Gerry Adam's cousin the former republican and current leader of Provisional Sinn Fein, is in his 40th day on hunger strike in solitary confinement and has signed legal papers stating that he should not be revived if he slips into a coma anytime now. At 40 days today, permanent, damage is being done to his body. It doesn't appear as if Adams or his associates are doing anything to save his life.
Liam Hannaway, a Republican a traditional republican prisoner started his hunger strike in Maghaberry high security prison in protest at being held in a special segregation unit with loyalist prisoners who want to murder him and are tampering with his food. He wants to be moved into the republican wing of the prison.
Hannaway is a member of a well-known traditional Belfast republican family and his grandfather Liam, was one of the founders of the Provisional IRA which brought his cousin Gerry Adams to power along with the 10 IRA and INLA prisoners who died on hunger strike
Supporters of the prisoner belong to Saor Uladh(Free Ulster) a republican splinter group who regard the Bad Friday Agreement as a sell out and a surrender negotiated by Adams, confirmed he had left instructions that he should not be revived in the prison hospital and let die like Bobby Sands and his comrades.
Carl Reilly from the Republican Network for Unity, said he had spoken to Hannaway’s father on Friday evening. Asked about reports that Hannaway had left instructions not to revived he said: “Yes, I am led to believe that.”
“We are entering a critical phase, Liam was already being treated for coronary problems before he went on his hunger strike. The prison authorities and the Northern Ireland Office have been trying to play this situation down but now it has reached a serious turning point.”
Mr Reilly said Liam Hannaway alleged he had been subject to brutality in the special segregation unit. He also alleged his food had been tampered with by loyalists working in the kitchens.
Liam is serving 10 years for Republicans activities including possessing explosives, has demanded a transfer to a part of the jail that holds 32 republicans aligned to the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA.
“The Northern Ireland Office and the prison service claim there is intelligence from the British police, that Liam’s life would be under threat from rival republicans if he was transferred to their wings,” Reilly said. “Republican Unity Network has spoken to all the major republican organisations with prisoners in Roe houses 3 and 4 in Maghaberry and all of them say there is absolutely no threat to Liam Hannaway.”
In 1981, ten Young Irish republicans sacrificed their lives in a hunger strike at the H-Blocks of Long Kesh Prison in Occupied North of Ireland. One by one the ten young men embarked on an agonizing hunger strike until death for the basic human rights of Political Status for all Irish Republican Political Prisoners.
As young men with everything to live for, these volunteers would never have been in prison but for the presence of an occupation British army in their country. As traditional Irish Republican Political Prisoners, they recognized that the pursuit of freedom and sovereignty for their country was not a crime. They refused to be labeled as criminals, and the fight for Political Status was launched from their prison cells.
Efforts earlier efforts at restoring political status had met with promises reneged by the British government. A blanket protest with no-wash protest, followed by a horrific dirty protest had rallied the male and female republican prisoners for five long hard years but resulted in no advance toward political status. A decision was made by the prisoners to hunger strike which resulted in deaths of the ten young Irish freedom fighters.Nothing obviously has changed, as Liam Hannaway is dying in a solitary cell, on his 40th day without any food.
Ireland has truly become a fascist military state with a censorship lock down by the mainstream British controlled media. Most of Ireland are not aware of this hunger strike because of almost complete censorship.
