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Easter 2nd anniversary: Truth delayed will hurt national security says the Cardinal

22 Apr 2021

 

  • Says protests for justice will continue 

  • Responsible parties influencing probes: MR claims 

  • Pledges support to judicial process 

  • ACJU urges to bring masterminds to book 

  • Mastermind Naufer picked out like Avurudu kumaraya: Anura Kumara 

  • India to partner in war against terror

    Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith stated yesterday (21) that delaying the exposing of the whole truth behind the Easter Sunday terror attacks would endanger the security of the entire country, while Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stated in Parliament that the parties responsible for the bombings are to date, socialising various lies, influencing investigations, and diverting social attention on the issue. The commemorations to remember those who died in the Easter Sunday terror attacks that took place two years ago on 21 April 2019 were held islandwide yesterday. The commemorations began by observing two minutes of silence at 8.45 a.m., which was when the first bomb was blasted at the St. Anthony’s Shrine in Kochchikade on that fateful day. Speaking at the main commemoration event held at the Kochchikade St. Anthony’s Church, one of the main locations that suffered the attacks, Archbishop Ranjith said that the protests will continue until the truth of the Easter attacks is revealed and justice is served to the victims. The Cardinal said that it was essential to expose the whole truth behind the Easter attacks in order to do justice to those who died in the attacks and those who were rendered disabled, adding that the delaying of the truth would endanger the security of the entire country. “Two years after the series of attacks on Easter Sunday, in an environment where no one has been prosecuted, I say to the families of the victims and all Sri Lankan brothers and sisters that the protest campaigns we have launched to expose the truth of the Easter attacks and to bring justice to the victims, will continue.” A minute of silence was observed in Parliament yesterday upon the request of Premier Rajapaksa to commemorate those who lost their lives. Addressing the Parliament, he said that all those responsible for the brutal Easter Sunday terrorist attacks will be brought to justice. Rajapaksa said that the matter has already been referred to the Attorney General based on the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the attacks and other documents prepared pertaining to information revealed by the said PCoI. “Though we do not wish to intervene in the judicial process, I wish to state that as a Government, we are ready to provide any assistance required for the success of this judicial process.” We are confident that at the end of the investigations, the respective departments will take legal action in the future, he added. “It is the innocent public who have to pay for the criminal neglect and evasion by the previous United National Front-led Government which mixed up their own political agendas with national security. Parties responsible for the attacks are socialising various lies, influencing investigations, and diverting social attention even to date. We feel sorry for such groups. We as a Government are taking every step to prevent such an unfortunate situation from ever recurring.” Condemning the Easter attacks, members of the Government wore black armbands to Parliament while members of the main parliamentary opposition party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, were dressed in black. Releasing a statement, the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) called upon all Sri Lankans to support the call of the Archbishop of Colombo in commemorating the victims of the barbaric suicidal terror attacks. The ACJU also stressed that the real perpetrators and masterminds behind the attacks should be identified and dealt with by the law. Addressing the press yesterday, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna-led Jathika Jana Balawegaya (National People’s Power) Leader Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that the Government must answer to the country as to why the Government has not been able to solve as to who is behind the attacks. “Naufer Maulavi was named as the mastermind behind the attacks. But the mastermind has been picked out of a series of people in a process similar to the selection of an Avurudu (Sinhala and Tamil New Year) kumaraya (prince). If the public is to be protected and non-recurrence is to be ensured, the series of events should be unravelled.” Releasing a statement following the Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay’s attendance at the ceremony at the St. Anthony’s Church, the Indian High Commission remembered the 10 Indian nationals who lost their lives in the Easter Sunday attacks. “India and Sri Lanka co-operate closely on all aspects across the security spectrum. India stands firmly with the people and Government of Sri Lanka in the fight against terrorism,” the statement said. The Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks orchestrated by the National Thowheeth Jama’ath, under the leadership of Zahran Hashim, were carried out on 21 April 2019 and took the lives of 269 civilians and left more than 500 injured.


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