CORNISH MINORITY EXCLUSION MEAN-SPIRITED

The Celtic League has protested to the Council of Europe Directorate of Human Rights Minorities Unit about the continuing denial by the United Kingdom government of minority status to the Cornish people. The League have wholeheartedly endorsed the Cornish National Minority Report (published in Nov. 1999) which advances a strong argument against the UK stance.

At its AGM in Dublin in 1998 the League adopted a resolution calling on the United Kingdom government "to ensure that Cornwall along with the other Celtic Nations (was) included and covered by the provisions of the Convention". When this status was denied the objective was restated at the 1999 meeting held at Liskeard in Cornwall.

The obstinacy of the British government over this issue is all the more frustrating given the positive political, social and cultural progress being made in other Celtic areas of the United Kingdom.

The Blair government, despite its periodic pious statements about social inclusion, is adopting a particularly mean-spirited position towards the aspirations of the Cornish minority. The League have called on the Council of Europe Minorities Unit to recognise that some States will use the present structure of the Framework Convention to dodge its intent.

J B MoffattSecretary General Celtic League

2/4/00

Ms. Nikola Markes-Goerlach

Council of Europe

Directorate of Human Rights

Minorities Unit

F-67075 Strasbourg-Cedex - FRANCE

Dear Ms. Markes-Goerlach

Ref. Status of the Cornish People with reference to the FrameworkConvention for the Protection of National Minorities

I write to endorse wholeheartedly the conclusions of the Cornish NationalMinority Report which advocates that proper status be afforded tothe Cornish people as a recognised minority in the context of theCouncil of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of NationalMinorities.

The Celtic League has campaigned vigorously for forty years to achieveproper status and recognition for the political, social and culturalintegrity of all the Celtic peoples. We welcomed the initiative ofthe Council of Europe which led to the Framework Convention.

At our AGM in Dublin in 1998 we passed a resolution calling on theUnited Kingdom government "to ensure that Cornwall along with theother Celtic Nations (was) included and covered by the provisionsof the Convention". We reiterated this call at our 1999 meeting whichwas held in Cornwall, extending our concerns to include the Bretonpeople and the attitudes of the French government.

The Framework Convention has the capacity to improve the prospectsfor peoples facing social and cultural threats to their way of life.However, its value will be seriously undermined unless the Councilof Europe adopt strict criteria to stop countries like the UnitedKingdom and others arbitrarily excluding minorities such as the Cornish

I look forward to hearing from you,

Yours sincerely,

Bernard Moffatt

Secretary General

2/4/00

==========================

'WELSH' GOSPELS AND 'MANX' CHRONICLES - MADE IN ENGLAND?

Lichfield Cathedrals claim on St. Teilo gospels and the British Libraryclaim on the Manx 'Chronicles' are suspiciously similar.

There was an element of déjà vu in the news report last week aboutthe alleged theft of a 1000 year old biblical manuscripts from theWelsh people.

The eighth-century St. Teilo gospels are said to have been stolenfrom Llandeilo Fawr in west Wales 1000 years ago. They are currentlyhoused in Lichfield Cathedral, Staffordshire. Written in Latin, andaccording to Lichfield Cathedral, compiled by a monk at Lindisfarnein the North-east of England the manuscript has suspicious notationsscribbled in its margins which are most definitely Welsh, possiblysome of the earliest examples of the written language. In the circumstancesthe Lindisfarne connection is extremely convenient although apparentlynot verifiable.

The (English) Monks of the north of England must have been extremelyprolific. For some years now the Celtic League have been campaigningfor the return to the Manx people of the Chronicles of the Kings ofMann and the Isles. Presently they are housed in the British Library.Written in the thirteenth century we advanced a fairly sound casethat they were 'pinched' by the English about five hundred years ago.In an uncanny echo of the Lichfield - Welsh controversy apparentlythis was not so. The busy monks of Furness Abbey (this time) tooktime off to compile a detailed and specific Chronicle of the NorseKings of Mann (the Isle of Man) and the Isles. Meanwhile, on the otherside of Northern England their colleagues at Lindisfarne were addingthose Welsh notations to the St. Teilo Gospels.

On the other hand perhaps Lichfield and the British Library have bothhad their heads together on this one as their alibis for possessingother peoples property have an uncanny similarity.

There is a serious point to all this. As the people of the UnitedKingdom develop new structures via equality and devolution this questionof stolen artifacts is an issue that must be tackled. Through newinstitutions, such as the British-Irish Council, which link the constituentparts of the British Isles the question of the return of this stolenproperty should and must be amicably resolved.

J B Moffatt

Secretary General Celtic League 2/4/00

=============================

STALLED PEACE PROCESS WILL NOT DERAIL LANGUAGE MOVEMENT

What should have been a fairly upbeat meeting of the national associationfor Gaelscoileanna must necessarily be overshadowed by the suspensionof the Northern Ireland Assembly and the uncertainty that this hascast over all the north-south institutions set up under the auspicesof the Good Friday agreement.

After the establishment of the Assembly, and the appointment of Ministers,the prospects for Irish medium education received an added fillipwhen the important post of education minister went to Martin McGuinness,himself from a party committed to the advancement and status of theIrish language.

The fall-out, if the Irish peace process falls apart, is also likelyto have wider ramifications. Other institutions such as the British-IrishCouncil advance the prospect of wider co-operation across the Celticcountries. This is apparent by the attendance this weekend at theGaelscoileanna meeting of representatives from the other Gaelic countries,Scotland and Mann. All this is threatened by the present uncertainty.

Despite some pessimistic remarks, by Sean O Muireagain, at the openingof this weekends conference in Belfast we have no doubt that Gaelscoileannawill overcome this temporary setback. The organisation has a trackrecord of battling with governments for funding. Whilst the promiseof the Good Friday agreement may have smoothed the road experienceas regards the Celtic languages and cultures is that it is the vibrancyof the language movements themselves that brings progress.

J B Moffatt

Secretary General Celtic League

2/4/00

=============================

STALLED PEACE PROCESS WILL NOT DERAIL LANGUAGE MOVEMENT

What should have been a fairly upbeat meeting of the national associationfor Gaelscoileanna must necessarily be overshadowed by the suspensionof the Northern Ireland Assembly and the uncertainty that this hascast over all the north-south institutions set up under the auspicesof the Good Friday agreement.

After the establishment of the Assembly, and the appointment of Ministers,the prospects for Irish medium education received an added fillipwhen the important post of education minister went to Martin McGuinness,himself from a party committed to the advancement and status of theIrish language.

The fall-out, if the Irish peace process falls apart, is also likelyto have wider ramifications. Other institutions such as the British-IrishCouncil advance the prospect of wider co-operation across the Celticcountries. This is apparent by the attendance this weekend at theGaelscoileanna meeting of representatives from the other Gaelic countries,Scotland and Mann. All this is threatened by the present uncertainty.

Despite some pessimistic remarks, by Sean O Muireagain, at the openingof this weekends conference in Belfast we have no doubt that Gaelscoileannawill overcome this temporary setback. The organisation has a trackrecord of battling with governments for funding. Whilst the promiseof the Good Friday agreement may have smoothed the road experienceas regards the Celtic languages and cultures is that it is the vibrancyof the language movements themselves that brings progress.

J B Moffatt

Secretary General Celtic League

2/4/00

=================================

GAMBLE WITH LIVES OF 'CHOPPER' CREWS AND OTHERS

The Ministry of Defence, in correspondence to the Celtic League,haveruled out a known defect on British Army Lynx helicopters ashavingcaused a crash earlier this month in Ulster.

Only days before the crash the Celtic League had warned that themachineswere being operated with a defect to their tail rotor drive.Whilstthe MOD confirm our suspicions they say that the defect problem isbeing contained by "periodic safety inspections which will continueuntil the affected compnent is replaced fleet-wide". The problem cameto light following an accident in Bosnia in 1998 in which all on boardpersihed. Since that another fatal crash has ocurred, near the villageof on the Tilton on the Hill in Leicestshire in May 1999, three werekilled.

In the latest crash near Mullaghbawn in South Armagh several of thenine aircrew and soldiers on board were injured. the Celtic Leagueand the South Armagh Farmers and Residents Association have been vociferouscritics of the level of military activity including 'heli-ops' inthe County.

The MOD have ruled out the need for the machines to be grounded whilstthe defect is erradicated and say they are 'confident' that the safetychecks being undertaken will elimiate the reoccurrence of this fault.However, the Celtic League believe that the reason the defective machinesare continuing operations is that their grounding would cripple helicoptersupport operations both in Ulster and in the Balkans.

The MOD are taking a dangerous gamble with both the lives of aircrewand service personnel and also the civilians in the areas over whichthese machines operate.

J B Moffatt

Secretary General Celtic League

31/3/00

=================================

CELTIC LEAGUE - PRESS INFORMATION

'OFFICIAL' NUCLEAR HEALTH RISK DATA SUSPECT

British attempts to reject research by Green Audit linking thenuclearindustry to increased cancer and leukaemia risk in coastalcommunitiesshould be treated with scepticism. It's clear some 'official' UKheldstatistics have been gerrymandered to cast the nuclear industry ina more positive light.

The Manx government, via its Research Laboratory, joined Britishcriticsto swiftly rubbish the conclusions of Green Audit published this weekabout increased cancer risk for women and children in coastal areasnear nuclear plants.

The Green Audit team, a trio of scientists based at Aberystwyth Universityheaded by Dr. Chris Busby, were accused of basing their conclusionson inaccurate data. People around the Irish sea were instead urgedto put their faith in data held by the British Government.

It is not the first time that Dr. Busby and his research have been'in the dock'. Earlier conclusions about leukaemia in coastal communitiesin Wales, publicised last August, was also rejected.

On the day that this latest concern was raised a catalogue of complicity,evasion and deceit involving the nuclear industry which went rightto the heart of the British government was exposed. Had the Manx governmentconsidered more objectively the background to Dr. Busby's researchand been less willing to accept the views or official data from theUnited Kingdom then they might have accepted his teams conclusionsare valid.

Green Audits conclusions about welsh coastal communities which haveobvious implications for other Irish sea communities were based onfigures and data held by the Welsh Cancer Registry up to May 1995.In April of 1996 the WCR was closed down. In January 1997 a new body,the Wales Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (WCISU), was setup. The WCISU promptly denied the figures upon which Green audit'sresearch was based WCISU published alternative data which removed,without explanation, 3517 cases from the original data base.

You do not have to be a conspiracy theorist to see the implicationsof this sequence of events. If the data held for Wales was gerrymanderedin this way then similar situations probably occurred in other UKRegions. Only last month we commended the work of the Manx governmentlaboratory and the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII).Both bodies should be extremely wary of accepting at face value anyassurances derived from fake British statistics.

Green Audits conclusions certainly cannot be rejected on the basisof official British statistics which have been laundered! Their reportsets out prima facie a case of increased cancer risk for Irish, Manxand British communties in coastal areas and deserves to be taken seriously.

J B Moffatt

Secretary General Celtic League

14/4/00

=================================

MEC VANNIN AGM

The Annual General Meeting of Mec Vannin - the Manx NationalistParty- was held on Wednesday 12th of April.

The outgoing Chairman Greg Joughin introduced reports from theOfficersof the organisation. Election of officials for the coming term wasundertaken and an appraisal of the financial position provided.

The main issue discussed was the unfolding housing crisis on theIslandand the very real difficulty being experienced by young people andfamilies because of rising mortgage commitments and rental levels.The matter was the subject of a resolution (below) which called fora public enquiry and the issue dominated the AGM. There was a genuinefear that the only way that current disastrous governments policiescould be changed is via direct action such as occurred in the late1980s. On that occasion a underground nationalist group FSFO mounteda publicity campaign and there were arson attacks on several luxuryproperties under construction.

Other resolutions criticised Sellafield, calling for its closure,and the award of the George Cross to the RUC which was seen a detrimentalto the peace process in these Islands.

Officers elected for the new electoral term as follows:

President: Bernard Moffatt

Chairman: Mark Kermode

Secretary: Greg Joughin

Treasurer: Cristl Jerry

Int. Relations: Illiam Costain

Cultural: Phillip Gawne

Editor (YPS): Nathan Talbot

Youth Wendy Hurst

Resolutions adopted as follows:

1) Domestic "Calls for an enquiry into house prices in the Isle ofMan to identify if there is, or has been profiteering by developersand marketing agencies which has acted to the detriment of the Manxpeople".

2) Environmental "This AGM supports the calls by the governmentsof Ireland and Mann and also the Scottish National Party for the closureof all nuclear installations at Sellafield".

3) International (Inter-Celtic) "Echoes the concern of Celtic nationalistsin Ireland at the award made today (12:4:00) of the George Cross tothe RUC. This police force has acquired a justified reputation internationalfor the brutality it has exhibited towards the nationalist communityin Ulster over the thirty years of the troubles. The award is unnecessarilyprovocative to that community and does nothing to further the peaceprocess in these Islands that all, including the Manx, are committedto.

=================================

FORCED TRANSFER OF PRISONERS CHALLENGED

Civil libertarians are concerned about penal moves on the Isle ofMan and plans to transfer Manx prisoners to the UK against theirwillmay be challenged this week (April 17-21) - see below. Last monththe Celtic League alerted the European Committee for the Preventionof Torture to the transfers (correspondence attached). CivilLibertiesnever a high priority on the Isle of Man may be trampled on againdespite apparently positive legislative moves currently in hand.

Law reforms get under way later this week aimed at removingbirchingfrom the statutes of the Isle of Man. Simultaneously the Island willintroduce legislation to consolidate rights under the European Conventionof Human Rights into its domestic law.

One might be forgiven for believing that attitudes have changed onan island that in recent years attracted international criticism forits persecution of homosexuals and for its use of a crumbling prisonto house child offenders.

