEGED TO BE DRUG DEALER WAS A MEMBER OF THE RUC

Alleged drugs dealer Colin Armstrong, who had assets valued at about 5 million pounds frozen by the Six County Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) is a former member of the RUC.

Armstrong, from Glenavy, Co Antrim, who was allegedly linked to the British-backed death squads, the Ulster Volunteer Force and later the Loyalist Volunteer Force, has proved the biggest target of the Six County ARA.

Armstrong owns nearly 50 properties nearly all of them in the Six Counties. He also has a flat in the 26 Counties and an apartment on the Cote d'Azur in France. He has two companies and several bank accounts.

All of them were frozen following Six County High Court action by the agency in an investigation which also involved the 26 Counties Criminal Assets Bureau.

The RUC/PSNI confirmed that Armstrong once served as a full-time reservist with the RUC. He was "required to resign as a consequence of neglect of duty" in 1991, the RUC\PSNI said.

They did not say what the neglect of duty charge referred to, but said it was not "in respect of criminal activity."