From the article of 'Petrel'
No.587 / June 30, 1996

Please send us your opinion and the impression about this article without reservation.

The nationalism of IRA failed.

Round table conference holding in terrorism restart
Whereabouts of the north Irish peace negotiation


In north Ireland where the blast and terrorism washing one's blood in blood for four half a century have been repeated by catholicism system arms organizations IRA (Irish republican army) which recite "Union to the Irish Republic" and the protestantism system arms organizations (Ulster defense army etc.) which shout "Britain remaining", the beginning to gPeace" has been said whether having been found by about two years in time of the cease-fire declaration of previous IRA. However, the negotiation of the disarmament of IRA runs aground in the obstacle, and IRA annuled the cease-fire and restarted the terrorism activity in February this year. On the other hand, the situation contrarily deepens each confusion again with the cheer of "Dispute solution" so that a British government may force "Peace round table conference" holding Shinfein party (political organization of IRA) pulling out. Let's easily see the history and the current state of the north Ireland dispute.

The beginning of the military power dispute was "Civil rights movements"

 It is about 1970 to activate blasting terrorism of IRA. This originates the edge in the violence suppression by the north Irish autonomy government and the British government of the protestantism system to Catholicism system inhabitant's "Civil rights movements". However, the history with a long Ireland rule by Britain lies behind that.

Ireland (Keltic) was put in the 12th century under Britain's (Anglo-Saxon family) colonial rule and was annexed to Britain in 1801. It is 1921 that Ireland wins independence from Britain after the first great war through the uplift of the race movement which runs in the 19th century (Marx & Engels kept also drawing an important concern to this).

However, only six states of the northern part (It is called the Ulster area) where the protestantism system (Immigration person's from Britain since Cromwell's age descendant to land taken up from Catholicism) had been occupying many separated and remained in Britain at this time. This is present north Ireland. It is protestantism and the ratio of Catholicism is almost 6:4 though population of north Ireland are about 1,600,000 persons. In contrast with north Ireland, Catholicism occupies 80 percent in the Irish Republic (about 3,500,000 persons in the population).

Since then well, north Ireland has been made "It forms the Union Kingdom with Great Britain" and will be put on a special position with an original autonomy assembly and the government though it has the seat in a British assembly. So this autonomy assembly and the government became that the race ideologist and unionist of the protestantism system rule by an unfair election system (It is symbolized in an enterprise main privilege) etc., and the policy of plain protestantism preferential treatment and the Catholicism suppression will be done by them.

Small number of Catholicism inhabitants of the sect are despised with "The second class citizens" and are daily bleached to cruel discrimination in all fields of finding employment discrimination, no civil servant adoption, education discrimination, public housing unfair moving, hoisting prohibition of republic flag, rape of the police etc. and have been pushed in at the position of unemployment and a poverty-stricken lower class. In addition, a British regime of successive including Labour Party has been conniving at the policy of the discrimination of Catholicism of the north Irish government to say nothing of the conservative party.

In such situations, when becoming the latter half of 1960's, "North Irish civil rights societies" is formed by the Catholicism system inhabitant under the influence of the civil rights exercises of an American Negro and the civil rights movements which demanded fair election, prohibition of finding employment discrimination, making of house allocation impartial, abolition of the suppression regulations etc. started.

The civil rights movements came could do nothing but show a big upsurge and to promise a reformation constant as for the north Irish government. However, the concession of the government calls and awakes violent repulsion of unionist to dread the loss of a privileged position. The north Irish government had converted to a strong route before their pushing up and the Ulster police and the special police, etc. which consisted of unionist fiercely attacked the civil rights demonstrations and suppressed it cruelly. Starting of IRA the military power struggled to retaliate against this and the unionist side also reinforced an armed organization such as the Ulster defense armies. The confrontation of both Catholicism protestantism sects has escalated to the military power dispute and north Ireland rushed into in the state of the civil war since the summer of 1969 years.

