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The Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, Robert
Saulters, has urged the Unionist and Protestant community
to engage with the Historical Enquiries Team.
Speaking at an Orange Order function in Moneymore, Mr Saulters
said the HET were carrying out a very important function in
Northern Ireland.
He said:
"We have recently seen the debacle over the Eames-Bradley
Report and their failure to understand the difference between
the perpetrators and the victims of violence.
"There was also the offensive recommendation that the
families of every single person who died in the Troubles should
receive compensation. That recommendation made no distinction
between the paramilitaries and the rest of our community.
"The Orange Order knows all about the grief caused by
terrorism. More than 330 Orangemen died in the Troubles. Many
of them were serving in the security forces at the time, some
were going about their normal routine and some were even murdered
while attending Orange meetings.
"One tenth of the people who died in the Troubles were
Orangemen, so we believe we have a right to speak up on their
behalf.
"Our Murdered Brethren Appeal has given us an insight
into the trauma suffered by families and indeed by those who
were terribly injured. Our research has shown that these families
do not want blood money. They want people convicted for the
murders of their loved ones and they also want to know the
truth about what happened.
"Senior officers from the Grand Lodge have held very
constructive talks with HET and we were impressed by their
integrity and determination to report on the truth about how
people who died.
"Members of the Unionist and Protestant community have
been slow to engage fully with the HET and I would strongly
urge them to be more positive about what they are trying to
achieve and support them where possible.
"There are a number of high profile and incredibly expensive
public inquiries taking place in Northern Ireland.
"HET has a very small budget in comparison to these
inquiries but they have people who are determined to establish
the truth about every death they investigate.
"There is a lot of talk about human rights at the moment.
The families of our Orange brethren who were killed have the
basic human right of knowing what happened on the day that
changed their lives for ever.
"The work of HET will not bring back those who died
but it will bring an understanding of the circumstances and
may, in a small way, reduce the pain and suffering endured
by so many families.
"We will continue to work with HET to ensure that there
is a proper perspective on the history of the Troubles and
I would personally encourage people in our community to do
likewise."
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