Cardinal calls for justice and accountability for Easter Sunday attack victims

•  A year on, honours those who lost lives or were injured
• Praises those affected for not resorting to communal violence
• Thanks everyone, including foreign countries, for support and understanding
•  Calls for accountability, says confident of current PCoI bringing those responsible to book
• Says aggrieved that even one year later perpetrators have not been brought to justice 
• Thankful for support from Buddhist clergy during difficult aftermath
• Expresses gratitude to the Pope
• Includes foreigners who lost their lives in remembrance

Marking one year since the Easter Sunday attacks, Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday said he was aggrieved that those responsible for governance at that time did not take the repeated warnings seriously but affirmed confidence in the Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to investigate the incident. The attacks took place on 21 April 2019 and killed over 250 people and injured over 500 people. The attacks were carried out at the Shrine of St. Anthony’s Church, Colombo; St. Sebastian’s Church, Negombo; Zion Church, Batticaloa; as well as the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Kingsbury Hotel, and Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo.

Marking a year since the attacks, and releasing a message broadcast via electronic media, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said, “We are grateful to those friendly nations that generously shared their intelligence information prior to the attacks, on several occasions, which our political leaders unfortunately did not take seriously.” He added that, by ignoring the warnings, those responsible for governance not only “only allowed this massacre to take place” but also sought to hide their culpability in different ways after the attack.

“Still more serious is the responsibility of all those who masterminded these attacks, by planning, funding, and encouraging the perpetrators, and deliberately covering up the facts of the case,” he said, adding that some of them surely knew this was coming. However, he expressed confidence in the Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to investigate the attacks, and said he was hopeful that they will be able to ascertain who orchestrated the attacks, as well as who shirked their responsibility to prevent them when they knew about it.

He went on to thank the incumbent President for his insistence on investigating the attacks thoroughly and ensuring those who are responsible are brought to book. “We are indeed sad and shocked to hear that some educated and elitist people, some of whom are connected to the legal profession, are trying to bring pressure on the President to cover up these investigations and possibly hide the authors,” he added.

The Archbishop of Colombo further added, “What are human rights when they try to use such to cover up the perpetrators and associates of those who violated the basic right to life of so many innocent human beings – men, women and children?” Cardinal Ranjith also thanked international media for reporting true facts to the international community, as well as foreign Missions, particularly the High Commissions and Embassies of all the Islamic republics, for their prompt visits to convey solidarity after the attacks.

He also thanked countries that showed solidarity in various ways, for instance, the lighting up of Burj Khalifa in Dubai in the colours of the Sri Lankan flag, as well as the switching off of lights of the Eiffel Tower, and contributions to the relief fund established to help victims of the attack.

“I wish to extend our grateful thanks to His Holiness Pope Francis who, when he heard about it, from the first moment issued messages of condolences and solidarity with us. He sent his envoy to Sri Lanka to express his closeness to us. We also thank him for making a generous contribution towards the needs of these people,” Cardinal Ranjith added.

He went on to pay a special compliment to the Buddhist clergy for showing solidarity and closeness, and “even went to the extent of visiting some of our churches, and even helping to clean up those churches which had been badly damaged.”

He also spoke about the solidarity within the country, saying, “Those who perpetrated this heinous act wanted racial and religious riots in this country. And by our patience, by working together as brothers and sisters of one country, we prevented that serious situation.” He explained that all those who were affected, whether by the loss of lives, injuries, or suffering, could have reacted in the days following the attacks, as it was a serious provocation against peace and harmony of the country, but instead did their best in being patient.

“We honour all those who lost their lives, those who were seriously injured, and all those who lost their loved ones. Families that have been broken up. Those who are suffering. Because, with a lot of resolve, they decided to be magnanimous on that occasion,” he added.

The Archbishop of Colombo also recalled the 42 foreigners who lost their lives, saying they visited the country because it is a peaceful and friendly country, and that he hoped the attack will not deter other travellers to return to Sri Lanka as soon as possible.

He ended the message on a somewhat positive note, mentioning that Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen and his wife, who lost three of their four children, had had twin daughters last month. “This indeed is a new beginning for them, and a new hope for all of us that life is precious, and we need to be responsible and live in harmony with one another,” Cardinal Ranjith said. He added, “I end with the words of our Lord Jesus: ‘Love one another as I have loved you’ and ‘do unto others as you would have them do to you’.”