Loyalist Paramilitaries Commit To Rule Of Law

Marking the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, the Ulster Defence Association, Ulster Volunteer Force and the Red Hand Commando have issued a joint statement endorsing the rule of law.

In their first joint statement since the loyalist ceasefire in 1994, the paramilitary organisations said that they would not tolerate criminality in their ranks.

The statement read: "Individuals who use criminality to serve their own interests at the expense of loyalist communities are an affront to the true principles of loyalism.

"We reject and repudiate as unacceptable and contrary to loyalist principles any criminal action claimed to have been undertaken in our name or attributed to any individual claiming membership of our organisations.

"We further declare that any engagement in criminal acts by any individuals within our organisations will be regarded as placing those persons outside the memberships. This has been collectively agreed."

It is understood that the statement is the result of discussions between the loyalist groups and three former Protestant church leaders.

Those former leaders - Alan Harper, former Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and All-Ireland Primate, Harold Good, former Methodist President, and Norman Hamilton, former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church - took part in Monday's news conference at Belfast's Linenhall Library.

Welcoming the statement, Chief Constable George Hamilton said: "I welcome the explicit commitment to peace and the Rule of Law in today's statement. I would also acknowledge the hard work of those in progressive loyalism and encourage them to continue their efforts to completely remove illegal paramilitary organisations from our communities.

"Twenty years on from the Peace Agreement it is disappointing that we are still in a place where there are statements about paramilitary violence and criminality.

"Our communities do not want to live in fear of violence. The Loyalist Community Council must support people in giving information to the police.

"There are no grey areas when it comes to the Rule of Law.

"Through the Paramilitary Crime Task Force, PSNI will continue to actively pursue and investigate those involved in violence and criminality and place them before the courts in order to protect society and keep people safe."

(MH/LM)