Catholic Bishops’ Conference welcomes PCoI Report; urges action from Govt.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Sri Lanka has welcomed the Report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Easter Sunday tragedy and has urged the Government to take immediate action in the implementation of these recommendations and as a matter of priority with regard to those individuals against whom criminal charges have been levelled.

The Statement signed by all 15 Member Bishops of the conference has stated that the CBCSL has closely assessed the present situation of the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bomb attack on 21 April 2019, and states that while welcoming the recommendations made therein, the Bishops Conference requests that the Attorney General be given full power and the freedom to prosecute immediately the perpetrators, those who aided and abetted in this dastardly terrorist act and those who were found to be negligent in carrying out their duties. “We urge that the judicial mechanism to do that be set in motion with immediate effect,” the statement added.

The statement was signed by Rt. Rev. Dr. Winston Fernando SSS, President, CBCSL, Bishop of Badulla; Rt. Rev. Dr. J.D. Anthony, Secretary General – CBCSL, Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo; Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin Bernard Gnanapragasam, Vice President – CBCSL, Bishop of Jaffna; His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo; Rt. Rev. Dr. J. Vianney Fernando, Bishop of Kandy; Rt. Rev. Dr. Harold Anthony Perera, Bishop of Kurunegala; Rt. Rev. Dr. Norbert M. Andradi OMI, Bishop of Anuradhapura; Rt. Rev. Dr. D. Valence Mendis, Bishop of Chilaw; Rt. Rev. Dr. Raymond K. Wickramasinghe, Bishop of Galle; Rt. Rev. Dr. Cletus Perera OSB, Bishop of Ratnapura; Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Ponniah, Bishop of Batticaloa; Rt. Rev. Dr. F.L. Emmanuel Fernando, Bishop of Mannar; Rt. Rev. Dr. Noel C. Emmanuel, Bishop of Trincomalee; Rt. Rev. Dr. Maxwell G. Silva, Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo; and Rt. Rev. Dr. P. Anton Ranjith, Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo. 

The full statement is as follows:

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Sri Lanka [CBCSL] in an extraordinary meeting held on 9 March 2021, closely assessed the present situation of the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bomb attack on 21 April 2019. Almost two years have lapsed and the affected people are still longing for justice. The CBCSL along with His Eminence the Archbishop of Colombo, has studied the Commission of Inquiry (COI) Report. We welcome the findings of this report and the specific recommendations that have been made. We urge the Government to take immediate action in the implementation of these recommendations and as a matter of priority with regard to those individuals against whom criminal charges have been levelled. We therefore appeal that the Attorney General be given full power and the freedom to prosecute immediately the perpetrators, those who aided and abetted in this dastardly terrorist act and those who were found to be negligent in carrying out their duties. We urge that the judicial mechanism to do that be set in motion with immediate effect.

We have been made to understand that 22 sensitive documents have been withheld from the Attorney General and we feel that these documents should be given to him as soon as possible.  We are all awaiting the immediate and transparent process of justice which is to be carried out with a sense of urgency. In the name of truth and justice and for the sake of peace and security of all people in our dear country, we urge all concerned to act without delay on this crucial matter. We wish to reiterate that justice delayed is justice denied.