Call on British Government

Press release: 1st December 2004

Call on British Government ‘Go the extra mile ban plastic bullets’

Relatives for Justice Chairperson, and founder of the United Campaign
Against Plastic Bullets, Clara Reilly has called on the British
government to ‘go the extra mile’ and ban the use of plastic bullets.
The call follows comments made by PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde who
today signaled that the PSNI would not use plastic bullets if the
situation improved.

Responding to Hugh Orde’s comments Clara Reilly said; ‘Hugh Orde simply
reiterated the current stated position of the PSNI with regard to
plastic bullets – he has said nothing new.

‘I urge the British government to go the extra mile by immediately
banning these lethal weapons and discontinuing the ongoing research into
other similar lethal types of weapons that are intended to replace the
existing plastic bullet in the summer of 05.

‘This can be the only credible and acceptable move in terms of ensuring
that human rights are up-held especially in the context of moving
forward and out of conflict which saw the deaths of 17 people, including
9 school children, and thousands permanently maimed and injured by these
lethal weapons.

‘I would caution against embracing these comments as a development in
the current political climate. There needs to be an unambiguous
statement of intend to ban plastic bullets and any intended
‘alternatives’.

ENDS

Editors Notes:
The British Government reneged on a commitment given during negotiations
at Hillsborough in which they stated that they would discontinue the use
of plastic bullets by Christmas 03.

Rather than making a statement confirming this commitment they instead
produced new guidelines on the continued use of plastic bullets.

ENDS