In
a recent article in Scotland
on Sunday, Brian Wilson wrote about the boycott
organized by loyalist para-militaries against the
Sunday World newspaper. Whilst the red tops
are not my first port of call when buying a Sunday
paper, the Sunday World has a record of putting
its money were its mouth is. Unlike many of the
tabloids which sell in the UK and ROI, the Sunday
World has not flinched at taking on powerful
groups who have vested interest in remaining anonymous,
not least the Loyalist para-military groups the
UDA and UVF.
Indeed,
the paper's Belfast office was fire-bombed in 1999
and its northern editor was shot and wounded. Worse
was to follow when when one of the paper's tireless
seekers of truth Martin O'Hagan was shot dead yards
from his Lurgan home. The Loyalist Volunteer Force,
founded by the late Billy Wright after he was expelled
from the UVF, claimed responsibility, justifying
their cowardly act by claiming Mr O'Hagan had committed
'crimes against loyalism'. Which in reality means
Marty exposed the murderers, drug dealers and gangsters
which make up this criminal gang.
Not
for the first time the Sunday World is facing
a boycott organized by loyalist para-military's;
this time it is being organized by the UDA and its
murder gang the UFF. What sparked off this boycott?
Some high minded matter of principle, some unjust
deed being perpetrated against the Unionist working
classes? Far from it. As is the norm these days
with loyalist paramilitaries, self interest is the
motivating factor. The Sunday World's crime
is exposing the north Belfast UDA leader/'Brigadier'
Andre Shoukri for the degenerate gambler he undoubtedly
is.
By
exposing the huge sums he wastes on his addiction,
the rest of the UDA 'Brigadiers' thus starting to
think he may bring civil forfeiture, by the likes
of the Criminal Assets Bureau, down upon all of
them. Better put a stop to all newspaper talk of
them sloshing about their ill gotten gains. Hence
the boycott, which one of these self appointed satraps
had the effrontery to compare with the boycott of
the Sun newspaper by the people of Liverpool,
after that paper slandered the dead of the Hillsborough
Sheffield football stadium disaster.
Far
from the boycott having the support of the unionist
community, within working class areas and beyond,
news-agent have been paid a visit by Shoukri's neaderthal
men demanding of the shopkeeper if he values his/her
health they should cease stocking the Sunday
World.
One
can hardly blame them if they do as they are instructed,
the more so as for the last few weeks the PSNI have
sat back and allowed loyalist para-militaries on
the Garnerville housing estate in east Belfast and
Ahoghill to run amok without
fear of penalty. Although these threats negate
all talk of this being a popular boycott; it is
simply an extension of thuggery into the market.
It
is difficult to believe if thugs were going about
their business and threatening the market in this
manner in any other part of the UK, the police service
would sit back and allow it to happen. Yet this
is what has been happening in the north. Nor would
the rest of the media, whether print or electronic
fail to place this at the front of their agenda,
for they would be wide awake to the fact if these
low lifes succeed in their intimidation of the Sunday
World, it would be in all probability be their
turn next.
Yet,
apart for the Scotland on Sunday piece and
the odd article here and there, this boycott in-truth
has been successful. As to the government of the
day, nothing but silence; and this at a time when
Ministers endlessly prattle on about the rule of
law and their worldwide fight against terrorism.
Perhaps those who feel this attack on the freedom
of the press is none of their business should re-read
the poem made famous by Pastor Martin Niemoller.
