A group has been formed to press for compensation and recognition for the victims of republican violence in south Armagh. Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR) handed in a letter to the Northern Ireland Office at Stormont yesterday protesting at the manner in which they are being treated.
FAIR, which is mainly composed of relatives of RUC officers and UDR soldiers murdered by the IRA in south Armagh, complained that while paramilitary prisoners were being released under the Belfast Agreement, they were being forgotten.
A group of about 25 relatives gathered at Stormont yesterday morning where they were met by the DUP deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, and other, mostly anti-agreement, unionists.
In its letter, the group said that relatives had been treated in a "disgusting and callous" manner by successive British governments. In particular it protested at the insensitive early release of prisoners, that had opened old wounds. Mr Brian McConnell, whose uncle Robert, a member of the UDR, was murdered by the IRA in 1976, said hitherto they had supported successive British governments because they believed they would bring those responsible to justice. "But that is not going to happen," he said.
Families had been impoverished because they had lost their breadwinners at the hands of the IRA. "We have paid our debt to society but now the government is paying those who have caused us to grieve. It is absolutely disgusting," he said. Mr William Frazer, who lost five members of his family to republican violence, said the group had compiled a list of more than 50 RUC officers, UDR soldiers and civilians who had been killed in south Armagh. His father Robert, a UDR soldier, was shot dead by the IRA in 1975.
"When you look at the suffering all these people went through; they stayed put because they believed in their government. But these people died for nothing. You don't mind suffering if you're going to get justice, something you're entitled to at the end of the day," he said.
"But if we're not going to get justice then we want proper financial compensation," Mr Frazer added. Mr Robinson of the DUP said that the plight of the relatives demonstrated the absolute injustice of the current political process. "The terrorists are organised and make a noise and the government jumps to their tune but the victims are not organised and the government ignores them," he said.
He hoped FAIR would pressurise the British government "to pay attention, start paying proper compensation and addressing their needs".
