Divine justice would not suffice 

Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith led Catholic bishops, priests and nuns on to the streets last Saturday amidst escalating public protests against the Government. The once staunch ally of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Cardinal Ranjith addressing the protesters proclaimed, “Easter attacks conspirators can do whatever they want to secure power, but they cannot protect that power,” in a direct indictment of the ruling regime of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Even though there is no evidence to directly link President Rajapaksa to the crime, there is no doubt that he was the biggest beneficiary of the atrocity. Within a week of the attacks that killed over 260 innocent civilians, the former secretary of defence announced his candidacy for president. The whole campaign of candidate Rajapaksa was divisive, ethno-nationalist and based on a fear psychosis of a threat to national security in the wake of Easter attacks. One of the pivotal pillars of the mandate received by President Rajapaksa was to bring the perpetrators of that crime to justice. 

Having been elected on a national security and law and order ticket, after two and a half years in office President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has delivered neither. Despite numerous commissions of inquiry, investigations by law enforcement authorities and a few indictments, no one, directly responsible for the crime or those who were criminally negligent have yet been held accountable in a court of law over the Easter terror attacks.  Further concerning is the increasing revelations that State actors were directly involved in the atrocity. Former Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Director SSP (Rtd) Shani Abeysekera filed a petition in the Supreme Court in February, seeking to prevent his arrest in connection with a set of fresh charges that claim he failed to prevent the Easter Sunday attacks. In his fundamental rights petition to the Supreme Court, SSP Abeysekera makes chilling revelations that directly imply links between the Easter Sunday bombers and several state intelligence agencies. He also claims that there was serious interference by these agencies into the CID investigations into the terrorist group that orchestrated the crime in the lead up to the Easter attacks. The Cardinal is not mincing his words when he refers to the ‘Easter Sunday conspirators’ who used the heinous act to obtain power. The same perpetrators are accused of other crimes such as the killing of editor Lasantha Wickrematunge and the disappearance of journalist Pradeep Eknaligoda. Last week both these journalists were remembered by their families and loved ones on their birthdays, Lasantha on 5 April and Prageeth on 9 April. Ahimsa Wickrematunga said in a message: “You are always on my mind. Last night I looked at photos of us when we were once a happy family and cried my eyes out willing to give up anything to have you back. I take comfort in knowing you can’t see the state of Sri Lanka today. Happy Birthday to the greatest dad. I miss you so much.” Eknaligoda’s wife, Sandya tweeted: “Today is Prageeth’s 63rd birthday. Always with Prageeth..”

These personal messages for the slain and disappeared journalists during the previous Rajapaksa administration add on to the laments of the relatives of the Easter Sunday victims and the countless victims of violence that have been either orchestrated by the Sri Lankan State, covered up or provided with immunity to the perpetrators. They are reminders of the continuous failures at multiple levels to deliver justice for victims. In desperation, frustration and hopelessness people may seek divine justice for such cries.  The Cardinal reminding God’s justice or Sandya Eknaligoda performing a pooja to seek divine retribution for the perpetrators of the crime against her husband are a reflection of the abysmal failure of the criminal justice system in Sri Lanka to deliver justice for crimes committed against its citizens. 

Not only those who ordered, committed and covered up these heinous crimes but all those who enabled them to get away, from the police who did not investigate, the prosecutors who did not prosecute and the judges who did not deliver justice, should be held responsible. Leaving all of them to receive divine justice would not suffice.