On the fourth anniversary of the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks, His Eminence, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo, led a commemoration service at the St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade, Sri Lanka. During his speech, he called for justice for the victims of the attacks that claimed the lives of many who had gathered for religious activities and meals at hotels.
Archbishop Ranjith lamented the fact that the current government was protecting those who were responsible for the attacks. He accused both the former and present governments of trying to bury the memories of the attacks and said that there was clear evidence of a political conspiracy behind the incident.
The Archbishop pointed out that former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Chief, Nilantha Jayawardena, had failed to prevent the attacks despite having prior information on possible attacks. He further alleged that the government was protecting Jayawardena, who was currently facing charges related to the Easter Sunday attacks.
Archbishop Ranjith also questioned the need for continuous DNA tests to identify Sara Jasmine, the wife of the Katuwapitiya church bomber, among those killed in the Sainthamarudu blast. He stated that previous DNA tests had revealed that Jasmine was not among those killed in the blast.
The Archbishop’s speech suggested that the true mastermind behind the attacks was still attempting to cover up their links to the incident. He called on the government to ensure that justice was served and that the victims of the attacks received the closure they deserved.
The Easter Sunday terror attacks, which took place on April 21, 2019, claimed the lives of 269 people and injured more than 500. The attacks were carried out by a local extremist group affiliated with the Islamic State (IS).
