The Ulster Unionist Party’s Justice Spokesperson, Doug Beattie MC MLA, has hit out at the BBC’s choice of language in an online piece on the IRA murders of three Fermanagh brothers.

Doug Beattie MC MLA said:

“The language used in an online piece on the BBC website regarding the murders of three Fermanagh brothers - all UDR members - is as misrepresentative as it is loaded.

“For a National Broadcaster to say, “Many acts of violence were carried out by republican and loyalist paramilitaries and security forces” is absolutely shameful.  

“As part of the IRA’s campaign of ethnic cleansing of Border Protestants, Ronnie, Cecil and Jimmy Graham were murdered whilst off-duty in separate incidents in Fermanagh by IRA terrorists in the 1980s. It is clear that the hurt caused is felt to this day by their sister Pam Morrison, who bravely and movingly told their story. 

“It is deeply regrettable that not only was the BBC report incapable of using the word ‘murder’ or ‘terrorists’ it actually sought to equate ‘acts of violence’ by terrorists with the actions of the security forces. 

“This is exactly what we mean by the rewriting of history. The BBC could not even manage to handle a piece dealing with the murders of three off-duty members of the UDR without feeling the need to try to equivocate. 

“Let me be very clear. There is no equivalence between the lawful forces of the State – whether Police or Army – and illegal terrorist gangs. The former were bound by the rule of law and sought to stop terrorist groups from committing murder on a daily basis; the latter sought to kill anyone who stood in their way, and accounted for 90 per cent of all Troubles related deaths, all of which were obviously illegal.   

“The BBC realised their mistake and amended the piece online, but the damage was already done.”