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Thomas English (1960 – 31 October 2000), usually known as Tommy English, was an Ulster loyalist paramilitary and politician. He served as a commander in the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and was killed by members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) as part of a violent loyalist feud between the two organisations. English had also been noted as a leading figure in the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) during the early years of the Northern Ireland peace process. ==Ulster Defence Association== From an early age, English was involved in the North Belfast Brigade of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), a loyalist paramilitary group. After his death, the ''Belfast Telegraph'' described him as a "UDA commander",〔"(Boxer ‘volunteered to shoot UDA boss’ )", ''Belfast Telegraph'', 10 September 2009〕 while the ''BBC'' described him as a "paramilitary chief".〔"(UDA boss Tommy English murder accused to be prosecuted )", ''BBC News'', 3 March 2010〕 English also became involved in the political wing of the movement, the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP), becoming its Chairman.〔David Sharrock, "(Two killed in revenge raids by loyalists )", ''Daily Telegraph'', 1 November 2000〕 He stood for the UDP in North Belfast in the 1996 Northern Ireland Forum election, and was also placed eighth on the party's top-up list, but he was not elected.〔"(1996 Forum Elections: Candidates in North Belfast )", Northern Ireland Elections〕〔"(1996 Elections - List of Candidates )", Northern Ireland Elections〕 He was active on behalf of the party in the discussions which led to the Good Friday Agreement.〔"(Former UDP talks delegate bailed )", ''BBC News'', 5 November 1999〕 A noted critic of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) during his political career, English gained notoriety for an appearance at a UDA rally in the Ulster Hall in Belfast when he took to the stage wearing an Ian Paisley mask and a clerical dog collar and proceeded to lampoon the DUP leader.〔Henry McDonald & Jim Cusack, ''UDA - Inside the Heart of Loyalist Terror'', Penguin Ireland, 2004, p. 335〕 He was a regular visitor to conferences and events at the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation and was close to Republic of Ireland peace activists Paul Burton and Chris Hudson, visiting the site of the Battle of the Somme with them in 1999.〔 On St Patrick's Day 1998 he met President of the USA Bill Clinton in Washington DC as part of the UDP delegation visiting the US capital.〔 He hit the headlines in 1997 when he was given a bravery award after breaking down the front door of a burning house and bringing the occupier out to safety.〔 Alongside his political activism he remained involved in the paramilitary side of the UDA and played a leading role in orchestrating riots at two interface areas in north Belfast i.e. the Limestone Road - which divides Catholic Newington and Protestant Tigers Bay - and the Whitewell Road.〔 English and his family lived in Tiger's Bay before moving to Newtownabbey at an unspecified period so as to "give our kids a chance so they could have a decent life" according to his wife Doreen.〔David McKittrick et al, ''Lost Lives'', Mainstream Publishing, 2008, p. 1486〕 English left the UDP in 1998 after making a public statement against the Orange Order at a time when the party was widely supporting them in their attempts to march in Catholic areas.〔 English also claimed that he had been the subject of allegations about misappropriating money in the UDA and stated that, whilst the allegations were not widely believed by the group's leadership, worries about them had led him to attempt suicide and seek treatment in a psychiatric hospital.〔 In 1999, he was arrested on suspicion of headbutting and kicking a patron of the Crows Nest bar, having allegedly arrived with three associates armed with baseball bats, breaking glasses along the bar.〔 The case was still outstanding, with English awaiting charges, at the time of his death.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Tommy English (loyalist)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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