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The re emergence of the Cornish National Liberation Army (CNLA) over the last year has brought the attention of the world wide media to Cornwall in a way that sadly did not happen with the successful political campaigns of other Cornish groups, like the Cornish Constitutional Convention's campaign for a Cornish Assembly.
Cornish groups and individuals have been contacted by media sources from across the globe eager to gain some insight into the social and political unrest that tourists rarely see and whose reality is far removed from the pretty postcard image that people have of Cornwall.
The Kernow Branch of the Celtic League have consequently been contacted on a number of occasions by the media and have for the most part ignored requests for a 'story', aware that there are many rogue journalists out there who wear their principles on their shirt sleeves. Earlier this year the General Secretary of the Celtic League, Rhisiart Tal-e-bot, was contacted by a Finnish free lance journalist who had been commissioned by a left wing and environmental Finnish broadsheet, Voima, to write an article highlighting some of the social unrest that could have contributed to the rise of the CNLA/CRA.
Below is an edited version of some of the answers the General Secretary gave (GS), as well as a link to an edited online version of the story that appeared in the newspaper earlier this month.
In your opinion, how has Cornwall changed in a last ten years?
(GS) Cornwall has changed for the better in that people are becoming more aware of their Cornish identity and language than ever before. Also it is becoming more public.
It has changed for the worse in that house prices are continuing to rise, more people are competing for the jobs and the gat between the rich and the poor is becoming more evident. There are some really staggering pockets of wealth in Cornwall and living along side that is obvious depravation.
Are the rich getting richer and the poor poorer?
(GS) "It would seem that way. A recent survey for 'Hometrack' showed that the gap between wages and house prices is now bigger in Cornwall than anywhere else in Britain. Since I left several of the Cornish people I knew have also left to look for work elsewhere or are still living at home with their parents, because they are unable to afford to pay rent for their own place."
What's your opinion on second homes?
(GS) "In nations/regions like Cornwall , where house prices are far out of the reach of ordinary working people and there is a shortage of accommodation in general, second homes can only add to the frustration of the resident population. When these homes lay empty for most of the year and whole villages are virtual 'ghost towns' when there are individuals and families stuck in Bed and Breakfast accommodation or sleeping on friends or families floors (with some even in garages, it beggars belief that unrestrained second home ownership is as rife in Cornwall as it is today.
Its not just a matter of building 60000 more homes either, as has been suggested, because Cornwall is not a big place and to do so would completely destroy existing and traditional communities. Besides the social infrastructure could not stand such an increase. It has been estimated that there are approximately 20000 unoccupied homes in Cornwall, there is enough houses to give everyone on the housing waiting lists a home.
Ideally though, second homes would be a restricted luxury and there should be tight controls on how many second homes there are and the number of months in which they should be lived. Such restrictions and controls are currently in force in other areas, so why not in Cornwall?
Regarding the sale of homes, I am in full agreement with 'Cymuned', the Welsh language and housing campaign group, who want all homes to be first advertised locally for several months, before they are put on the market in other areas."
Is violence and threats only option for the Cornish people?
(GS) "I firmly believe that democratic methods are the best way to resolve difficult problems in our societies. This of course includes direct action protests. Everyone has the right to protest and should be encouraged to even by the authorities. There are many people in Cornwall who are scared to get involved in such action for very good reasons. Part of the problem is that many people are financially insecure and if they are seen to be a so called 'trouble maker', could easily loose their low paid job, which they feel lucky to hold. There is also a growing mistrust with the democratic process and people believe that they will be locked up or persecuted for the most minor offence. They have good reason to believe this too with some of the arrests that have been made of innocent Cornish political activists in 2007.
I have often been surprised by the tolerance shown by people in the Cornish movement towards the UK state in the face of what can only be described as a process of assimilation and the illegal repression of rights.
I suppose that this has developed over hundreds of years of cultural, legal and political erosion by an English system that rules with a soft smile and an iron first. As Joshua Fishman puts it the 'soft gloves that mask but do not change the iron fists that are still there inside." Of course Fishman is talking about the Celtic languages, but this could be equally applied to the cultural movement and the self determination movement too.
Violence is never an option. Saying that the reasons behind the alleged threats and damage to property that has occurred in Cornwall by members of an unknown group or individuals should be examined. Such covert actions are manifesting themselves in this way for the first time in many years and the reasons behind them should be examined in an attempt to alleviate the antagonisms that are obviously being felt."
Does CNLA/CRA really exist?
(GS) "It is unfortunate that only when people turn to violence, the mass media become interested in the situation. Cornwall is a devastatingly poor Celtic nation (one of the poorest regions in Europe).
The Cornish people are still there and will continue to remain in Cornwall for many generations to come. The CNLA/CRA will pass I am sure, like other organisations before it, but the claims and rights of the Cornish people will stay, until something is done to remedy the injustice that they have been experiencing for too long."
Article link
J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League
30/03/08
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