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THE HEAD of the Orange Order today called on Orangemen across
Northern Ireland to make clear their contempt for the Government's
double standards on terrorism, and to send a clear message
to Tony Blair that there could never be meaningful peace and
reconciliation in the Province without proper justice for
the relatives of those murdered during the troubles.
Robert Saulters, Grand Master of the Order, described the
government's plans published yesterday to grant an amnesty
to IRA killers as "an obscenity".
"The proposals governing so called IRA on-the-runs make
it perfectly clear that the Prime Minister believes that those
who slaughter innocent people in, for example, a town square
in Co. Fermanagh should be absolved of their crimes, while
those even suspected of planning to do the same thing on the
London Underground should be locked up for months without
charge."
"Mr. Blair sought to justify holding suspects for up
to 90 days without trial as a necessary measure to protect
the rights of British citizens to be free from the threat
of terrorism. What about the rights of British citizens in
Northern Ireland to receive justice through the courts for
their loved ones slaughtered at places like Enniskillen, Claudy,
Kingsmill, or Tullyvallen?"
Noting that more 300 Orangemen had been murdered by republican
terrorists since 1969, Mr. Saulters called on the Order's
members to lobby as strongly as possible in any way they can
for amendments to the proposed legislation when the Northern
Ireland (Offences) Bill is fully debated in the Commons and
House of Lords.
"Blair suffered a humiliating defeat over his 90-day
detention measure; in the interests of justice and sustainable
peace in Northern Ireland we must campaign to ensure that
the Government doesn't get its way over on-the-runs either."
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