Five years later, Cardinal Ranjith renews the fight against the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday attacks

Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith speaks yesterday at the commemoration of the fifth Easter Sunday of 2019 at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Kochchikade – Photo by Ruwan Walpola

• Condemns ex-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa for failing to deliver on his promises to deliver justice
• Reveals that Rajapaksa had personally conveyed his inability to implement recommendations of investigative bodies against those associated with him
• Refutes claims by Rajapaksa that the Catholic Church was a major party in the Aragalaya movement
• criticizes current President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s lack of response to a communiqué from clergy and laity calling for justice
• condemns AG’s silence on legal action against officials involved in the attack
• Suspects that former and current governments are trying to hide the truth and protect those involved in terrorist incidents
• Says the most important duty of the current or new government. is to conduct an independent investigation and expose the truth
• Claims Church approached UNHRC not out of a lack of love for SL, but because all local options for justice were unavailable

By Maneshka Borham

Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday launched a scathing attack on former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the main commemoration event held at St. Anthony’s Shrine in Kochchikade as the Catholic community commemorated five years since the tragic Easter Sunday terrorist attacks.

Ranjith said Rajapaksa remains in the eyes of the Catholic community a figure who has abdicated his obligations and failed to fulfill the promise to provide justice to the victims as he promised. The terrorist attacks on three five-star hotels and an equal number of churches in different parts of the country on April 21, 2019, left more than 250 dead, including 45 foreigners, and more than 500 injured.

The cardinal stressed that in the aftermath of the attacks, several investigative bodies have been established to investigate the incident, including a commission headed by former judge Vijith Malgoda, a select commission and a presidential commission of inquiry.

“Notably, it was Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the winner of the November 2019 presidential election, who was given the responsibility to implement the recommendations in these reports,” he said.

He recalled that Rajapaksa attended two political meetings in Negombo and Ja-Ela before the elections, and also participated in a meeting with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference. He said that during these interactions, Rajapaksa assured those present that a transparent investigation into the attack would be conducted and justice would be provided to the victims.

Ranjith, however, disclosed that Rajapaksa personally contacted him the day after the PCoI report was submitted to discuss the challenges he faced in implementing the recommendations. He said Rajapaksa raised the difficulty of potentially having to arrest leaders of certain organizations linked to him, or consider banning them, as per the report’s suggestions.

“Rajapaksa became, in the eyes of the Catholic community, someone who did not keep his promises. He delayed the submission of the first part of the report and withheld others. Furthermore, as president, he showed no interest in delivering justice despite taking on this responsibility. Instead, he chose to appoint a committee of six ministers to implement only selected recommendations,” Ranjith complained.

The cardinal also detailed Rajapaksa’s efforts to remove officials involved in the investigations. “One key researcher was jailed, while others were transferred to remote areas. It is unfortunate that only officials sympathetic to him were appointed to disrupt the investigation,” he said.

The cardinal expressed dismay at the disruptive and delayed actions of the then government and accused Rajapaksa of failing to respond to a letter signed in July 2021 by 34 individuals, including clergy and laity, calling for an independent and transparent investigation to the attacks.

In his recent book ‘The Conspiracy’, he also addressed Rajapaksa’s accusations that the Catholic Church was a major party behind the Aragalaya movement, which forced him to resign. The cardinal clarified that although Rajapaksa had betrayed the community’s trust in him to deliver justice and reveal the truth about the attack, it was not only Catholics but members of all communities who had joined the fight against him. “It is true that Catholic clergy joined the Aragalaya, but not only Catholics were present,” he pointed out.

Ranjith emphasized that all communities had come together in response to the economic collapse and consequent hardships faced by the people due to Rajapaksa’s decisions. He claimed that Rajapaksa’s inability to lead the country on a democratic path and unite all communities led Catholics, along with others, to join the Aragalaya movement out of deep patriotism.

