Hain wants loyalists to disarm
Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain has expressed his optimism that loyalist paramilitaries could disarm and be brought into the mainstream in the New Year.
SATURDAY 30/12/2006 10:26:35
By:Press Association
As Sinn Fein contemplated signing up to supporting the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Mr Hain said it was essential that loyalists followed suit.
As he looked forward to the New Year and the possibility of power sharing between unionists and nationalists returning, he told PA: “I am hopeful, more hopeful than ever that loyalist paramilitaries may decommission, may come into line and come into the mainstream which is where they need to be.
“We want to get them into a position where their own traditions can be respected with some dignity. That is where they need to be.”
The British and Irish Governments have been involved in efforts to persuade Northern Ireland`s largest loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Defence Association to abandon its weapons and engage in purely peaceful work to renew their communities.
The Ulster Volunteer Force has also carried out an internal debate throughout 2006 on its future direction in the wake of last year`s ground-breaking moves by the provisional IRA to end its arms campaign and complete its disarmament programme.
So far, neither the UDA nor the UVF have decommissioned a single gun, explosive or bullet.
However, it is hoped that the return of power sharing and Sinn Fein`s potential support for the Police Service of Northern Ireland will persuade loyalists to turn their back on para-militarism and criminality.
Mr Hain said following Sinn Fein`s move to address demands for the party to sign up to policing, the people of Northern Ireland could go into 2007 with greater optimism.
“I think the New Year viewed from today is much brighter than it looked two days ago,” the minister said.
“That is obviously tremendously encouraging.
“I do not doubt there will be hiccups along the way. There will be people who will want perfection today or tomorrow, but life is not like that, especially when you have had decades and centuries of bitterness and violence.
“We are now seeing the prospect of a permanent political settlement and I think people realise if you are to have a democratically devolved government, it has to sit on the rock solid foundations - in any country in the world -of respect for the police and the rule of law.”
Mr Hain said in many ways nationalists and republicans had moved ahead of Sinn Fein in identifying the need for the Police Service of Northern Ireland to operate in their neighbourhoods to tackle ordinary crime.
He also acknowledged that in the unionist community there would be caution, scepticism and suspicion about any Sinn Fein move.
“Northern Ireland has to move on, either into a peaceful democratic stable future or people will be left behind,” he said.