However, old attitudes die hard and a challenge will be mounted inthe Islands courts later this week to counter continuing rights abuse.Last month the Islands government announced that due to chronic overcrowdingin its prison inmates would be transferred to prisons in the UK. Theissue was glossed over by suggestions that prisoners would welcomethe opportunity to exchange life in Victoria Road (Manx prison) forplaces at Strangeways etc. However, it is clear that some inmateshave not welcomed the change. Manx lawyers this week will seek tofrustrate the transfer of one prisoner by seeking an injunction andthe hearing of a Petition of Doleance challenging the move.

The issue may well also cause embarrassment to UK Home Secretary JackStraw. Some may ask why he is willing to allot places in the overcrowdedUK prison system to bail out intolerant sentencing policies in theIsle of Man. The Labour government, which has kicked up quite a fussabout accommodating legitimate asylum seekers, seems only too pleasedto accept Manx prisoners at £85 per day. (£33,000 per year for eachinmate transferred)

It may also be suggested that the Isle of Man, which has enjoyed unparalleledprosperity in recent years from its off-shore tax regime, should beable to adequately accommodate its own criminal population.

Celtic League April 18 2000

The Secretary (Mr. M. Kelly)

European Committee for the Prevention of Torture

and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

Council of Europe (CPT)

F - 67075 Strasbourg Cedex FRANCE

Dear Sir,

I refer you to the attached news-cutting which sets out Isleof Man government plans to alleviate overcrowding at the Isle of ManPrison.

You will recall that I communicated with the Committee following adecision of the Celtic League annual general meeting in 1996 whichadopted a resolution critical of the absence of modern prison facilitieson the Isle of Man and also the failure to follow procedures in theexisting facility based on reputable International guidelines. Thetext of the resolution, together with a brief written report, wasprovided to the CPT when it visited the Isle of Man in September 1997.At the time I also met with your Committee and provided supplementaryoral information.

The Celtic League was pleased recently to receive a copy of the Committeesfinal report and we welcome the recommendations contained therein.

However, nowhere within those recommendations did we see any suggestionthat the Isle of Man government should adopt a policy of voluntaryor forced relocation to another jurisdiction to resolve the overcrowding.Indeed, if this policy is enacted it will fly in the face of the Committeesrecommendations, specifically Nos. 147 & 148. (Ref. European PrisonRules 43.1 below)

More generally, the Celtic League believe that the Isle of Man governmentproposal would contradict the objectives of a number of European PrisonRules which are generally accepted as setting out model practice towardsprisoners/detainees. I refer specifically to:

European Prison Rules 43.1 65 c 66 b 68

It is clear from public statements made by the Isle of Man governmentthat they face severe difficulties due to the condition of the presentprison and its overcrowding. It is also apparent that the governmentface political difficulties in finding a suitable site for the developmentof a new facility. It is not a question of the will, to finance orconstruct a new facility, being available. It is more to do with thetime scale and also the current lack of an agreed site.

However, these difficulties should not result in measures being takenwhich exacerbate the detention arrangements for convicted offendersin the Isle of Man.

Many of these offenders are Manx i.e indigenous to the Isle of Manwhich is a distinct country from England. They should not be requiredto be transported to the North West of England to serve part of theirsentences due to political/social considerations outside their control.

I trust the Committee will consider this approach in the context ofits 1997 investigation and recommendations and make representationsto the United Kingdom and Isle of Man governments.

Yours sincerely,

Bernard Moffatt

Secretary General

21/3/00

======================================

MEDALS FOR MURDERERS?

Outside of Ireland the most enduring image that one associateswiththe force (RUC) are the faces of battered children, bludgeoned andin some instances killed by rubber and plastic bullets

The rhetoric was flying 'thick and fast' in Ulster last week. Thedecision to present the George Cross to the RUC was seen ascommendableby some and as contemptible by others. Unionists were be proud ofthe award to 'their police force' whilst Nationalists saw the moveas re-emphasising its lack of credibility. There was claim andcounterclaim as to the heroism or barbarity of the force, depending on eachsides political standpoint.

The real assessment of the credibility this award bestows on the RUCwill however come outside Ireland. Globally we believe the recordof the RUC is more rationally quantified.

Most people outside of Ireland are amazed at how, in a corner of ademocracy, a police force of this type, so obviously from its inceptionpartisan, could be allowed to grow and be presented to both sidesof a divided community as an acceptable face of policing.

Most public perceptions of N. Ireland over thirty years of troubleare bedded in by the image of policemen battering down civilian demonstrators.In that thirty years scandal surrounding the torture of suspects andthe alleged murder of innocents has jostled alongside accounts ofthe RUC role in fighting the IRA and other Republican groups.

