in Belfast hunger strike ended. THE following is the text of a leaflet distributed by the Irish revolutionary socialist organisation People's Democracy, just after the The ending of the hunger strike represents a limited victory for the prisoners and the H Block/Armagh campaign.
The British were forced to make concessions, but these do not amount to a full implementation of the five demands or a full recognition of political status.
This means that the campaign in defence of the prisoners must continue and that those involved in the campaign must examine the hunger strike strug. gle to develop a more coherent strategy for winning the mass of the Irish people to our cause.
The concessions are a limited victory because changes in the prison regime that the British were willing to concede in the face of mass protest were not available in the previous four years. We can only assume that these concessions are a result of the mass pressure exerted by the campaign.
However, the victory is limited. Concessions made on prison clothing and on association appear MARY DOYLE those in the end, were made.
and the statement from Democracy on seems the most there were unlaughe ontestabl ISSUer summit: who took part in possibility such mass protest Republican comtually political British to tion. ment.
JOHN NIXON make the concessions which, Thousands of people marched in the month when the diplomacy game finally came to Ireland, with the meeting carly in the month of Thatcher and Irish premier Charlie now that important were discussed at this the long-term Paisley Britis political withdrawal from the north of Ireland; the creation of links, economic and even- dum between the two parts ul treland, te bro mise by Haughey to consider ' to fall short of the demands, and it is not yet clear it they are enough to enable the prisoners to end the blanket and dirty protests.
Also, the British are able to deny that political status has been granted and are able to turn what is essentially a political problem into a police opera The British were able to hold out because the mass of the Irish people were held hostage by the Social Democratic Labour Party and, in the south, the Fianna Fail government.
The trade union bureaucracy was also able to hold in check the organised power of the Irish working class. It must be said that the Smash H Block/ Armagh campaign did not have a central strategy of challenging the SDLP and Fianna Fail and building a special campaign in the workers' move.
The struggle goes on. We will have to continue our defence of the prisoners. We will have to defend ourselves from the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Ulster Defence Regiment. We will have to de.
fend the whole Irish people from the results of Haughey's and Hume's collaboration with Thatcher.
MAIREAD FARRELL taking Ireland into NATO There is little point predicting whether Thatcher will, in the end, endorse such a plan That she is thinking about i hows the pressure the Britis government is under, and internationally, to come up with a 'solution On the Unionist side, lan has. said he would fight to the death' to avoid a link-up with the south. His recent advocation of a referenwithin Britian on the north of Ireland's future has, bęhind it, a renewal of an option he has canvassed before
RAYMOND
MCCARTNEY that of an independent 'Ulster'.
For the present, however, the population seems too divided to offer a united front on any issue. Terms 'I am thankful it is over, said secretarv of state Hum phrey Atkins, and although ne was reterring to the (tirst! hunger strike he could well have said the same about 1980. If nothing else, the year has seen Britain grudgingly with a tew of the realities of Ireland.
There is no dismissal now of the IRA there is no longer any bluster about the ot ireland having no right to a say in what happens in the north. Ir that context a measure of vic tory can indeed be claimed by UNSA Republicans and socialists - Britain has finalpersuaded thai Ireland will not go away.
There are dangers in that