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Derry blogger and rights campaigner Pauline Mellon with a piece on the increasing threat to civil liberties posed by the PSNI's political policing. It initially featured on her blog, The Diary of a Derry Mother, on 16 January 2014.

There’s an interesting debate being started in Loyalist circles, and one of those who seems to be leading this is Jamie Bryson of ‘fleg’ protest fame. This comes following the release of Lurgan Republican Martin Corey. Martin Corey who has been released after spending four years in jail with no charges being brought against him now faces severe restrictions as part of his release.
One of these restrictions is that he is not allowed to speak to the media. The crux of this being that it would seem that Stormont is happy for it’s Police force to arrest you and it’s penal system to detain you. And after all that they threaten to remove your liberty if you tell anyone in the media what they did to you.
Sixty three year old Martin Corey was previously released on bail in 2012, however he was returned his cell from the waiting area of the prison after the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland appealed against his bail release.
Jamie Bryson has been tweeting on the Corey situation today and acknowledges that whilst he does not agree with what ‘Martin Corey stands for’ he cannot support Martin Corey being interned with no trial and then banned from speaking to the media. And Bryson asks the pertinent question ‘how on earth could a man pose a risk to the public by talking to the media? It would seem that the thought police are out now in force, aided and abetted by the silence of Stormont.
I would argue that Martin Corey now stands for more than the narrow view of his personal political opinions, opinions it must be noted which are covered by Human Rights Legislation. Marin Corey is a victim of the state, a victim of all of the political parties here in Northern Ireland that allowed his detention. And if they state in their defence that it wasn’t them it was the British Secretary of state then they need to be told that this is happening on their watch and in our names, and it’s not acceptable. And the next time any of them claim that Northern Ireland is a shining example of a post conflict society that could be used a model in conflict situations across the globe, they should be asked, what about Martin Corey?
The frightening thing is that if they can do this to him, they can do it to anyone whether they be a community activist, anti poverty campaigner, trade unionist, environmental campaigner or any other type of ‘square peg’ in one of Stormont’s rose tinted round holes. This could be seen as something that would seem to be straight out of the Nazi party guide to democracy and if it was happening else where in the world our politicians would be leading the charge to condemn it.
Alas once again the lack of democracy, transparency and accountability from the politicians here stuns me, What is even more astounding is that Jamie Bryson whilst our positions would differ greatly seems to be taking more of a principled human rights stance that those who allegedly run this place.

A ‘Square Peg’ in one of Stormont’s Rose Tinted Round Holes.

Derry blogger and rights campaigner Pauline Mellon with a piece on the increasing threat to civil liberties posed by the PSNI's political policing. It initially featured on her blog, The Diary of a Derry Mother, on 16 January 2014.

There’s an interesting debate being started in Loyalist circles, and one of those who seems to be leading this is Jamie Bryson of ‘fleg’ protest fame. This comes following the release of Lurgan Republican Martin Corey. Martin Corey who has been released after spending four years in jail with no charges being brought against him now faces severe restrictions as part of his release.
One of these restrictions is that he is not allowed to speak to the media. The crux of this being that it would seem that Stormont is happy for it’s Police force to arrest you and it’s penal system to detain you. And after all that they threaten to remove your liberty if you tell anyone in the media what they did to you.
Sixty three year old Martin Corey was previously released on bail in 2012, however he was returned his cell from the waiting area of the prison after the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland appealed against his bail release.
Jamie Bryson has been tweeting on the Corey situation today and acknowledges that whilst he does not agree with what ‘Martin Corey stands for’ he cannot support Martin Corey being interned with no trial and then banned from speaking to the media. And Bryson asks the pertinent question ‘how on earth could a man pose a risk to the public by talking to the media? It would seem that the thought police are out now in force, aided and abetted by the silence of Stormont.
I would argue that Martin Corey now stands for more than the narrow view of his personal political opinions, opinions it must be noted which are covered by Human Rights Legislation. Marin Corey is a victim of the state, a victim of all of the political parties here in Northern Ireland that allowed his detention. And if they state in their defence that it wasn’t them it was the British Secretary of state then they need to be told that this is happening on their watch and in our names, and it’s not acceptable. And the next time any of them claim that Northern Ireland is a shining example of a post conflict society that could be used a model in conflict situations across the globe, they should be asked, what about Martin Corey?
The frightening thing is that if they can do this to him, they can do it to anyone whether they be a community activist, anti poverty campaigner, trade unionist, environmental campaigner or any other type of ‘square peg’ in one of Stormont’s rose tinted round holes. This could be seen as something that would seem to be straight out of the Nazi party guide to democracy and if it was happening else where in the world our politicians would be leading the charge to condemn it.
Alas once again the lack of democracy, transparency and accountability from the politicians here stuns me, What is even more astounding is that Jamie Bryson whilst our positions would differ greatly seems to be taking more of a principled human rights stance that those who allegedly run this place.
Feature from Elsewhere Martin Corey

6 comments:

  1. Unknown7:23 PM, January 28, 2014

    Well said!

    ReplyDelete
  2. itsjustmacker8:06 PM, January 28, 2014

    good piece.

    Now that Jamie knows the whole truth that internment is still here, will him and his followers join with republicans on an anti internment march, I think that would be logical. I congratulate jamie Bryson for speaking out for Martin Corey and everyone who faces Internment , members of the Loyalist community as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tain Bo9:06 PM, January 28, 2014

    Slowly but surely they are slipping in more and more oppressive legislation which has little to do with militant dissidents or loyalist dissidents and more to do with gagging freedom of speech.
    How are we meant to move on when members of our society are denied their rights and why after being punished by a period in jail are they subjected to more punishment on release?

    People need to wise up as this effects both communities loyalists shouldn’t think they are immune to this as the same treatment will eventually be meted out against anyone they (the law) suspect is a threat and will be held as guilty without trial or charge.
    Imposing censorship through fear seems a form of fascist dictatorship reserved for the rowdy people of the north though I wouldn’t be surprised if it is used on the mainland.

    ReplyDelete
  4. marty12:13 PM, January 29, 2014

    Excellent post and if someone like Jamie Bryson is speaking out then its definitely a clarion call that warns us all that human rights are not just being eroded here they are being swept away at an alarming rate,it is clearly a case as Tain Bo suggests that they are using this place norn iorn as a testing ground for their future implementation on their so called mainland,Kitson said as much,in the words of Martin Niemoller first they came,it now seems that anyone of us not singing from the quisling hymn sheet is at risk, we the people are allowing this to happen and anyone who thinks that the eejits up in Stormont will look after our interests need to catch themselves on ,indeed those faithful to the "party"are seeing activists being picked of periodically at a moderate pace to stop any stampede away from the "leadership" while at the same time the "leadership" remains aloof from any investigations ,why is that? the "peace process" held aloft for all the world to see is really like the kings new clothes ,it doesnt exist. true peace and justice cannot be built on foundations which see human rights and liberty as the gift of some politician ,when bigots like Bryson FLEGS such abuse up then we really have to ask ourselves, just what exactly do we mean by human rights and civil liberties,if the answer is living in a sterile place where all thoughts and actions are controlled by the state ,then do nothing its on its way however if freedom means something completely different then we all must make our voices heard.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous4:55 PM, January 29, 2014

    "They will not criminalise us, rob us of our true identity, steal our individualism, depoliticise us, churn us out as systemised, institutionalised, decent law-abiding robots. Never will they label our liberation struggle as criminal"

    Bobby Sands



    One could be forgiven for thinking that Bobby wrote the above quote with the present Sinn Fein Stormont regime in mind.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Tain Bo7:45 PM, January 29, 2014

    Marty,

    I use the term “mainland” loosely as I don’t view the working class there much different than in Ireland.
    I cannot even agree on the term working class as it doesn’t represent the unemployed I prefer the term the underclass.

    ReplyDelete

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