Archbishop says Easter Sunday attacks not purely work of Islamic extremists but part of grand political plot

• Makes claim in statement to UNHRC
• Says investigations indicate the massacre part of a grand political plot
• Faults Govt. over failure to mete out justice to victims
• Calls on UNHRC and all its member countries to support the continuation of evidence gathering initiated last year

Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith told the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) yesterday that the Easter Sunday bomb attacks were not purely the work of Islamic extremists but part of a grand political plot.

“The first impression of this massacre was that it was purely the work of a few Islamic extremists. However, subsequent investigations indicate that this massacre was part of a grand political plot,” the Cardinal said in a statement to the 49th Session of the UNHRC.

Here is the full text of his statement:

“Your Excellency, dear Ladies and Gentlemen, the Easter Sunday Suicide Bomb Attacks in Sri Lanka on 21 April 2019, claimed the lives of 269 including 82 children and 47 foreign nationals belonging to 14 nations and injured more than 500 others.

The first impression of this massacre was that it was purely the work of a few Islamic extremists. However, subsequent investigations indicate that this massacre was part of a grand political plot.

Despite our repeated requests and those of civil organisations pursuing the truth, the incumbent government of Sri Lanka has failed to mete out justice to the victims. Instead of uncovering the truth behind the attack and prosecuting those responsible, there are attempts to harass and intimidate those who clamour for justice.

As a result, nearly three years after the horrendous crime, we are still in the dark as to what really happened on that Easter Sunday.

As this is a case of a serious violation of the fundamental rights of the aggrieved victims, we earnestly call upon the UNHRC and all its member countries to support the continuation of evidence gathering initiated by the Council last year and to devise a means to ensure an investigation to unravel the truth behind the Easter Sunday massacre.”