[lg policy] Welsh language campaigner Osian Jones jailed

[Harold Schiffman]

Welsh language campaigner Osian Jones jailed
Nov 26 2009 by Hywel Trewyn, Daily Post



A WELSH language protester was jailed for 28 days after refusing to
pay compensation to two superstores he’d painted with slogans. Osian
Jones, North Wales organiser for Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh
Language Society) refused to pay fines and costs of £1,120 including
£135 compensation each to Boots and Superdrug. Jones, 32, of Rhedyw
Road, Llanllyfni, had painted “Ble Mae’r Gymraeg?” (Where is the
Welsh?) on stores in Llangefni, Bangor and Caernarfon in June as part
of a campaign for a comprehensive language act to include the private
sector. The sentence is the longest handed out to a Cymdeithas yr
Iaith member since 1991 when Alun Llwyd and Branwen Niclas were
sentenced to 12 months after breaking into government offices as part
of Cymdeithas’ Property Act campaign

Jones targeted Superdrug for not acknowledging letters asking them to
implement bilingual signs and policies in their stores and Boots for
only offering “tokenism” to Welsh communities. He was arrested in
Stryd Llyn (Pool Street), Caernarfon at about 8am on June 9. At a
previous hearing at Pwllheli, he had refused to plead to charges of
criminal damage and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf in a
trial conducted in Welsh. Previous hearings in August and November
were adjourned to give him more time to pay.
Jones, employed by Cymdeithas, had refused to fill in a means form and
details of his earnings. Yesterday 70 supporters came to hear him
addressing magistrates at Caernarfon. He said he’d been forced to take
direct, non-violent action against the firms because of their
intransigence.

He said: “Every Welsh person deserves equal rights to use their
language”. He added: “I’ve said that I won’t pay a penny to these
companies as a matter of moral principle. The Welsh language today is
as fragile as 10 years ago when the last language act was
established.” Cymdeithas chairman Menna Machreth said: “We support
Osian’s stand in sacrificing his freedom for the language so that
Wales can become a truly bilingual country.”  Bench chairman Gareth
Heulfryn Williams said: “I could agree with you but I can’t change the
previous sentence. I’ve no option but to send you to jail.”
Afterwards, Ms Machreth said: “Direct action is the last step in any
campaign we run. Osian took this step because the people of Wales
don’t have the right to see and use Welsh.

“These companies who show extreme disregard for Welsh do not deserve
compensation; they should be paying us for making the language
invisible. “Cymdeithas calls on the government to make these massive
firms, like Superdrug and Boots, provide a basic service in Welsh.
Unfortunately, the government of Wales won’t have sufficient powers to
do this, even after their latest bid for powers from London. None of
the businesses targeted by Osian are included in the draft Welsh
language order which is currently in front of the UK Parliament.
Speaking before his sentence, Jones said: “The companies we use
day-to-day don’t do enough to reflect the nature of Welsh communities
with high numbers of people who speak Welsh as a first language.
Hopefully my imprisonment will make other people realise how bad these
companies really are and how little respect they show to Wales.”

A Boots spokesperson said: “It is not appropriate for us to comment on
legal matters. Boots in Wales launched a Welsh Language Policy in
conjunction with the Welsh Language Board at the National Eisteddfod
in August 2009 in Bala, after operating bilingually in many stores for
many years. “In our stores across Wales we are increasingly providing
our mainstream healthcare services in Welsh wherever possible and
where customers request this. We understand  the needs of our
customers and this policy is part of our commitment to them.”  No one
from Superdrug was available for comment yesterday. Dozens of
Cymdeithas members were jailed in the 70s and 80s as part of campaigns
for Welsh language acts, bilingual road signs, and the establishing of
Welsh language TV with S4C.

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2009/11/26/welsh-language-campaigner-osian-jones-jailed-55578-25255769/
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