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Path: utzoo!watmath!watnot!watdragon!chmorris
From: chmorris@watdragon.UUCP (Corinne Morris)
Newsgroups: net.nlang.celts
Subject: the Breton language
Message-ID: <609@watdragon.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 17-Mar-86 10:58:01 EST
Article-I.D.: watdrago.609
Posted: Mon Mar 17 10:58:01 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Mar-86 02:03:50 EST
Reply-To: chmorris@watdragon.UUCP (Corinne Morris)
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 62


The following is extracted from a letter to the editor in the Welsh-American
paper "Y Drych":

	"The Celtic League would like to draw international attention to the
case of several Bretons who have been sentenced or are to be tried for their
part in the campaign of the cultural association Stourm ar Brezhoneg to win
official status for the Breton language.
	"Similar non-violent campaigns were carried out successfully in the 
1930s by the Flemings and in the '70s by the Welsh Cymdeithas Yr Iaith
Gymraeg.  Stourm ar Brezhoneg has concentrated its action, started almost two
years ago, on getting the French Department of Transport, which is resposible
in this field, to put up bilingual road signs with the placenames in their
correct Breton form as well as in the hitherto exclusively used and often
grotesque Frenchified form.  They systematically daubed the corrupt forms.
	"Until quite recently, the only official response to Stourm ar
Brezhoneg was to prosecute its members.  H. Barry and D. Guesdon were sentenced
each to four months jail and a 10,000 franc fine.  Herve Kerraine and Joelle
Barzhig were fined 2,000 francs each...
	"We in the Celtic League appeal to your readers, as we believe that you
are concerned about the future of the Breton language and that no language can
survive nowadays unless it is given official status, to help in getting the
sentences imposed on Herve Le Bihan and Yves Cadoret (using the forms of their
names under which they were tried) quashed and the prosecutions against the
other S. ar B. members stopped.
	"You can do so - by writing in their behalf to the French Ambassador
in your country, asking him to convey your expression of support to the French
president, also by writing to your elected representatives, and to the executive
councils of any organization you may belong to, asking them to write also to
the relevant French ambassador; and finally by writing to the editors of
newspapers and periodicals likely to publish this appeal.
	"In our opinion, the main points to be stressed are:
	- the Bretons are entitled to their language; to survive, this must be
	  given equal validity with French in Brittany;
	- in other countries, bilingual road signs exist, they are not deemed
	  to be an unreasonable burden on the public purse, they cause no
	  inconvenience to motorists; it is less expensive to put up correct
	  signs than replacing the daubed ones;
	- the sentences imposed are based on an unjust state of affairs and 
	  should be quashed.
	"It would be useful to send copies of the letters to "Stourm ar 
Brezhoneg," ti K.S.G., 21 rue des Tribunaux, F-56000 Gwened, Brittany, so that
they are kept informed of the representations made and they may give them 
publicity which will encourage the Bretons to stand for their rights."

	The French Ambassador to the U.S. is 
		H.E. Emmanuel Jacquin de Margerie,
		Ambassador of France,
		Office of the French Embassy,
		4101 Reservoir Road,
		Washington, D.C. 20007

	The French Ambassador to Canada is 
		H.E. Jean-Pierre Cabouat,
		Ambassador of France,
		Embassy of France,
		42 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ont, K1M 2C9

	I would welcome discussion if anyone thinks Stourm ar Brezhoneg is
acting unreasonably.

Corinne Morris (chmorris@watdragon), University of Waterloo