Letter: Unionists/loyalists will not tolerate a two-tier system in which the PIRA are afforded special treatment
A letter from Jamie Bryson:
The events of recent days have placed renewed focus on the continued existence of the PIRA Army Council, and the PSNI’s assessment of the activities of this proscribed paramilitary grouping.
There has never been any PSNI reticence about offering continual assessments in respect of the UVF and UDA, however there appears to be a complete reluctance on the part of the PSNI - no doubt for political purposes - to be as forthcoming in respect of the PIRA.
We already have the absurd situation whereby the PSNI have confirmed the so-called ‘Paramilitary Crime Task Force’ do not investigate PIRA, and this is an issue which has never been satisfactorily explained, rather there has been merely the assertion PIRA fall under MI5 as a matter of national security.
But that can’t be completely correct, because the 2015 and 2020 security assessments made clear that PIRA did not present a threat to national security, and rather some members were involved in criminality thus placing them under the remit of the PSNI.
It seems the old ‘peace process’ maxim that the government will deal (via concessions and legitimisation) with PIRA and the PSNI will deal with loyalists (via criminalisation) still stands as a foundational policy position.
This is the problem with the fudging and political manipulation of policing in order to serve republican ends and keep them onside. It, with the disinfectant of sunlight, becomes apparent just how one-sided the whole ‘peace process’ is and this, paradoxically, does not strengthen that process but rather alienates the unionist/loyalist community who legitimately feel treated as second class citizens.
If Jon Boucher as chief constable is to cast aside the two-tier policing cloud and stand on the cusp of a new era for the PSNI, in which the unionist/loyalist as well as the nationalist/republican community can have confidence, then truth, transparency and equality under the law is the only available pathway.
That requires the PSNI to treat the IRA as they do the UVF and UDA, and accordingly provide a full and frank assessment as to whether the IRA Army Council continue to exist directing and controlling Sinn Fein, whether they still retain the weapons they were assessed as having in 2015 and 2020, and if not when did this change and how were the extant weapons disposed of?
These questions aren’t going away.
Unionists/loyalists will not, and must not, tolerate a two-tier system in which the PIRA are afforded special treatment in the sphere of policing or any other arena.
Jamie Bryson, Centre for the Union