The cardinal stated categorically that it is incorrect to attribute political motives to the Catholic Church. Rather than accusing the Church, he urged anyone who holds such views to introspect and reflect on the past.

He stressed that the primary responsibility of any government, especially a new one, should be to prioritize an independent investigation into the Easter attacks and uncover the truth. He said failure to do so would remain a stain on the country’s reputation and integrity.

Current President Ranil Wickremesinghe was also not spared by the cardinal in his speech. The cardinal emphasized that a letter was sent to the current president by Catholic clergy and laity on October 23, 2023. However, there was no response from President Wickremesinghe, showing reluctance in addressing the Easter Sunday attacks and pursuing new information uncovered during the investigation. He said this lack of action underlined the government’s unwillingness to provide justice to the victims of the attack.

Ranjith noted that despite recommendations to the Attorney General to take legal action against certain government officials and security forces for failing to take action to prevent the attack, the Attorney General remained silent. The Cardinal condemned this inaction by the Attorney General, stating that it was unfair and biased and amounted to an affront to the rule of law in the country.

The cardinal expressed the community’s confusion and inability to understand how to interpret the actions of the rulers. He expressed serious suspicions that both the former and current governments were trying to bury the truth and protect those associated with it. He claimed that no other conclusion was possible, otherwise there would be no reason for their unwillingness to reveal the truth.

He pointed out that while an extremist Islamic group was involved in the attack, there are indications that another group is supporting them. The lack of investigation and attempts to cover up the evidence can only lead to the conclusion that the current administration wants to sweep it under the rug.

Regarding the Church’s decision to seek redress from the international community, the cardinal explained that this step was taken because all local options were closed to them. He emphasized that it was due to the inability to find out the truth behind the incident that they turned to the UNHRC. He clarified that this decision was not made out of a lack of love for the country, but because all local options were not available. He questioned the government over its failure to investigate the conspiracy behind the attack.

The Cardinal noted that apart from the loss of lives and affected individuals, the attack also changed the trajectory of Sri Lankan politics, resulting in a negative impact on the country’s economy. He emphasized that the economy’s failure to recover since then serves as evidence of the widespread and devastating impact of the attack.

The cardinal highlighted the rise of a remarkable ruling class, which initially aligned itself with traditional left-wing and socialist ideals but has now joined forces with a Western-oriented, free-trade-supporting faction. He criticized this alliance for ignoring the plight of the people and making plans to sell national assets to foreign entities, thereby endangering the country’s sovereignty.

“Most of the population suffers from poverty, while the country’s assets enrich a select number of foreign entities. Recent legislation appears to be moving the country toward dictatorship. “If anyone attributes all these issues to the Catholic Church, one can only conclude that they are mentally confused and out of their right minds,” he noted.

He attributed Sri Lanka’s current volatile situation to the politicians who have governed the country for the past 76 years since independence. “We reject the former president who accuses the Catholic Church of these issues without addressing them,” he said firmly, emphasizing that this reflects a failure to take responsibility. “They need to look for solutions instead of placing blame elsewhere,” he said.

In conclusion, the cardinal stressed the urgent need for a truly transparent and fair investigation that included all information about the attack. He underlined that blaming others and hiding the truth will not bring healing to the nation. He lamented that the country has become enmeshed in a politically corrupt cycle and called for an end to the facade of politicians. “Truth and justice cannot remain hidden indefinitely,” he declared.

The memorial event was attended by Catholic clergy, including the Apostolic Nuncio of Sri Lanka, Dr. Brian Udaigwe, as well as religious leaders from various faiths, such as Omple Sobitha Thera and former Anglican Bishop of Colombo Dhiloraj Canagasabey. Diplomats, representatives of religious organizations and members of the public were also present. A solemn moment of two minutes of silence was observed not only during the event but also in churches across the country to honor and remember those who tragically lost their lives in the attack. Several other commemorative events demanding justice for the victims were also held, including a walk from St. Anthony’s Shrine to St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya.