PRESS RELEASE -Visa restrictions are attack on democracy
Published: 15 March, 2006
New York, NY. Irish-American leaders in the US say they are bewildered by the decision of the Administration to place visa restrictions on Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams when he visits the US this week.
Mr. Adams, along with other Irish political leaders has been invited to the White House as part of the annual Shamrock Ceremony on St Patrick’s Day. Mr. Adams has taken up the invitation but visa restrictions will not allow him to attend a Sinn Fein fund-raising breakfast in Washington on Thursday.
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Whoever made this decision has no concept of what is happening in Ireland and the tremendous work that Gerry Adams has done in driving the peace process forward,” said Paul Doris, chairman of Irish Northern Aid. “Adams is allowed to fund-raise in every country in the world including Britain and this decision makes no sense whatsoever.”
In November, Adams refused a trip to New York after being told he could not attend a fund-raising event. He ended up speaking to the Sinn Fein fund-raising dinner by satellite link-up, and later called on President Bush to rein in "anti-Sinn Fein elements" in the US Administration.
Last month, the British Government restored Westminster allowances worth about $900,000 to Sinn Fein's five MPs, with Prime Minister Blair citing the IRA’s “strategic decision to end the armed campaign and pursue the political course which it has publicly articulated,” as reason for the reinstatement of financial assistance.
Central to the US visa restriction is Sinn Fein’s refusal to endorse the Police Service of Northern Ireland until there is a transfer of powers on policing and justice away from London to democratically elected representatives in a restored local Assembly and all-Ireland institutions. At a recent party conference, Sinn Fein policing spokesperson, Gerry Kelly said, “Republicans will not be badgered or forced into accepting less than the new beginning to policing as promised in the Good Friday Agreement.”
Irish-American leaders claim the Administration’s stance against Sinn Fein is counterproductive and undermines the search for peace in Ireland. “Here you have a political party willing to engage in dialogue being punished for holding a political position while Unionist politicians who refuse to engage in direct talks about the island’s future are allowed to obstruct political progress without any sanctions at all,” Doris said. “That is entirely the wrong message to send out to those who support democracy in Ireland.
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