Let justice and accountability begin with Easter Sunday

Last week, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake assured that the investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks will be expedited, and steps will be taken to ensure that such a tragedy never occurs again in the country. These assurances for justice were made during a visit to a church. 

The Easter Sunday attacks have become a political football for years, with many a leader promising justice for the victims but failing to deliver on that promise. Even though more than five years have passed since the devastating attacks on 21 April 2019 killing 279 civilians, to date, not a single individual who perpetrated the crime or those who ought to have prevented the crime have been held accountable. The only marginal victory marked in this long road for justice is the Supreme Court ordering former president Maithripala Sirisena to pay Rs. 100 million as compensation for the victims of the tragedy.

Yet, President Dissanayake acknowledged that one of the key factors influencing the people’s decision in the last Presidential election was their hope for justice concerning the Easter Sunday attacks. He said that the aspirations of the citizens align with his own, assuring that his goal is to deliver the justice the people seek concerning the Easter Sunday attack.

This statement comes during the week Sri Lanka’s powerful spy chief, implicated in the Easter Sunday attacks was sacked by President Dissanayake. Major General Suresh Salley, the head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS), was dismissed after he refused to resign following the takeover by the new administration two weeks ago. He was appointed to the post by former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa as soon as the latter assumed office in 2019. Rajapaksa’s successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe, retained General Sallay as the head of the SIS even after damning accusations of his involvement in the Easter Sunday attacks.

Last year, the UK broadcaster, Channel 4, made startling revelations that Sallay was connected to the bombings. A whistle-blower claimed that he arranged a meeting between several of the suicide bombers and Major General Suresh Sallay. The whistle-blower also claims that Sallay called him on the day of the bombings and instructed him to go to the Taj Samudra Hotel to meet an individual. It was the suicide bomber tasked to blow himself up at the Taj who didn’t detonate his bomb but later killed himself at a lodge in Dehiwela. 

Former director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Shani Abeysekera and Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Ravi Seneviratne who was in charge of the CID are on record stating that military intelligence apparatus had intentionally derailed investigations into the killings of two policemen by the terrorists who carried out the Easter attacks, which could have prevented the devastating incident. Even after the attacks the military intelligence units had on numerous occasions interfered in the police investigations and prevented questioning of key figures.

President Dissanayake has an opportunity to demonstrate that he is indeed a leader of the people who will deliver on the promise of justice for the Easter Sunday attacks. Sacking Sallay is just the first step in this process. The police should carry out a comprehensive investigation without fear or favour and prosecute all those who were responsible for this heinous action. If the President can keep his word and bring the culprits of the Easter attacks to justice it may just be the beginning of the end for the deep state and the military apparatus which has carried out countless crimes against the citizens of this country for the last 53 years.