A British government started in such situations and turned on the army and started intervening. The government abolished the autonomy government in time of "Event on Sunday of blood" in January, '72 and moved north Ireland to direct rule of a British government. A British army fires at the civil rights demonstrations in this event which happens in Delhi, it becomes a disaster where 13 persons die, and the attack of IRA will be turned to a British army.

Thereafter, the replies of the blast and terrorism by both radicals of Catholicism = nationalist and protestantism = unionist continue with the length. By now, the victim has been going up to 3,200 dead and 40,000 injured persons.

Passage to peace negotiation beginning and the background

It is after in 90's that the symptom searching for the breakthrough of the dispute made a marsh appears. A British government made also a armed organization of the protestantism system to the illegality, IRA apologized to victim's bereaved family, the Irish Republic declared regulated abandonment of constitution to which owning whole Irish islands which contains north Ireland is expressed. A series of these movements existed in '92. November '93 of next year, a British government made that a British government had been proposing the peace negotiation to IRA (Shinfein party) public. Both British, Irish governments announced "Joint declaration, aimed at a peaceful solution of the north Irish problem" in December.

The content is as follows. (1)Britain keeps ruling as long as the majority of the north Irish inhabitant hopes and when inhabitant's many will request the Ireland union in the future, Britain admits the self-determination right. (2)The Irish Republic does not compel union Ireland without a lot of agreement of the north Irish inhabitant. (3)Both governments make a new, political frame for peace through the conversation with each party in north Ireland. (4)Both governments admit the political organization Shinfein party the conversation participation contingent on the terrorism abandonment of IRA.

End on August, '94 next year according to this declaration, IRA announced "Cease-fire declaration" and the protestantism system which criticized "Betrayal of a British government" also discontinued the terrorism activity for the dread of isolation following this. The north Ireland dispute faced a new phase so that "Frame document" which became the beating stand of the peace negotiation was announced in February, '95. The passage afterwards must assume touch later and see the background from which the movement at this time to "Peace" has come out ahead of that.

The reason why a British government which had boasted, "It is not in the negotiation with the terrorism organization all" launched out into the negotiation with IRA is that the solution by the military power repression cannot be expected and huge expenditure which cost 75,000,000,000 pounds in year which contains the stationing expense of the army which includes 20,000 persons was not able to be endured. Moreover, there are circumstances with strategic value hardly for Britain militarily economically in north Ireland apart from before behind that now. Now, the north Irish problem is only a burden, exists for the British bourgeoisie, and they hope that he will withdraw in shape not damaging own prestige.

On the other hand, the bourgeoisie in the Irish Republic also has already been throwing away an independent ideal of liberating whole Irish island at this time and the target, etc. They want to be liberated from this annoying problem to the help doing EU as soon as possible difficulty of caning get along economical far from the support of the Catholicism power of north Ireland and be aiming at the breakthrough of an economic crisis by deepening cooperated relation between Britain and EU nations further. This is their real intentions.

The propping up by the US Clinton regime is pointed out as an external factor in addition to circumstances of such both nations. The descendant of Irish people who emigrate in large quantities through the 19th century goes down to the United States by as many as 40,000,000 persons and they accounts for 15% of the population. They traditionally become one of the support bases of Democratic Party and it is certain for this one many people Clinton regimes to receive the intention of power and to have intervened this problem aggressively aiming at the negotiation promotion.

However, the maximum factor which became a peace negotiation beginning was to have accepted that IRA who was the leading part of the dispute above all arrived at the table of the negotiation this time. Why did they who have insisted on the military power liberating of north Ireland accept the negotiation? Was foresight where the demand was surely achieved born? As for no so, it is clear to see "Frame document" which becomes basic of the negotiation. To tell the truth, they did not obtain the bamboo basket according to the negotiation either. Because, the experience of the terrorism struggle extending over four half a century mistook and exposed the deadlock and practicing it as the thought of their radical nationalisms, and narrow-minded and failure of the strategy. The reason for their movements is to lose the support of people and to be bleached to the crisis of the shake and dismantlement systematically now. This respect though we touches later, It was a definite factor even for corruption and the bankruptcy of IRA to bring the peace negotiation at this time at any rate.

A narrow-minded nationalism of IRA failed

 When you see the passage afterwards of the peace negotiation, The north region election (constant 110 seats) to elect the composition member of the peace round table conference at the end of this May was done and the Ulster union party of the protestantism system occupied 30 seats and became the first party, and the Shinfein party also secured 17 seats.

The first round table conference was held on June 10. However, this conference was pulling out of the Shinfein party. IRA repulsed to this because a British government strongly insisted on disarmament = arms handing over IRA as assumption of the conference participation, the cease-fire annulment was declared in February, and the bomb struggle was restarted. Therefore, a British government refused the attendance of the Shinfein party. The reason why British Maijors regimes stick to disarmament is that they can do nothing but take their moods if the support of a protestantism system regional political party in north Ireland is not won there are only two seat differences of the government and opposition party in the assembly it is in the situation to which the regime can be maintained.

To say nothing of meaningless the round table conference on pulling out the Shinfein party and at present, the whereabouts of the peace negotiation is in a fog completely. However, even if the Shinfein party joins, the round table conference gets on the right track, and the negotiation advances along "Frame document", anything will be not born from the average of this conference in the situation to answer the wish and the expectation of the worker people in north Ireland of the truth either.

Excluding installation's of "Organization between the south north" by which both confers on sightseeing and investment policy, etc. which affect both parties in both Ireland in the north and the south having been included, the content of "Frame document" (The north is nervous of the protestantism sect and the first step taken over and this are nervous to the south, too.) is basically the same as "Joint declaration" of both Irish and British governments which we introduced previously.

In the place where mutual agreement is aimed at with this document and the inhabitant vote by which "Britain remaining" or "Integration into Ireland" was asked was executed, the result is clear in the current state to which protestantism occupies many. Even then, what was bomb struggle of IRA which extended for four half a century? -- It only brings the emptiness into relief.

If the negotiation is actually settled, in the result, it will be to revive the autonomy assembly and the government as the Britain remaining at most. Of course, the revival of the policy of plain dominant protestantism now before is impossible. It is clear not to be able to expect any change of the life of the worker people who pants poorly with chronic unemployment in north Ireland (The difference of the level is essentially the same as this regardless of that Catholicism or protestantism.) even if discrimination is lost. (And, it can be said that the possibility to be similar and to worsen further even when the third road said that north Ireland even when "Integration into Ireland" which IRA recites is performed will become an independent country person is chosen is stronger in this respect.)

Because, the root of poverty of the worker people in north Ireland is even in the rule of the capital, too. It is not the fundamental cause at all even though the protestantism preferential treatment policy before made non-human life of people of the Catholicism system more unbearable. To begin with, the policy of this protestantism preferential treatment is not the one of having caused it by an only racial, religious difference (even if there is a very long historical details there) but just a excellent class attack that is dividing into parts rule which is the old trick of the bourgeoisie, too.

The problem might have been in the tie to the development of such fights (The dividing into parts rule of Yunionist is broken by asking to the unity of all working people in north Ireland regardless of Catholicism or protestantism and they organizes that it is class struggle of the opposition to the rule of the capital.) and winning the abolition of the race discrimination, though it is the north Ireland dispute which originates the edge in the civil rights movements of the Catholicism system.

However, IRA reduces all to the race problem, insists whether "Union of Ireland" is a key to all problem solvings, provokes the fanaticism nationalism of Yunionist by a narrow-minded own nationalism, and has dragged in the working people in north Ireland to the marsh of an unmeasured bomb struggle by both sects thus. The failure of such movements is inevitable and the north Ireland dispute also teaches barrenness and reactionary of the nationalism at the present age.

(Masaru Machida)