^Vcf.'I Inish OG&OCtUC April/May 1999 Connolly Association: campaigning for a united and independent Ireland ISSN 0021-1125 60p Cromwell's Defending History biggest Spanish is a wart of all democracy family affair Page 3 Page 7 Page 12 MURDER FUELS RUC COLLUSION CLAIMS NELSON MURDER Street with Garvaghy Road residents. Writing to UN special investigator Democrat reporter Data Param Cumaraswamy in October THE BRUTAL murder by loyalist 1997 Ms Nelson described her experience extremists of the prominent six-county at the hands of the RUC as a "systematic human-rights solicitor Rosemary Nelson and concerted campaign of intimidation on 16 March raises fundamental questions and abuse". about the identity of her killers, the The UN report published last year integrity of certain loyalist ceasefires and concluded that solicitors representing whether those responsible received republicans had been subjected to assistance form within the security forces. 'intimidation, hindrance, harassment, Although a group calling itself the Red improper interference' by the RUC. Hand Defenders claimed responsibility Publication of a further UN report into for the murder, it was not previously allegations of security-force harassment is thought to have had the capacity to make now imminent, as is the result of an such a sophisticated type of bomb. The interna] investigation carried out by a UDA is the only loyalist group to have senior Metropolitan Police officer. previously used such a device. The decision by RUC Chief Constable Similar car bombs have been used by Ronnie Flanagan to appoint Kent Chief the UDA on a number of occasions, Constable David Philips to supervise the including as recently as 1997 when that RUC investigation into the murder has group blew up fellow loyalist Glen Greer. been slammed as "wholly inadequate". The question now being asked is "Given the findings of the UN Special whether the tiny splinter group is Rapporteur in relation to Mrs Nelson's receiving direct assistance from the UDA claims of RUC harassment, intimidation or whether the Red Hand Defenders is and death threats, it is simply not tenable simply a 'flag of convenience' for sections that the RUC should be responsible for the of the larger loyalist paramilitary group. investigation of her death, albeit under the Growing UDA disaffection with the supervision of a senior outside officer," peace process is known to have intensified said CAJ director Martin O'Brien. Any after its political representatives, the investigation should be conducted by Ulster Democratic Party, failed to win "officers from outside Northern Ireland". seats in the assembly elections. In a letter to Secretary of State Mo Rosemary Nelson's murder also raises Mowlam, a coalition of human rights questions about the possible involvement groups including Human Rights Watch, of members of the security forces. Her Amnesty International, Lawyers work on behalf of clients such as Colin Committee for Human Rights and the Duffy, the family of Robert Hamill, the CAJ stressed that it no confidence in an Garvaghy Road residents, and around 200 internal RUC investigation and appealed people seeking compensation from the for the minister to seek assistance from the RUC in relation to events at Dnimcree, United Nations. had made her unpopular with the force. Adding the voice of the Connolly However, friends and professional Association to calls for an independent colleagues have pointed out that she inquiry, general secretary Enda Finlay represented clients from both sides of the said: "Rosemary Nelson's death comes as community and that her professional a huge blow for the many clients she ability was accompanied by an represented with passion and integrity, in unswerving commitment to achieving extremely difficult circumstances, justice for her clients, whoever they were. throughout her career. In recent years Rosemary Nelson had "Although it is also a major blow for made complaints against RUC officers the peace process and should be seen as a with regard to incidents involving physical deliberate attempt to derail it, the muder of and racist verbal attacks and death threats. Rosemary Nelson has once again served Sources close to the CA indicated that to highlight the urgency surrounding the Ms Nelson had sought police protection need for radical changes to policing in the during her recent visit to 10 Downing North." , left, arriving at Tm Downing Street with Garvaghy Road residents earlier this year Irish Democrat April/May 1993 .. ... ... i •••>»« • . Page'3 tnsh Uemocrat >\pni/iviay iyyy c News State for Northern Ireland, Mo Mowlam, iRish OemociucPressur e grows for has promised that she will read the report Founded 1939 Volume 54. Number 2 NEWS IN BRIEF personally and respond swiftly once Flnucane inquiry current pressures over the setting up oi the Rights commissioners named new Assembly allow. Exposing Cromwell's A DANGEROUS IMPASSE PROFESSOR BRICE Dickson, head (it Speaking about the confidential report legal studies the University of Ulster has