Judgement shows British rule has not changed

national | miscellaneous | press release Friday December 21, 2007 16:13 by Des Dalton - Republican Sinn Fein saoirse at iol dot ie 223 Parnell St Dublin 1 01 8729747

Statement by the Vice President of Republican Sinn Féin Des Dalton

Republican Sinn Fein Vice President Des Dalton said in a statement that the acquittal of Sean Hoey showed that the nature and purpose of the British colonial police in Ireland has not changed.

The acquittal of Sean Hoey on December 20 only serves to underline the fact that British rule in Ireland has not changed. It also highlights the reality that changing the name of the British colonial police in Ireland will not change the nature or purpose of the PSNI, anymore than it did when the RIC became the RUC.

The journalist and broadcaster Eamonn Maillie speaking on the RTÉ radio programme The Pat Kenny Show on December 21 described the RUC/PSNI’s practice of holding people on remand for a number of years without trial, this was the case with Sean Hoey, as “selective internment”.

The very fact that such practices are still used by the forces of the British state in Ireland show that despite the political spin surrounding the Stormont and St Andrews agreements British rule in Ireland can only be maintained by coercion and the denial of the most basic civil and human rights.