Demanding justice is not a crime

Father Cyril Gamini Fernando of the Colombo Archdiocese has petitioned the Supreme Court for a stay order on any attempts to arrest him. The unprecedented petition cites the Head of the State Intelligence Service, the CID, the IGP and other law enforcement officials as respondents in the lawsuit.

Father Cyril Gamini was summoned to the CID last week for an interrogation regarding the questions he raised about the Easter Sunday attacks during a webinar on 24 October. By 3 November, the Catholic priest, a close associate of Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith was summoned to the CID to provide a statement. The summons followed a complained lodged with the CID by the Director of the SIS, Major General Suresh Sallay. The Major General is accusing Father Gamini of defaming him during the webinar. The clergyman is further accused of prejudicing national security and inciting hatred among communities. The complaint appears tailored to ensure the Catholic priest could face arrest under Sri Lanka’s draconian anti-terror legislation.

When Father Cyril Gamini addressed an online meeting organised by a group called the ‘Global Forum for Justice for Victims of Easter Sunday,’ he was seated next to the Cardinal himself. Responding to a question regarding the National Thoweed Jamath (NTJ), the main terrorist organisation behind the Easter Sunday attacks, Fr. Fernando noted that this group and its leader Zaharan Hashim had been operating in the Eastern Province since at least 2009. The Catholic priest asked how it had been possible for such a group to operate without the State intelligence services, police and security forces being unaware of its existence.    

Not only is this a pertinent question but something that demands explanation particularly in the wake of certain information in the public domain that NTJ and Zaharan Hashim himself were once used as spies by the military intelligence. The fact that the extremist preacher had a free hand in the east at least until the attack on the Sufi meeting in 2017 suggests that the NTJ did have some degree of State patronage. In fact, several high-ranking cabinet members in the current Government have admitted as much. These burning questions are exacerbated by further reports that at least one suicide bomber called an individual allegedly linked to the military intelligence just before detonating himself, as was revealed before the Presidential Commission on the Easter Sunday attacks.

Sri Lankans deserve to know the truth about the Easter Sunday terror attacks that killed 260 fellow citizens. The Government that was swept to power on the wings of that massacre has abandoned its pledge to bring the perpetrators to justice long enough. The Catholic Church, whose flock were the majority of those killed in April 2019, have a deep interest in getting to the bottom of the matter. In this cause, the Church is proving indefatigable and unstoppable. In its crusade, the Sri Lankan Catholic Church has found solidarity and support even from the Vatican. 

Attempts to silence those asking uncomfortable questions must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Frustration is palpable because the processes concerning the investigations into this incident have been shrouded in secrecy and intrigue. The latest attempts to silence and intimidate Father Cyril Gamini only increase the sense that the Government has something to hide. At the very least, the Government could put the Easter Sunday attacks commission report in the public domain, and hand over the remaining volumes of the report to the Catholic Church for perusal. Former Attorney General Dappula De Livera, who did receive all six volumes of the report, made s startling proclamation shortly before he retired, that there was a “grand conspiracy” behind the Easter attacks. But the AG’s Department has taken the matter no further. 

As the primary political beneficiary of the tragedy, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is well served by allowing the whole truth to be disclosed. In the meantime, all attempts to intimidate and silence those who are demanding answers and justice should not only be condemned but defeated.