Sacrifice must not be forgotten
From NEWS LETTER November 9th, 2000
The pounds 11 million compensation scheme for RUC widows and injured police officers may be seen as a long overdue Government initiative, but it is still a very welcome boost for a section of the community that has borne more than its fair share of pain from the Troubles.
Secretary of State Peter Mandelson, in announcing the package, conceded that money could never compensate adequately for the loss of loved ones or for serious injury. He said he hoped the proposals will go some way towards recognising the "profound debt" which society owes to these courageous men and women and their families.
However, for all its apparent concerns over the plight of RUC widows and disabled police officers, the Government has made a very serious omission by not also recognising the enormous sacrifice made by members of the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) and the Royal Irish Regiment (RIR) in the fight against terrorism in this Province.
Over the three decades of the Troubles, 203 members of the locally-recruited security regiments were murdered by the Provisional IRA, and many soldiers operating in isolated border regions suffered injuries which left them permanently disabled.
If, as the Secretary of State says it is right and proper to make full amends to the victims within the RUC, why then has the UDR/RIR section of the security forces not been treated with the same consideration?
There cannot be two levels of compensation and a wide disparity in settlements for security force victims of the Troubles. Mr Mandelson must move immediately to ensure that the UDR/RIR widows and injured personnel are brought into line with payments to police families.
By doing so, the Secretary of State would effectively silence those of his critics who claim that his concerns for people within the RUC fraternity are motivated solely towards softening reaction within the unionist community to the Government's implementation of the more controversial proposals contained in the Patten report on future policing in Northern Ireland.
Politics should not be played on the entitlement of terrorist victims within the security forces to a just monetary compensation. The Government has a statutory responsibility to act fairly on behalf of all those, who, for 30 years, courageously stood between the people of Northern Ireland and anarchy.
Her Majesty's uniform was worn with gallantry by policemen in the RUC and
soldiers belonging to the Regular Army, UDR and RIR and Territorial Army
and it would be totally remiss of Peter Mandelson to distinguish one from
the other.
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