Sir, - Nationalist violence in the North is sad, but understandable. It is difficult to restrain young people when they are so deeply angry and frustrated at the blatant injustice and bias of the police and the political authorities, and the inability of the British Government to restrain Orange lawlessness in its colony in Northern Ireland.
The RUC is not only incapable of protecting them from ethnic cleansing which drives their families from their homes and burns their houses, but actively beats them up with gusto on their own streets. It keeps them prisoners ringed by armoured steel, to allow the majority their ritual marches to show the world who rules the North.
Unfortunately, the violent reaction to which some nationalists are driven gives John Major and the Orange leaders the excuse to blame Sinn Fein for all that is wrong. A far more effective protest to capture world attention would be to mobilise the nationalists in every town and village to come out in their own localities for a totally silent march, with no flags, drums or slogans, but simply carrying large black drapes entitled Requiem for Democracy. and Regret and Shame for our Police State.
Though it seems to be true that the British Government reacts only to violence, that cannot be the way forward. The Orange leaders justify the lawlessness and violence of their own followers during the past week as a reaction to IRA violence.
Nelson Mandela richly deserved the acclamation he received in London, but it is ironic that the British Government did so little to end white rule in South Africa, a system of privilege for the few, but of injustice and brutality for the oppressed millions. Is it likely that the present Government in Westminster will do something positive and constructive to end the Orange rule in the North that so closely resembles what South Africa has thankfully been liberated from? The nationalist rioters would be far more effective if they could take their inspiration from Nelson Mandela. - Yours etc.,
Mount St. Mary's, Milltown,
Dublin 14.