No
one expects soldiers to be saints. It is not in
the nature of the work they are engaged in, no matter
what army they belong to. In the main, armies are
made up of ordinary decent young men and women who
have suddenly gained authority due to the uniform
they wear or represent, and the arms they carry
or have access too. The PIRA is no exception and
any PIRA unit that comes from an area like the Short
Strand is not going to be made up of timid pussy
cats. Historically, the area is not known, as far
as the PIRA is concerned, for breeding men and women
who turn the other cheek. The reason being short
Strand is a Catholic/Nationalist enclave in East
Belfast, consisting of appox 3,000 souls, surrounded
on three sides by tough Protestant housing estates
with an overall population almost three times as
large. However up until the second ceasefire, bar
the odd hiccup, the Provisionals and the local population
were intertwined; the latter understanding only
too clearly if loyalist paramilitaries wished to
over-run their area, all there was to stop them
were the volunteers of the PIRA, who had proved
in the past they were up for the job. Thus until
comparatively recently, any talk of PIRA standing
down was more vigorously rejected in the Short Strand
than in most other areas of Belfast.
However due to the disgraceful thuggish behaviour
of a unit of the PIRA in this area, the local population
has all but reversed their once favourable opinion
of the Ra. Some even preferring, albeit reluctantly,
if the need arises to rely on the PSNI, rather than
having to turn to the local PIRA unit. This has
not been an overnight change of community opinion
but a long process, which finally broke through
to the surface when allegedly members of the Short
Strand PIRA along with others after a heavy drinking
session murdered Robert McCartney in a city centre
bar-room brawl.
It
is worth looking at how what can only be regarded
as a sea change in this communities view of the
PIRA came about. Before any reader questions why
I believe it was members of PIRA who not only killed
Mr McCartney, but have been behaving in the manner
I'm about to describe in the Short Strand, it is
because this is the general consensus that is coming
out of that local community. When in the past this
community said the British Army was behaving in
the most thuggish manner when about the business
of the Crown in their area, I believed them; and
such trust was never betrayed. So if this same community
says an element of the PIRA is behaving in a similar
manner then I have no reason to doubt them.
It
seems a group of Provisionals within this area,
referred to as ceasefire soldiers or scum by locals,
having been able to fill their pockets with coin
via the rackets they have become embroiled in during
the ceasefire, have come to believe that the community
their organisation was founded to serve now owes
them, as its masters, largess. Like medieval knights
they demand not only the automatic respect of the
community they rule over, but also its absolute
subservience; woe betide anyone who challenges them.
Sadly far too often when their bellies are full
with beer, they often overreact, resorting to violence
against whoever takes their fancy, as if it is their
right to do so. Especially when their masculinity
or authority is called into question and in the
process they seem to care very little they are bringing
shame on the organisation they are associated with
in the local communities mind. As of late these
despicable individuals by their behaviour seem to
have made a regular habit of spitting on the graves
of the Republican dead, for that is what they are
doing when they terrorise the local community.
But of course if this was just a matter of a group
of thugs acting on their own initiative, then given
time the local community would have eventually found
the will to deal with them. However, the leadership
of the PRM, when it suits them, publicly claim these
thugs are not their responsibility. Time and again
when this bunch of hoods have carried out some dastardly
deed like the murder of Mr McCartney, the full weight
of the Provos has been placed not behind the community
in bringing these people to book, but behind the
group of individuals who are terrorising it. People
are politely visited and reminded of their obligations
not to talk to the PSNI; CCTV video is removed from
the scene of the crime and spirited to god knows
where. Senior Republicans will put in an appearance
alongside the thugs as a show of unity. Such bizarre
behaviour by senior republicans has puzzled many
within and beyond the Short Strand. For whether
people support the current strategy of the PIRA
or not, most still see that movement, in the main
as being led by honourable people.
Thus such behaviour by senior members of the PRM
is not what the community expects. What the people
of the Short Strand want is when PIRA volunteers
are out and about at their leisure, they behave
in a manner that reflects the best interest of not
only the organisation they belong to, but also the
community they are a part of and claim to serve.
Yes, from time to time it is inevitable that volunteers
will go over the top and misbehave and indeed unfortunately
at times commit acts that any civilised society
would consider criminal. But when this happens,
the community does not expect the senior ranks of
the Republican army to threaten witnesses, demanding
they forget what they saw, destroy CCTV, etc. Nor
do they expect the Republican army to totally ignore
the crime and leave in place those who were responsible.
What the community want is for the leadership of
the PRM to take responsibility for their volunteers
and if the need arises discipline them and if necessary
court martial those who have gone beyond civilised
behaviour.
It is not as if the senior leadership is unaware
of what this gang have been up to, as complaints
against at least one of them stretch back years.
It is claimed the current Adjutant General of the
PIRA himself lives in West Belfast. Perhaps this
is the problem and this man whose responsibility
it is to oversee internal discipline, is too close
to the situation and being so, due to past loyalties
is unable to see the wood from the trees. Whatever
it is, the people of the Short Strand deserve better,
especially from a movement that they have shown
loyalty to over the decades of the troubles.
Anyone who lives in a working class community like
the Short Strand, although admittedly there are
few which have continuously been in such a geographically
precarious position, will know such communities
are very conservative. Change in the overall attitude
comes about very gradually over a long period of
time, but then these attitudes can change suddenly.
Thus within these communities, wayward members can
be tolerated way beyond the time they would be in
a less cohesive community, often in the hope that
they will mend their ways. But when change occurs,
for the individual(s) involved there is no going
back, the community's black spot is upon them and
there it will stay. The leadership of PIRA should
take note of this and act upon it. For if they do
not these individuals, who are out of control, will
bring further disgrace upon the PRM and more hardships
on a community which has had more than its share
of misfortune and to put it crudely, does not deserve
to be shit upon by its own.
