Colombo (UCAN): “(We are) all awaiting the truth of these matters to be fully revealed and for justice to be carried in all its aspects,” Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, Sri Lanka, told the Presidential Commission of Inquiry investigating the Easter Sunday bombings that killed and wounded several hundred people in Sri Lanka (Sunday Examiner, April 28).
The cardinal, representing the concerns, grievances and views of the victims, their families and the entire Catholic community at large, told the commission that the tragedy could have been avoided and people must be held accountable.
He gave four hours of testimony in closed-door hearings over two days on December 6 and 7, however it was only 10 days later that media were allowed to report it.
Cardinal Ranjith said the country’s security council and other relevant institutions responsible for maintaining security in the country, should have acted beforehand, since relevant information was available to the authorities concerned.
“I would have saved my people; they are the most important asset,” he told the commission. He stressed, “Responsible people should be brought to the book and those who are linked to the attack directly and indirectly should be punished.”
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the country’s president, had promised in his election campaign to appoint an independent commission with full powers to investigate the Easter Sunday attacks.
Rajapaksa said he intended to expose and punish the real culprits, partners, supporters and all those responsible for the Easter massacre.
Indeed, the Easter bombings cast such a cloud over the election that the theme of national security dominated campaign debates. Cardinal Ranjith said in November, however, that he was not ready to meet with presidential candidates because was not satisfied with the investigation into the attacks.
Easter Sunday blasts left many dead, injured and disabled, and destroyed many properties.
A local group of nine suicide bombers, affiliated with local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaath, attacked three churches and three luxury hotels on April 21, killing 270 people including 40 foreign nationals and wounding at least 500.
“I would have taken every possible measure to save the lives of my people, if we had been informed about the possible attack on Easter Sunday,” Cardinal Ranjith said.
“We presented the evidence and the facts we have before the committee. We hope that the government will take the required action according to the recommendations of the commission.”
The cardinal said that he would fully cooperate with the investigation.
The commission is chaired by Appeal Court judge, Janak de Silva. Its other members are former Appeal Court judges, Bandula Karunaratne and Sunil Rajapaksa, former High Court judge, Bandula Atapattu, and former secretary to the Ministry of Justice, HMS Adikari. HMBP Herath is secretary to the commission.