UNIONISTS' INSISTENCE on sticking to demands tor IRA COLLUSION COVER-UP Jane Winter, director of British-Irish c been appointed to head up the North's new Democrat reporter decommissioning have, once again, taken the Good Friday agreement Rights Watch said: "Not only did we biggest wart' of all Human Rights Commission. FURTHER EVIDENCE pointing to discover that the actions of the police and to the brink of collapse. As we approach another deadline for the while those even less fortunate were The work of the commission includes extensive collusion between the British army directly contributed to the murder of CROMWELL COVER-UP transported to the Caribbean as slaves." advising the British government and the setting up of the Assembly executive, hopes that the British security services and loyalist death squads Pat Finucane but also that the FRU misled Democrat reporter Such actions were extreme, even in the new assembly on measures to protect government would warn unionists to be constructive on this issue during the late 1980s and early 1990s has both the Stevens inquiry and Belfast MEMBERS OF the Connolly Association context of the 17th century, he insisted. human rights in the North; advising on have again come to nought recently added to mounting pressure for Crown Court about its knowledge of the staged a sombre demonstration outside the Claims by the museum authorities that whether legislation proposed by the an independent international inquiry into Finucane, Slane and McDaid murders in Instead we were left with a deepening crisis, heightened by a Museum of London at the end of February they had nothing which related to assembly is compatible with the European the murder of Irish civil rights lawyer Pat an attempt to cover up the truth." Convention on Human Rights; and steady rise in loyalist violence and the prospect of further tension and in protest at the absence of any reference Cromwell's Ireland campaigns were Finucane, pictured right, in 1989. "Last year the UN called for the assisting people who have suffered rights to Oliver Cromwell's bloody Irish dismissed by the Association. conflict once the Orange marching season gets underway. Interviewed about collaboration establishment of an inquiry into this case abuses. campaigns in the museum's Cromwell, "A catalogue of the museum's Tangye between loyalists and the security services and now we have further evidence of Attempts by the two governments to counter growing concern over Warts and All exhibition, which marked collection contained dozens of relevant The commission, which stated work for the final programme in Peter Taylor's official involvement in this murder. The the decommissioning impasse by agreeing the final details of a series the 400th anniversary of English books and documents and I only got half on I March, will also have the power to recent three-part BBC series, The Government can no longer resist the need republican's birth. way through it," explained Frank Small, a carry out its own investigations. of new British-Irish Treaties on north-south bodies and other key Loyalists, former UDA man Bobby for an inquiry," added Committee for the librarian by profession. A further nine part-time Philpott claimed that the group had The failure to consult Irish colleagues, aspects of the agreement will have fooled no one. Administration of Justice legal officer commissioners were named by Mo received information from security community groups or staff from the Irish It is understood that a draft The new deadline for establishing the Assembly executive, set for Paul Mageean. ; Mowlan at the beginning of March: sources "on a daily basis". Philpott embassy over such a sensitive matter was commentary prepared for the exhibition Around 1,300 lawyers from around the t Christine Bell (centre for international and the week of 29 March, is fast approaching. If this is not met the claimed that the information, which was "deplorable" said Connolly Association originally contained references to handed over to the British government and world have, so far, signed a petition * comparative human-rights law, Queen's used to target and both known republicans executive member Frank Small, who Cromwell's Irish campaigns but these had d'Hondt system for establishing the executive based on the parties' sent to the United Nations, concludes that calling on the British government to ; University, Belfast); Prof. Tom Hadden and innocent Catholics, was supplied by handed in a letter to museum staff on been removed prior to its opening, despite vote in the Assembly elections supposedly comes in operation. Only members of the RUC and the covert Force establish an independent inquiry into the contribute towards the creation of a (Queen's University Belfast); Angela all branches of the security services behalf of the Association complaining opposition from some museum staff. the name of the town Drogheda and the the most hopeless optimist could believe that the agreement can Research Unit (FRU), a branch of military murder of Pat Finucane.