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As part
of the Good Friday Agreement, an international commission
was set up to make proposals for a new police service in the
north of Ireland.  This
commission, headed by British Conservative Chris Patten, released
it's report in September 1999.
Although
the British government have publicly commited to implementing
the Patten Report in full, their actions have been just the
opposite. The Police Act legislation of 2000, written under
the guidance of former British Secretary of State, Peter Mandelson,
gutted the reform proposals and made a mockery of the peace
process. The latest attempts by the British to bring the Mandleson
Act in line with Patten, have also missed the mark in an number
of key areas.
As Irish
Republicans, we have always demanded the disbandment of the
current sectarian force, the RUC. The RUC, backed by the British
government, are the most discredited "police" force
in western Europe. They have been condemed by countless human
rights groups including Amnesty International. Their record
of torture, brutality, collusion with pro-British paramilitaries
and shoot-to-kill policies are well documented. It is this
disgraceful record that forced the issue of policing into
the Good Friday Agreement.
Although
the Patten Report does not nearly go far enough for republicans,
we do veiw Patten as the bare minimum requirement to initiate
a new beginning to policing in the north. Patten was the compromise.
Nothing less will be tolerated.
Click
here to download the Patten Report
in PDF form.
You will need Acrobat Reader to open this file.
Click
here to download a free copy of Acrobat Reader.
British
Collusion in Murder and Terror
State
sponsored
terror British Collusion in Murder
and Terrorism.  Kenneth
and Keith Littlejohn in the 1970s. Collin Wallace and Fred
Holroyd in the 1980s. Brian Nelson, Bobby Philpott and Jim
Sands in the 1990s.
These
are all names associated with thirty years of collusion between
regular British forces and pro-British paramilitary groups
in the north of Ireland. The latest name to be added to the
list is John Oliver Weir. Weir joined the locally recruited
Royal Ulster Constabulary in 1970 and served for 10 years.
This
is his story. It was given in the form of an affidavit in
February 1999 in support of Sean McPhilemy, the author of
The Committee.
Click
here to read his story
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