May 5 was the 14th anniversary of the death of Irish Republican Army Volunteer Bobby Sands, who died in the hospital wing of Long Kesh (Maze) Prison after a 66-day hunger strike. Sands, who had won election to the British parliament while in prison, started his fast to dramatise the demands of republican inmates to be treated as political prisoners, not criminals. In other words, Sands and the other hunger-strikers demanded prisoner of war status in recognition of the nature of the conflict in northern Ireland.
Sands was followed by Patsy O'Hara, Francis Hughes, Ray McCreesh, Kiernan Doherty, Kevin Lynch, Joe McDonnell, Martin Hurson, Thomas McElwee and Mick Devine, making in all 10 prisoners who died during the hunger strike.
On September 15, 1981, Cuban President Fidel Castro gave the opening speech at the 63rd conference of the Interparliamentary Union, which was held in Havana that year. Following are Castro's remarks on the hunger strike. Rather than listen to the truth, the British delegation walked out of the conference, joined by representatives of the US, China and the Salvadoran governments.
In speaking of international politics, we cannot ignore what is happening in northern Ireland; I feel it is my duty to refer to this problem. In my opinion, Irish patriots are writing one of the most heroic chapters in human history. They have earned the respect and admiration of the world, and likewise they deserve its support. Ten of them have already died in the most moving gesture of sacrifice, selflessness and courage one could ever imagine.
Humanity should feel ashamed that this terrible crime is committed before its very eyes. These young fighters do not ask for independence nor make impossible demands to put an end to their strike; they ask only for something as simple as the recognition of what they actually are: political prisoners. The men for whom we ask solidarity in this conference are neither Marxist-Leninists nor Communists; they are militant Catholics. How can such a cold and dramatic holocaust be tolerated in the very heart of the West?
We can never get used to crime, be it in Ireland, El Salvador, Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Lebanon or elsewhere.
The stubbornness, intransigence, cruelty and insensitivity of the British government before the international community concerning the problem of the Irish patriots and their hunger strike reminded us of Torquemada and the atrocities committed during the apogee of the Middle Ages.
According to legend, in its early days, Rome was once besieged. Two young Romans had been taken prisoner. When in an attempt at breaking them, the besiegers threatened to burn them alive, they spontaneously put their hands in the flame to show their contempt. It is said that their gestures impressed the enemy so much that the siege of Rome was lifted.
Let tyrants tremble before men who are capable of dying for their ideals after 60 days of hunger strike! What were Christ's three days in Calvary, an age-old symbol of human sacrifice, compared to that example?
It is high time for the world community to put an end to this repulsive atrocity through denunciation and pressure!