RSF points to 'chronic instability of English rule'

The suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly marked "the chronic instability of English rule in Ireland", Republican Sinn …

The suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly marked "the chronic instability of English rule in Ireland", Republican Sinn Féin (RSF) said today.

RSF president Mr Rúairí Ó'Bradaigh also said "the artificial means cobbled together to administer an artificial statelet remains in crisis".

And, delivering the keynote address near the end of his party's two-day annual conference in Dublin, he added: "Both the British Government and the Dublin administration have stated publicly their intention to crush all opposition to the re-jigged Stormont set-up, which is sectarian in nature and has failed to date."

Claiming harassment of his group's sympathisers on both sides of the Border, Ó'Bradaigh said: "Our members and supporters will not be intimidated by this campaign of coercion, but will continue to organise and recruit throughout Ireland, putting forward unashamedly the Irish Republican agenda of ending British rule and creating a New Ireland negotiated by the Irish people themselves."

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He referred to what he called this year's "well-publicised show trial" of "Real IRA" leader Michael McKevitt that led to his jailing for 20 years. Mr O Bradaigh has repeatedly denied his party's alleged connection with the dissident republican group the Continuity IRA, which has co-operated with the "Real IRA" on occasion.

Mr Ó'Bradaigh added: "The occasion was availed of to slander members of the national leadership of Republican Sinn Féin.

"Republican Sinn Fein bases its stand on the fact that Ireland is a sovereign nation, and sovereign nations the world over have the right to defend themselves and to resist foreign aggression.

"We state that Ireland is no exception to this principle. We state further that there will be no 'full and final closure to the conflict' between Irish Republicanism and English imperialism and colonialism until the British government signals to the world its intention of leaving Ireland forever."

PA