HUNGER STRIKE COMMEMORATIVE WEB PROJECT
Statement from Clonard Martyrs Cumann (SF)
14 April 1978

CLONARD MARTYRS CUMANN
SINN FEIN
85b Falls Road, Belfast

14th April, 1978

As the situation within 'H' Block, Long Kesh continues to deteriorate with the prisoners escalation of their own blanket protest, scores of protest demonstrations will take place all over the 32 counties of Ireland tomorrow. These have been called by Sinn Fein throughout the whole of Ireland in an effort to drive it home to the Irish people the situation which now prevails within this British Prison. Over 300 men deprived of all rights, reduced to conditions not fit for an animal by a foreign government and administration.

It is of interest that despite the complacent statement of the Northern Ireland Office today, Mr. Don Concannon, Roy Mason's right-hand man paid an unexpected visit to the'H' Blocks earlier this week to check on the situation.

Over the next few days telegrams of concern will be sent to various bodies, the most notable of which will be James Carter President of the United States. We intend to seek out those people and groups who have indicated their feelings towards the denial of basic human rights throughout the world. We will go to every length to make the horror of 'H' Block an international issue and one which the British no matter how hard they try they will not be able to gloss over. As the health of the 300 political prisoners suffers, we call on the people of Ireland to let their voices be heard in every way possible to end the suffering of these defenceless prisoners of war. In 1972, the British Home Secretary Reginald Maudling publicly declared war on the Irish Republican Army, the Irish men and women charged and convicted of offences at that time are no different to those charged after March 1976. We demand political status now.


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