Perhaps the most enduring image however that one associates with theforce are the faces of battered children, bludgeoned and in some instanceskilled by rubber and plastic bullets fired sometimes indiscriminatelyat point blank range.

To the British Government the RUC that countered the 'IRA threat'may well be perceived as warranting an award of this type. But whatabout the RUC that made war on, battered and in some instances killedchildren. How deserving of kudos is that body?

J B Moffatt

Secretary General Celtic League

12/4/00

======================

PRISON TRANSFER HALT PUTS JUDGES ON TRIAL

Lawyers acting for an inmate at the Manx Prison sought andachievedan injunction on Tuesday (18/4/00) which halted moves to transferhim by force to an English prison.

The Celtic League (see earlier news stories on these pages) hadopposedmoves by the Isle of Man authorities to 'dump' prisoners in the UKto alleviate problems at the Islands crumbling prison.

The Prison has been the subject of international condemnation andthe Celtic League alerted the European Committee for thePreventionof Torture (CPT) which had recently published criticisms of theprisonregime on the Island to the new moves.

The injunction simply stalls the process and allows time for a fullhearing of a Petition of Doleance in the Islands High Court whichwill probably occur in the next ten days.

Interestingly the Manx government is currently introducing new legislationto incorporate the European Convention of Human Rights into domesticlaw.

Libertarians are sceptical however that the Islands Deemsters (HighCourt Judges), normally conservative in their judgements, are adequatefor the interpretive role associated with the new law. The prisontransfers and the complex human rights issue that it raises placesjudges and the justice system of the Isle of Man on trial.

J B Moffatt

Secretary General

======================================

FRENCH INERTIA STOKES BRETON VIOLENCE

CELTIC LEAGUE - PRESS INFORMATION

Given developments in Brittany this week and the bomb attack bythe ARB which tragically cost one life we reproduce below the warning,published by the Celtic League in a pamphlet in October last year, whichforecast a decline into speratist violence if the French government did notfollowBritish government steps to promote self determination for the Celtic people.

J B Moffatt

FRENCH STOKE UP 'OLD VIOLENCE' IN THE 'NEW EUROPE'

Brussels should wake up.. armed separatism has a tendency to flourish

As the British and Irish governments make a last push for peace inIreland and devolution becomes an accepted fact of life in Wales andScotland one could be forgiven for believing that the era of separatiststruggle has ended on the Celtic fringes of Europe.

It is a far cry from the late 1960s when almost all the Celtic countriescontained militant separatist groups, most of which would go on tomount desultory campaigns over the next twenty-five years. It is fairto say that while Ireland was always 'on the boil' activism in theother countries 'simmered'.

Relationships in the new Europe have radically changed this perceptionbut while the shaky truce in Ireland looks likely to hold, elsewherethe old forces are stirring, The EU would do well to pay heed.

Early this year CARN, the journal of the Celtic League, commentedbriefly on developments in Brittany, announcing, "ARB Active Again".The article reported that the Breton Revolutionary Army, a clandestinegroup inactive for some time, had carried out a series of actionsincluding bomb attacks on tax offices, police stations and courtsof justice. The return to armed struggle was a conscious decisionprompted by French repression of Breton activists and failure to deliveron linguistic and political freedom for the Bretons.

Earlier this month the issue resurfaced when French police arrested10 people, including Breton and Basque citizens, in connection withthe theft of eight tonnes of explosives.

French paramilitary police had launched a nationwide hunt to recoverthe explosives. These were stolen from a depot owned by the privatefirm Titanite in Plevin, Brittany, in late September by hooded armedmen and women.

Though some of the people arrested were subsequently released it wasclear that this was a carefully planned operation involving co-operationbetween Basques and Breton nationalists.

No one within the wider inter-Celtic movement wants to see a steadydeterioration in Brittany and a spiral of violence like that experiencedin the 1970s. However, most of the Celtic peoples in the British Isles,seeing the political progress being achieved here through dialogue,will wonder why the French government cannot follow a similar road.

France is obdurate in its repression of minorities and the cooperationit is forging between Basques and Bretons will be mirrored with groupssuch as the Corsicans unless common sense prevails.

Similarly, whilst European media commentator have drawn parallelsbetween the Irish peace process and that in the Basque country, theCeltic League remain sceptical that Spain has the sincerity to resolvetheir differences with the Basques.

The Breton and Basque arrests, far from resolving anything for eitherFrance or Spain, will provide a focus for those who mistrust the oldNation States in the new Europe. More dangerously, armed separatismhas a tendency to flourish and if Brussels does not wake up it mayfind that the problems of two isolated corners of south-west Europehave proliferated.

J B Moffatt - Secretary General Celtic League

Report below from Basque news agency : EHJ. Baiona, Euskal Herria.October 3, 1999

=====================================

GOVERNMENT ACTION ON CHRONICLES CALL

The purchase and restoration of the Rushen Abbey site is a creditto both the Isle of Man government and the Manx Museum andNationalTrust.

The Abbey site undoubtedly has a place as one of the mostsignificantsites of historical importance on the Island.

It is also very likely the site at which the Chronicles of theKingsof Mann and the Isles were produced. The Chronicle is a document ofcrucial importance to our historical record and it detailed our historyfor the first time in a written form . Its retention by the Britishnot only causes offence to campaigning pressure groups such as theManx branch of the Celtic League but also to senior figures in Manxpublic life who have the authority to speak for the Manx nation asa whole. Recently the retiring President of Tynwald, Sir Charles Kerruish,expressed his support for the Chronicles return to their rightfulhome. The question must now be posed, when will the Manx governmenttake forceful action to secure their return?

Attitudes towards restitution of cultural artefacts are now more liberal.In the past ten years there has been a great change in the way thatmuseums and galleries in Britain approach such claims. Basic criteriaexist that we believe the Manx claim to the Chronicles meet. Yet theBritish Library stubbornly refuse to budge on the issue.

It is past time for government action!

J B Moffatt

Secretary General Celtic League

21/4/00

============================

ANOTHER MYSTERY SHUTDOWN AT WYLFA

Is the reactor core cracking up?

Only three months after the last incident the nuclear powerstationat Wylfa on Anglesey in North Wales is shutdown again. Mysterysurroundsthe latest incident with management saying that Reactor One isbeingshutdown after "unexpected marks" were seen in the reactors fuelchannels.Checks were made on Reactor One after a similar problem wasuncoveredon Reactor Two at the site which was closed down for overhaul.

Wylfa is a Magnox station built in 1972 and has frequently been thesubject of criticism. In February the British Department of the Environmentconfirmed to the Celtic League that the station, as originally commissioned,had an anticipated operating life of 25-30 years. However Britishgovernment safety regulators extended the operational life of thestation, which is managed by British Nuclear Fuels, until 2004 whena further appraisal is to be undertaken. Worryingly, there seems everylikelihood that these obsolescent reactors will continue in servicefor economic reasons.

In January of this year the station was shutdown because of problemswith the reactor fuel rods and the current problems seem to be effectingthe same area. Problems in the central core of the reactor could becatastrophic. Any reactor fire or explosion at a site such as thiscould cause devastating contamination of the North Irish sea areaand threaten centres of major population such as Merseyside and Dublin.

It is vital that honest and open information is issued by the Britishgovernment about this latest incident. BNFL have been criticised forthe lack of a coherent safety culture at its Sellafield plant. Weneed to know if things are any better at Wylfa.

J B Moffatt

Secretary General

Celtic League

21/4/00

==========================

IRISH AID SOUGHT OVER WYLFA SHUTDOWN

There have been serious incidents at other Magnox stations... butWylfa seems to be particularly 'incident' prone.

The Celtic League have written to Irish Enterprise Minister JoeJacobasking him to seek information from the British government aboutthelast incident at the nuclear power station at Wylfa on Anglesey inNorth Wales (attached). Mystery surrounds the latest shutdown,lastFriday, with management saying that Reactor One was shutdown after"unexpected marks" were seen in the reactors fuel channels. A similarproblem was uncovered on Reactor Two at the site which was closeddown for overhaul. The League have also written to UK Minister responsibleLord Whitty (attached).

Wylfa is a Magnox station built in 1972 and has frequently been thesubject of criticism. In February the British Department of the Environmentconfirmed to the Celtic League that the station, as originally commissioned,had an anticipated operating life of 25-30 years. However Britishgovernment safety regulators extended the operational life of thestation, which is managed by British Nuclear Fuels, until 2004 whena further appraisal is to be undertaken. Wylfa was the subject ofcontroversy in 1995 when the operators were fined £250,000 for breachesof safety regulations.

In January of this year the station was shutdown because of problemswith the reactor fuel rods and the current problems seem to be effectingthe same area. Problems in the central core of the reactor could becatastrophic. Any reactor fire or explosion at a site such as thiscould cause devastating contamination of the North Irish sea threateningcentres of major population such as Merseyside and Dublin.

It is vital that full information is issued by the British governmentabout this latest incident. Wylfa is one of the series of Magnox stationsthat ring the Irish sea. A similar station at Trawsfyndd is alreadyclosed but the nuclear industry has made no secret of its desire tohave safety restrictions relaxed so that it could recommission. Therehave been serious incidents at other Magnox stations including Heyshamon the Lancs. coast but Wylfa seems to be particularly 'incident'prone.

J B Moffatt, Secretary General, Celtic League

23/4/00

The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries of thewestern British Isles and Brittany. It works to promote cooperationbetween these countries and campaigns on a broad range of political,cultural and environmental matters. It targets human rights abuseand monitors all military activity within these areas

TEL (UK)01624 627128 MOBILE (UK)04624 491609 FAX 01624 673115

Internet site at http://www.manxman.co.im/cleague/index.html

http://homepages.enterprise.net/mlockerby/clint/clint.html

News updates at: http://www.egroups.com/group/celtic_league/info.html

b.moffatt@advsys.co.im

Mr. Joe Jacob TD

Minister of State

Department of Enterprise

25 Clare Street

Dublin 2

Ireland

Ref. Reactor shut down Wylfa nuclear power station

Dear Minister,

I refer to my correspondence to An Taoiseach, Mr, Bertie Ahern, T.D.,concerning the incident at Wylfa nuclear power station in Januarywhich was passed to your Office.

You may (or may not) be aware that a further incident again involvinga closure of both reactors occurred this week. Details are sketchybut apparently whilst the No 2 reactor was shutdown for overhaul aproblem was identified in the reactors fuel channels. No 1 reactorwas then examined and shutdown when a similar problem was identified.

We have written to the U.K. authorities (enclosed) asking about theincident and also seeking assurances that on this occasion problems,with back up instrumentation, which occurred in January did not recur(see DETR correspondence also enclosed). Obviously representationsfrom the Irish government will carry more weight than ours and I hopeyou will be minded to seek assurances about the operation of thisstation and other Magnox stations on the Irish sea coast. Given recentdevelopments with the nuclear industry in the UK we are increasinglyconcerned about the operation of these plants and if, for example,the UK NII long term safety assessment carried out five years agowhich allowed Wylfa to continue operating until 2004 was sufficientlythorough.

Yours sincerely,

J B Moffatt

Secretary General Celtic League

22/4/00

The Minister

Department of the Environment and the Regions

c/o (Simon Meares) The Health and Safety Policy Liaison Branch

HSSD

Zone 4/13

Great Minster House

76 Marsham Street

London SW1P 4DR

United Kingdom

Dear Sir,

Further to my correspondence in January concerning theemergency shutdown of both reactors at the Wylfa nuclear power planton 16th of January I understand that a further shutdown was effectedthis week 21/4/00.

Can you advise if there is any link between the two incidents?

Could you also advise us if safety defects such as the failure ofpower (battery) back up to instrumentation which was a feature ofthe earlier incident also occurred this time?

Can we also enquire how many emergency or short notice shutdowns ofeither or both reactors at Wylfa have occurred in the past decadeand the dates for these?

Yours sincerely,

J B Moffatt

22/4/00

===========================

OBSOLETE 'CHOPPER' SAFETY FEARS

In the last six weeks eighteen people have been injured, oneseriously,in Army helicopter accidents what are the implications for borderareas of Northern Ireland which see the moist intensive operationsof the British Army's obsolete helicopter force.

Last month we warned about defects on British Army Lynxhelicopters.The problem in the tail rotor assembly is known to the MOD but foroperational reasons the machines are continuing to operate while aprogramme of general maintenance is undertaken. This will not becompleteuntil December 2000.

Within days of our warning one of the machines crashed at Mullaghbawn,South Armagh. Nine men were injured, The incident could have beenmore catastrophic as the machine crashed adjacent to a farmhouse andbuildings.

If that was a wake-up call to the communities over which the BritishArmy carries out its most intensive helicopter operations anotheraccident last week, this time in England, should set the alarm bellsringing. A medium-lift Puma helicopter crashed and disintegrated.Nine of the people on board were injured, one seriously.

The accident, near Catterick army base in North Yorkshire, happenedin open country. Anyone familiar with the Northern Ireland situationknows operations there, particularly in border areas, are conductedinto cramped landing grounds often in the centre of small villagecommunities. An illustration of the damage potential was clearly illustratedat Bessbrook in November 1992 when a Puma and a Lynx helicopter collidedand crashed in flames (four crewmen died).

That was eight years ago. Both the Lynx and the Puma were approachingtheir 'sell by' date then and are now much older. Two years ago wechallenged the MOD over continuing the operation of these semi-obsoletetypes; a query that they evaded at the time.

With eighteen men injured, at least one seriously, in accidents involvingthe types in the last six weeks surely it is past time the MOD reviewedit maintenance and safety procedures for these operations.

