murder of five civilians as a result of the use of firearms while they were oi duty. All these incidents took place in Northern Ireland. In a small number of other cases, servicemen were either charged but not convicted, or the Director of Public Prosecutions decided that no prosecution should be brought 74. Plastic baton rounds have been issued to both the army and police in Northern Ireland. When rioting and attacks on the security forces put life and property seriously at risk, they are sometimes the only effective way of saving life, avoiding injuries and preventing serious crime. The use of CCPR/C/58/Add.6 page 17 plastic baton rounds ensures that the risk of injury or death is kept to a minimum. Over the years, a variety of riot control devices have been and continue to be tested. So far, an effective and improved replacement for the plastic baton round has yet to be found. The use of plastic baton rounds has declined dramatically in recent years. During 1988, 3,104 rounds were fired, in the majority of cases during widespread rioting involving danger to life. Although in the past 20 years a total of 17 people have died in incidents apparently involving plastic (or the earlier rubber) rounds, only one such incident (death of Seamus Duffy on 9 August 1989) has taken place since 1986. Private possession of firearms 75. Following the tragic incident in Hungerford, Berkshire, on 19 August 1987, when a man named Michael Ryan shot dead 17 persons (including himself) and injured 15 others, the Government introduced the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988. Previously, people had only to satisfy the police that they had good reason to possess a specific firearm, or that they were proper persons to own a shotgun. The 1988 Act, which came into 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the use of firearms and riot control devices in Northern Ireland, including the murder of civilians and the tragic incident in Hungerford. While it touches on the consequences of these events, the primary focus is on the use of plastic baton rounds and the regulation of firearms. The text does not appear to be related to economic development, natural resources, agriculture, industry, transport, international trade, health, education, employment, humanitarian aid, or culture. The discussion of science and technology is limited to the testing of riot control devices, but it is not the primary focus of the text.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, Science and technology