May 25, 2004 32CSM Condemn Increased Harassment of Republicans in East-Tyrone


The 32 County Sovereignty Movement utterly condemns the increased harassment that republicans in the East-Tyrone area have been enduring recently. Two incidents that have occurred in the last two days highlight the type of incident that has become a regular occurrence for republicans in the area.

On Tuesday night 5th May at 9.45 pm a young mother and her 14 week old baby were stopped by the British Army outside Dungannon. The British Army asked the young woman for her personal details and she complied. When they discovered that she was the partner of an ex-prisoner they told her to get out of the car as they were going to search it with a sniffer dog. The woman refused to comply with this request as it was pouring rain and she had her young child with her. She also objected to the fact that the Sniffer Dogs were filthy and wet. When she locked the door and refused the British Army entry to the car they became extremely abusive which naturally distressed both mother and child. The woman phoned her solicitor and reported what was happening. The British Army then told the woman that she was being detained until the RUC arrived. The woman then phoned her solicitor again who phoned the RUC. The RUC denied having been contacted by the British Army.

When local people stopped to offer assistance to the young lady they were told in no uncertain terms to move on. Eventually, after 40 minutes of abuse the young woman was allowed to continue her journey.

The next night 6th May, a similar incident occurred. A number of members of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement were traveling in a car outside Dungannon when they were stopped by 45 Marine Commando. The men were ordered out of the car in the pouring rain and told that that they and their vehicle were being searched. A UDR dog handler proceeded to place a wet and dirty dog into the boot while other members of the British Army searched the interior of the car, the interior was declared clean by those who searched it. Other members of the British Army patrol insisted that the sniffer dog be allowed access to the interior of the car which the car owner, an ex-republican prisoner refused due to the condition of the dog and the fact that the interior had already been declared clean. The British Army then contacted the RUC who arrived soon after and told the driver that if he refused the dog entry to the vehicle the men would be arrested for obstruction. The men then allowed the dog access and were threatened and insulted for the duration of the search.

Republicans in the East-Tyrone areas of Dungannon, Coalisland, Cookstown and Kildress have reported a significant rise in both the level of Military activity in these areas and the incidences of harassment. The 32 County Sovereignty Movement reiterate our call to the nationalist and republican communities to reject the British Army and the RUC. Despite the fact that the British and Irish Governments and collaborators in local political parties tell us that the British Security presence in Ireland is changing and is non-partisan this is quite clearly not the case if you are a republican. As has been proven in East-Tyrone and indeed all across the occupied Six Counties the British Forces continue to engage in the widespread harassment of republican communities indeed, as has been revealed recently, to the extent of setting republicans up for long prison sentences through the practice of planted, corrupt or falsified evidence.

CONTACT: ANDY MARTIN DIRECTOR OF PUBLICITY.
TEL: 07742 439 449 OR E-MAIL belfast32csm@yahoo.com