J B Moffatt, Secretary General, Celtic League

23/4/00

=======================

POLICE REACTION TO NATIONALIST WARNING OMINOUS BUT PREDICTABLE

Nationalists "don't shoot the messenger' warning over housingdiscontentprompts police outburst

Manx Police have said that they will take prompt action againstanyonewho takes direct action as a result of Manx government policieswhichare currently stimulating the worst housing and accommodationcrisisthat the Isle of Man has ever faced.

The Isle of Man currently enjoys unprecedented prosperity stimulatedby its offshore tax haven status. People are pouring into the Islandboth to work in the lucrative finance industry and also the servicesector associated with it.

However while 'fatcats' line their pockets and housing speculationis rife Manx people suffer. Nationalists have long been critics ofthis economic policy claiming that it would ultimately create theproblems which ordinary Manx people currently face. House prices arewell beyond the reach of the average working couple and private sectorrents are being hiked to capitalise on the situation.

The issue dominated a recent meeting of the Nationalist Party (MecVannin) and concerns were articulated at the meeting that the situationcould lead to a return to the violence that bedevilled the Islandin the 1970s and 1980s. On both previous occasions there was a systematiccampaign of daubing of roads and several properties were attackedand burned.

However, during both emergency situations Mec Vannin stuck rigidlyto a policy which promoted constitutional politics and solutions andforswore the road of direct action.

If anything the concerns articulated recently by the newly electedParty Chairman Mark Kermode down-played the situation as there isno doubt that current problems are much greater that in the 1980s.

The Police reaction was ominous but predictable. On the previous twooccasions when this problem arose the police were able to apprehendonly a few suspects and innocent people were targeted. It seems thatif these latest predictions do prove correct then Mec Vannins commentthat the authorities should not "shoot the messenger" will be ignored.

J B Moffatt

Secretary General

25/4/00

==============================

KINTYRE CRASH QUERIES

The Chinook crash at Kintyre in 1994 killed 25 top Ulster securityspecialists. Conspiracy theories abound but new informationindicatesthe cause could have been more mundane!

The cause of a RAF Chinook CH-47D crash on the Kintyre peninsulainJune 1994 has provoked countless theories (29 died). The Officialverdict, which blamed the aircrew was widely condemned and yet thecomplex theories that were advanced to explain the crash also appearflawed. Questions about the on-board systems of the aircraft, theFADEC (Full Authority Digital Electronics Control), having faileddo not seem to square with the continued safe operation by other Chinooksin the RAF fleet.

The cause may be more mundane than some of the wilder theories propoundedto date. Analysis of a similar crash by a US Chinook, 21 months later,initially produced a parallel verdict to Kintyre. In June 1996 theUS authorities attributed the US MH-47E crash to pilot error - allfive of the aircrew on board had died. However, relatives of the fiveaircrew who died subsequently sued achieving $4.4 million settlementof the case.

US army investigators now admit that it was moisture that had leakedinto the cockpit and not pilot error that caused the crash. Instrumentsand flight control systems were knocked out with swift and catastrophicconsequences.

We have asked the MOD to investigate possible linkage between thetwo tragedies

J B Moffatt

Secretary General

24/4/00

Secretary of State for Defence

Secretariat (Air Staff) 1a

Ministry of Defence

Main Building

Whitehall, London SW1A 2HB

Dear Sir,

I write with reference to the tragic Chinook helicopter crash at Kintyre,in June 1994, in which 29 people died. You will recall that we wroteto you in June 1994 drawing attention to similar tragic accidentswith comparable US helicopters. In your reply you acknowledged thatthere was exchanges of safety information but in the examples wecited "the type of helicopter was sufficiently different for thereto be little read across to the Chinook".

Having carried out further research on this matter we understand that21 months after the Kintyre crash a US ARMY Chinook MH-47E crashed.The original post crash enquiry arrived at the same conclusion asthe Kintyre accident report and cited pilot error. However, we understandthat this conclusion has been overturned and it is now clear the UScrash was caused by moisture leaking into the helicopter cockpit and'knocking out' the aircraft's instrument and flight control systems.Relatives of the five aircrew lost in the US crash have had compensationsettled on this basis.

The MH-47E is virtually identical to the CH-47D. I understand thatthe US machines were re-manufactured on the same production line asthe RAF Chinook. It seems highly likely that any deficiencies in cockpitseals due to the manufacturing process although not universal couldbe a problem which one could "read across". I understand that therehas been great agitation about possible failures of computer systemson the Kintyre Chinook but find this hard square with apparent safeoperations by other Chinooks in the RAF fleet.

Can I ask if you are aware of the MH-47E crash and have any investigationsviz a viz possible linkage to the Kintyre tragedy?

Yours sincerely

J B Moffatt 24/4/00