Full statement of Loyalist groups UVF & Red Hand on Decommissioning.
national |
history and heritage |
press release 
Saturday June 27, 2009 14:18
by "Captain William Johnston"
Although for many readers it might seem in poor taste to publish words from either the UVF or Red Hand Comando on this website- it may also be understood as serving an important archive role. The IRA issued its order to decommission and abandon arms on the 28th of July 2005.
However it has not been until today an arguably older militia tendency & organisation (if in name only on) our island, the UVF and a smaller but no less murderous group "the Red Hand Comando" issued an equivalent order to their membership.
Ulster Volunteer Force & Red Hand Commando command staff.
The leadership of the Ulster Volunteer Force and Red Hand Commando today confirms it has completed the process of rendering ordnance totally, and irreversibly, beyond use.
This process was initiated in autumn 2008 when the Combined Loyalist Military Command was reconvened to address the outstanding issue of Loyalist military material. As a result of those discussions, all constituent parts agreed to set in place the internal arrangements necessary to begin the disarmament process.
In March 2009, all preparations were suspended following the attacks on UK citizens at Masserene Barracks and Craigavon. Assurances were sought from the Government, and from the Irish Government, that those responsible, in whatever jurisdiction, would be vigorously pursued and the failures of 1969 would not be revisited upon our community.
Only when forthright assurances were given, and it became clear that they would be honoured, did our process resume.
Across every operational area in Northern Ireland and in all regions of Great Britain; in conjunction with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning; in the presence of independent international witnesses and consistent with the modalities and schemes agreed upon by our interlocutor; the Ulster Volunteer Force and Red Hand Commando have now concluded that process.
We have done so to further augment the establishment of accountable democratic governance in this region of the United Kingdom; to remove the pretext that Loyalist weaponry is an obstacle to the development of our communities and to compound our legacy of integrity to the peace process.
We believe the significance and substance of our actions will satisfy the above objectives.
For God and Ulster.
___________________________________________________________________________
The conflict in Ireland from 1969 and 2001, saw 3523 killed.
of which 1020 people were killed by loyalist groups
There is as of yet no common memorial to these dead
nor day of equal remembrance.
c/f "the Absent" http://www.indymedia.ie/article/74873
Detailed list of Dead :-
http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/sutton/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troubles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_Volunteer_Force
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Hand_Commandos
Compare & Contrast :-
Feature article : "End To Armed Campaign" by P O Neill on behalf of the IRA, 28/7/09
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/71187?comment_order=des...ments
Comments (2 of 2)
Jump To Comment: 1 2Where readers can appreciate his choice of wallpaper which is a tiled reproduction of a cartoon depicting a man with Frankenstein monster's neck bolt in his neck and a big wooden stake through his heart. The caption over this wallpaper reads "IRA" in little clouds. It really tickles my wonderment that two visual references which are only understandable thanks to seminal 19th century English Feminist (Mary Shelley) and 19th century Irish migrant fiction (Bram Stoker) of the horror genre are the closest this Youtube user appears to get to humour.
But the sublime message is worthy of note. The very same name Captain Johnston, which let's face it is not as familiar to us P O'Neill , & thus needs to be qualified with an address [loyalist west Belfast & shewing us] which somehow engages one less than the Zapatistas' classic ubication - "from the mountains of Chiapas", appears to rant and rant and rant in a way which is sadly bitter.
Almost as if the forces and roots of conflict which brought the IRA back into being in the 1970's and sustained it as a mostly homogenous and unitary armed republican struggle movement until its ceasefire, through its ceasefires, decision to engage in decommissioning and final disbandment - were nothing more than a sacriligous frame of dead body parts assembled by young Dr Frankenstein in his dark sinister castle to be brought to life by the Promethean spark; to then find conscienceness, play the violin, only befriend the blind, seek vengance, stroll the artic wastes & then................ get a tricolour draped open coffin whose wake is adorned by an oak stake befitting the undead.
Oh 'tis all truly 19th century and shockingly ghastly gothic if the cartoons are the only to go by.
http://www.youtube.com/CaptalnWmJohnstonUVF
But they killed one third of all the victims of The Troubles.
We've no number of those who got knee-capped with Black & Deckers instead of sawn-off shotguns.
I really do recommend readers whatever their political take on the national question and the intellectual or moral rigours of the conflict which saw thousands of people killed and hundreds of thousands of others minds and esteem shaped to take the time to compare and contrast the UVF/RHC statement and that which officially ended the IRA armed campaign.
& once they've seen the lack of grace in one nor mere mention of honoured dead of the same cloth nor even vaguely class based nod to working class realities - might they just wonder how below it all the same rank still held its significance. The rank of "captain".
Oddly enough it is a very difficult rank to pin down or pin medals upon. As the hero of Roddy Doyle's novel A star called Henry knew to his ironic and cynical chagrin as he recruited and trained volunteers through the early war of Independence cogadh na Saoirse to take on the Black & Tans first and the Auxiliaries later. To win their respect he awarded himself the rank of "captain". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Star_Called_Henry It's an easy rank to award yourself as long as you're hard and sounds so much better than sergeant. Adjutant or Private Craig could never have founded a city. Sean O'Casey would never have made us laugh at a non-commissioned officer or able seamen Paycock.
Oh who were and are these bleedin captains?
Whisht! ye bairns and langers, don't you worry -
it is not the fighting men and women for your flags, independence, sovreignty, loyalty, republic or honour who have the guns now.
for we are at peace & anyone who likes can speak Ulster Scots in a land where no Romanian Gypsy tongue is heard
What damns them in the end is their lack of humour. Hell truly isn't a funny place at all.
Whilst this fan fair by the national & international media circus over the loyalist parmailitary announcement is all well and good, it's nothing to write home about!! The largest loyalist group, the UDA, is still in the act of discussion on disarming their weapons with the IICD. However, not during any of the loyalist paramilitary statements on their "momentus" decision was there an apology, acknowledge or ounce of remorse shown to the near 1,000 sectarian killings they perpetrated upon the Catholic people!! So I suppose thats all well and good then in the name of progress.....
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