Church plans public protest campaign-Delay in bringing Easter Sunday conspirators to justice
By Shamindra Ferdinando-May 1, 2020The Catholic Church yesterday (30) said that a strong public protest campaign would be launched against the failure on the part of the government to punish those responsible for the 2019 Easter Sunday carnage, once the COVID-19 epidemic was under control.
Addressing print and electronic media, at the premises of St. Sebastian’s Church, Katuwapitiya, the scene of the worst Easter Sunday suicide blast, Rev. Father Cyril Gamini said that the Church delayed the planned protest campaign, due to the eruption of COVID-19.
The parish priest of St. Annes, Church, Kurana, Rev. Gamini said that planned street protests were put on hold for the time being.
The former spokesperson for the Catholic Church said that the priests, based in Bolawalana, Negombo and Katana, felt the urgent requirement for an organized campaign to pressure the government. The media was also urged to ensure sufficient coverage for the post-Easter Sunday situation, though they primarily focused on the on-going unprecedented health emergency, and the now delayed parliamentary polls.
Rev. Gamini was flanked by several clerics, including the parish priests in charge of the targeted St. Sebastian’s and St. Anthony’s churches - Rev Father Manjula Niroshan and Rev. Father Jude Raj Fernando.
They emphasized that the suicide Easter Sunday attacks couldn’t be allowed to be swept under the carpet, under any circumstances. They vowed to pursue a stepped-up campaign, until those responsible were punished, regardless of their standing in the society.
In addition to those who carried out suicide attacks, there were two groups of persons responsible for the worst atrocity committed in post-war Sri Lanka, Rev. Gamini said. Of the two groups, one comprised those responsible for conspiring with suicide bombers, led by Zaharan Hashim, the priest said. The remaining group consisted of people, in higher positions, who allowed the operation to go ahead, unimpeded, by ignoring specific intelligence made available by India.
The Church questioned whether the security lapse was actually deliberate, against the backdrop of explosive exposure of political leaders and security authorities, thanks to revelations at the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) as well as the Presidential Commission.
Rev. Father Niroshan said that about a month after the Easter Sunday attack he succeeded Rev. Father Srilal Fonseka, who had been the parish priest of St. Sebastian’s Church. The people heeded the advice given by Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, as they believed the government would take tangible measures to arrest all those responsible, Rev. Niroshan said.
Over a year, after the carnag, those who lost their loved ones, and the Catholic community, as a whole, were really disappointed the way they were brazenly denied justice. "We’ll not rest until the government moved against those responsible," the priest said.
Rev. Father Niroshan said altogether 381 families were affected as a result of devastating attacks on St. Sebastian’s Church, Katuwapitiya, and St. Anthony’s Church, Kochchikade. Of those families, 260 suffered due to the Katuwapitiya blast, which claimed 115 lives. Fifty six perished at Kochchikade, the priest said, asking who accepted the responsibility for the deaths of 42 children, in the Katuwapitiya and Kochchikade blasts.
Rev. Father Niroshan said that there were about 10 paralyzed persons. About 50 others were to undergo surgery.
Declaring that the Church had fulfilled its obligation, Rev. Father Niroshan said that the government couldn’t absolve itself of the responsibility.
Rev. Father Jude Raj Fernando recalled how anti-terrorism expert Dr. Rohan Gunaratne told an audience, that included the then government leaders, how the Easter Sunday attackers were allowed to proceed in spite of having specific intelligence regarding the impending strike. The priest alleged that the failure on the part of political leaders and law enforcement authorities to act against those involved, in spite of the availability of vital information, even in the public domain, was quite an affront to the people. Those who conspired and aided and abetted remained free, the priest said, alleging that from time to time propaganda efforts were made to deceive the Church and the public.
"We are quite suspicious and sceptical about the conduct of those responsible for ensuring justice," Rev. Father Fernando said.
The Island sought an explanation as to why absolutely no reference was made to those who died in Zion Church, Batticaloa, as a result of Thowheed Jamaat suicide attack. The Island also pointed out that the Church hadn’t raised objections to Tamil National Alliance (TNA) lawmaker M.A. Sumanthiran publicly justifying the Easter Sunday attacks, at a meeting in Colombo, in April 2019, and he also ignored a crucial factor that Thwoheed Jamaat targeted the Tamil service, both at Batticaloa and Kochchikade.
Rev. Father Gamini said that though no reference was made to the suicide attacks, carried out in Batticaloa, as well as hotels in Colombo, the Church called the media briefing, on behalf of all those affected. The priest emphasized that the Church demanded justice for all those affected, regardless of ethnicity and where they perished.
On the invitation of the Church, S.N. Sirimanne, who lost his two children, addressed the media. Sirimanne said that whatever the shortcomings, the explosive revelations at the Parliamentary Select Committee, Presidential Commission, as well as judicial proceedings, quite clearly exposed those who facilitated the Easter Sunday carnage by sheer negligence. A teary Sirimanne said that he was a Buddhist though he allowed his 22-year-old daughter and 19-year- old son to visit Kochchikade Church as both wanted to take a vow before sitting examinations.
Sirimanne said that the Commandant of the Special Task Force (STF) DIG Latiff admitted that he provided security to the Indian High Commission on the instructions received from higher authorities. The government owed the public an explanation why other targets were denied the same protection in spite of India alerting the then government, Sirimanne asked.
Sirimanne said that they still believed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa would ensure justice. A weeping Sirimanne, an employee at the Road Development Authority said that he and wife believed the Easter Sunday attacks could have been averted if Gotabaya Rajapaksa was at the helm of administration.
Responding to a query raised by the electronic media, Rev. Father Gamini regretted that people had to seek the intervention of politicians to ensure transparency and justice.
The media was also told that the Easter Sunday carnage shouldn’t be merely a political issue at the coming election.
