United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday September 04, 2002 13:53 by publo info at relativesforjustice dot com c/o 235a Falls Road, Belfast, BT12 4PE; Tel: 028 90220100

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02/09/02

Next Plastic Bullet fatality only a matter of time

Chairperson of the United Campaign Against Plastic Bullets Clara Reilly today issued the following appeal:

“Last Wednesday night – 28th August a number of young people were shot and injured with plastic bullets in the Short Strand area. Two of these young people were detained in hospital and remained on ventilators to help them breathe following horrific internal and external injuries. Had paramedics not been present at the time of the injuries being sustained these young men would not be alive today. Both of the young people, one a minor, were shot by members of the British army, acting under instruction from the PSNI, in the chest, with total disregard for safety or law.

“Had this type of injury been inflicted by paramilitaries there would undoubtedly and justifiably have been widespread outcry. There must be a consistent revulsion for the breaches of human rights and the placing of innocent lives at danger particularly when the forces of the state are involved. Silence is not an option. We must not wait – our message to the Police Board and Hugh Orde is to immediately withdraw plastic bullets before there is a fatality.

“We are calling for immediate independent investigation into the unaccountable use of plastic bullets and a criminal inquiry into the injuries being sustained by young people a result of the use of plastic bullets. It is imperative that the whole community moves now to issue an immediate ban on the use of these weapons before we witness the death of the 18th victim of plastic bullets. We are completely dismayed at Hugh Orde’s comments today justifying the use of plastic bullets and using the flawed report by the Ombudsman as a vehicle to do so.”

Note: the Ombudsman’s report chose to select only a few incidents where plastic bullets were discharged and was by no means a comprehensive report or examination.

ENDS