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RUC AND BRITISH ARMY HAVE KILLED 17 PEOPLE(16 CATHOLICS) AND PERMANENTLY MAIMED HUNDREDS OD OTHERS INCLUDING MOST RECENTLY

KEVIN MCCAFFERTY, A 16 YEAR OLD FROM DERRY WHO LOST HIS EYE TO A PLASTIC BULLET AT UNION HALL PLACE LAST YEAR. ON THIS ISSUE WE FIND

OURSELVES IN RARE AGREEMENT WITH THE NEW YORK TIMES WHICH HAS

CALLED UPON PRIME MINISTER BLAIR TO BAN THEIR USE AS A CONFIDENCE

BUILDING MEASURE. WE APPEAL FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO JOIN THE

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE IRISH BISHOPS CONFERENCE, AND PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN OPPOSING THE USE OF THESE DEVICES WHICH

ARE BANNED FROM USE THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.

THIRD, THE TRUE WORK OF PEACE IS TO WORK FOR MEASURES THAT WILL

PROMOTE JUSTICE. SUCH MEASURES COME IN MANY SHAPES AN SIZES. THE

CORRUPTION OF LAW WHICH WRONGFULLY IMPRISONED THE BIRMINGHAM

SIX AND THE GUILFORD FOUR TO ACHIEVE POLITICAL ENDS IS ONGOING WITH

CASES LIKE THAT OF THE CASEMENT THREE AND THAT OF DANNY MCNAMEE

AND THE PUNITIVE DETENTION OF MS ROISIN MCALISKEY. YOUR EXPRESSION

OF CONCERN MIGHT SERVE TO EXPOSE THESE INJUSTICES TO THE LIGHT OF

TRUTH.

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DURING THE PERIOD 1989-1992 NINE SINN FEIN ELECTED OFFICIALS AND

CAMPAIGN WORKERS WERE SLAIN. SINCE 1992 FIVE MORE CAMPAIGN

WORKERS HAVE BEEN MURDERED AND DOZENS MORE ARE REGULARLY

DETAINED WITHOUT CHARGE DURING CAMPAIGNS. NO OTHER PARTY IN A

MODERN DEMOCRACY HAS EXPERIENCED SUCH PERSECUTION WHICH

USUALLY BEGINS WITH THE RUC TELLING A PERSON THAT HIS OR HER 'FILE'

HAS SUDDENLY GONE MISSING. THE COLLUSION OF SECURITY FORCES IN THIS

CAMPAIGN TO DEPRIVE NATIONALISTS OF THEIR RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN

THE POLITICAL PROCESS IS APPARENT TO ALL NOT TOO BLIND TO SEE. AS

ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES YOU CAN CAMPAIGN HERE FREE OF SUCH

VIOLENT INTIMIDATION. YOUR FURTHER INQUIRY INTO THIS CAMPAIGN TO

SILENCE SINN FEIN COULD PROVE CRITICAL TO RESTORING A TRUE

DEMOCRACY TO THE POLITICAL PROCESS IN THE NORTH.

FINALLY, I WOULD APPEAL TO YOU TO SPECIFICALLY ON BEHALF OF TWO OF

OUR MEMBERS-JOSEPH DOHERTY AND JIMMY SMYTH. THERE IS NOT ENOUGH

TIME TO DETAIL THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THEIR CURRENT IMPRISONMENT IN

THE NORTH. SUFFICE IT TO SAY WE BELIEVE THEIR TERM OF IMPRISONMENT

SHOULD BE REDUCED BY THE TIME THEY SPENT IN CONFINEMENT IN THIS

COUNTRY WHILE WE AND MOST OTHER IRISH-AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS

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SUPPORTED

THEIR LENGTHY BATTLE AGAINST DEPORTATION AND

EXTRADITION. THIS IS A HUMANITARIAN PLEA ON BEHALF OF THEIR FAMILIES

AND IN THE INTEREST OF PROMOTING THE HEALING SO NECESSARY FOR THE

RECONCILIATION OF THE DIVIDED COMMUNITIES. I WOULD ASK THAT THIS

COMMITTEE OR ITS' MEMBERS INDIVIDUALLY WRITE TO DR. MOWLAM, THE SECRETARY FOR NORTHERN IRELAND, AND THAT THE TIME IN AMERICA BE

CREDITED TO THEIR ORIGINAL SENTENCE.

MR. CHAIRMAN, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO MY TESTIMONY AND

ASK THAT IT MAY BE INCLUDED IN ITS' ENTIRETY IN THE RECORD OF THIS

PROCEEDING.

BRITISH SECURITY FORCES USE OF PLASTIC BULLETS

WHEREAS, in the North of Ireland British Crown forces have consistently used six inch hard, solid plastic cylinders called “plastic bullets” to maintain crowd control and to intimidate and injure civilians; and

WHEREAS, the use of those bullets has cost 17 people their lives children; and

WHEREAS, thousands of Irish people have suffered serious and permanent injury from these bullets including most recently Kevin McCafferty, a sixteen year old youth from Derry who in July 1996 lost his eye at Union Hall Place; and

WHEREAS, plastic bullets are currently banned by the Home Office in Great Britain, Wales and Scotland; and

WHEREAS, the European Parliament, the British Labor Party, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference have all condemned and called for a ban of their use; Now Therefore Be It

RESOLVED, that the undersigned organizations call upon the President to publicly appeal for a British ban on the use of these plastic bullets; and Be It Further

RESOLVED, that the President instruct the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations to raise this issue for action by the U.N. General Assembly; and Be It Further RESOLVED, that should the British fail to ban the use of these bullets we undersigned call upon Congress to hold public hearings on the suspension of contributions to the

Jack Gavin

Sir Knight (Past)
Knights of Equity

Frank Hoare
President

Brehon Law Society

Joseph Roche
Facilitator

(Past President

House Committee on International Relations

Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights