British to break plastic bullet pledge?

Relatives for Justice has called on the British Government to stand by its commitment to ban plastic bullets by this Christmas.

The call comes after the British Home Office issued 'new' guidelines on the use of the weapons in the Six Counties, despite a pledge given during negotiations at Hillsborough that the deadly projectiles would be discontinued by Christmas 2003.

RFJ spokesperson Andrée Murphy says the new criteria does not go far enough and she has urged the British government not to renege on its commitment.

"Rather than making a statement confirming this commitment, the government has produced new guidelines on the use of plastic bullets," said Murphy this week. "The fear is now that their strategy is to continue with these lethal weapons under the 'new' guidelines.

"The irony and timing of this latest news, on International Human Rights Day, will not escape those concerned with the promotion of human rights in Ireland."

Back in April, British Minister Jane Kennedy had announced that plastic bullets would no longer be in use after the end of 2003. The pledge came after months of inter-party negotiations aimed at implementing the Good Friday Agreement.

Sinn Féin spokesperson on policing, North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly, says the British government's continued use of the lethal weapons is "unacceptable" and that he will be raising the issue as "a matter of the utmost urgency" with the British government.

In 2002, there was a substantial increase in the number of plastic bullets fired by the British Army. British soldiers fired a total of 85 baton rounds that year, compared to 17 the year before.

A report issued by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child condemned the use of the weapon in the Six Counties and urged the British government to abolish the firing of plastic bullets as a means of riot control as they "cause injuries to children and may jeopardise their life".

Seventeen Irish people have been killed by the British military's arsenal of rubber and plastic bullets over the years. Nine of them were children.