Card Ranjith: seven years after the Easter Sunday bombings, some still trying to suppress the truth
Various memorial events were held in Colombo yesterday for the 269 people killed in attacks on churches and hotels on 21 April 2019. The former head of Sri Lanka’s intelligence service was detained last February, accused of complicity with Islamist bombers. For the cardinal, some politicians and officials are afraid and nervous about the investigation and are trying to sabotage it.
Colombo (Asia News) – On 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday, suicide bombers entered three churches and seven hotels in Colombo and blew themselves up. Yesterday, on the seventh anniversary of the incidents that killed 269 people and wounded hundreds, a renewed call was made for justice with criticism against the latest attempts to halt investigations into who masterminded the deadly bombings.
The anniversary came just weeks after the 24 February breakthrough that led to the arrest of former Security Intelligence Service (SIS) chief Suresh Sallay, who, according to the prosecution, despite knowing about the plans, failed to act to prevent the bloodshed.
Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo, Auxiliary Bishop Anton Ranjith of Colombo, Apostolic Nuncio Andrez Jozwowlez, and Anglican Bishop Omalpe of Colombo Sobitha, along with Muslim and Hindu clergymen, Christian priests, representatives of foreign missions, and relatives of the victims' families, gathered at St Anthony's Church in Kochchikade, where a special prayer was offered in memory of those who lost their lives in the attacks.
During the addresses by the invited guests, the Buddhist Venerable Omalpe Sobitha Thero stated that, although four governments have been formed in the seven years since the Easter attacks, their shadow has not yet been lifted, and that the current government has a golden opportunity to provide the appropriate answers that every Sri Lankan eagerly awaits.
Citing the commitments made by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a Muslim scholar, Mawlawi Mashuk Hafeer Usvi, called on him to show the people who is truly responsible for the attacks.
Cardinal Ranjith, while acknowledging the current government's new approach to the search for the truth, was critical of the fact that some officials continue to put up various obstacles to that process.
The prelate noted that some politicians and officials have become afraid and nervous about the ongoing investigation, especially after a Channel 4 programme revealed certain facts about the attacks. In his view, those same politicians and officials are making a childish attempt to sabotage the investigation, conscious that they will be exposed.
A memorial for those who lost their lives was also held in the church of Katuwapitiya, another of the places targeted in the attacks, Auxiliary Bishops J. D. Anthony Jayakody and Maxwell Silva led the service, along with the parish priest, Father Terry Ranjith.
At the end of the liturgy, the relatives of the victims, together with bishops, priests, and nuns, laid wreaths and lit lamps in front of the monument commemorating the victims.
Like every year, a procession carrying pictures of the dead took place in the afternoon, led by the cardinal, bishops, and religious leaders, which reached the church in Katuwapitiya.
Anura Jayalath and Calistus Perera, who lost relatives in the attacks, spoke to AsiaNews, expressing hope that President Dissanayake would keep his promise to bring justice, even if too much time had already passed.
A report titled Memory, Pain, and the Hope, published on the seventh anniversary by the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR), mentions that eight separate investigations were carried out into the coordinated attacks of 21 April 2019, which targeted churches, hotels, and other locations, killing more than 250 people and wounding hundreds more.
It is clear that extremist Islamic preacher Zahran Hashim and his group may not have been the only parties involved, with the possibility that a "hidden hand” might be behind the operation.
For this reason, the CSR wants all investigative reports and evidence to be made public, with protection provided to investigators who have come under pressure and threats. The NGO also wants to see an independent commission set up with local and foreign experts, empowered to take swift legal action against those identified as responsible.
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04/02/2025 18:25
