Failure to prevent Easter carnage:

by Shamindra Ferdinando

The SLPP-UNP government owes an explanation as to why action hasn’t been instituted against 15 persons, including former President Maithripala Sirisena and Yahapalana Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is incumbent President, for their failure to prevent the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide attacks, says Eksath Janaraja Peramuna (EJP) leader Patali Champika Ranawaka.

Pointing out that their failure to avert the attacks had been as serious as the conspiracy itself, former Minister Ranawaka alleged that the current dispensation was making an attempt to prevent the Opposition from raising the issue. Senior DIG Nilantha Jayewardena, who served as the Director of State Intelligence Service (SIS) at the time of the Easter Sunday attacks, was among 15 found to have neglected their responsibilities.

Ranawaka said so referring to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) recording a statement from him in terms of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) connected with a recent warning he issued regarding possible violent incidents in the run-up to the presidential polls.

Responding to The Island queries, MP Ranawaka said that the government should address the concerns of those doubtful about transparency of the Easter Sunday investigations. Unfortunately, the government seemed hell-bent on suppressing the Opposition. MP Ranawaka said that the incumbent government should explain what it did since the UPFA elected Ranil Wickremesinghe as the eighth executive President in late July 2022 to complete the remainder of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s five-year term.

Having entered Parliament on the SJB ticket at the last parliamentary poll conducted in August 2020, the one-time Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) stalwart registered EJP as a political party with the Election Commission (EC).

MP Ranawaka said that in spite of specific recommendations in respect of 15 persons, regarding the negligence on their part to varying degrees, so far absolutely no action was taken against the persons mentioned.

Referring to Maithripala Sirisena, MP, who has been twice questioned by the CID recently following his declaration that he knew the Easter Sunday masterminds, MP Ranawsaka said that those handling the investigations, at different levels, couldn’t ignore the former President’s claims. MP Ranawaka stressed that those responsible for the Easter Sunday attacks here had been in touch with certain destructive Tamil Nadu based elements, allegedly involved in the ISIS-inspired car bomb blast, in Coimbatore, in 2022.

The Indian media reported investigations into that blast exposed those who had been responsible eulogized Zahran Hashim, one of the suicide bombers in Easter Sunday attacks, MP Ranawaka said. The ex-Minister questioned whether the government was genuine in its efforts to ascertain the truth or just sought to protect the masterminds, if any, and those who allowed the attacks to happen as a result of sheer negligence,

Ranawaka served the Yahapalana Cabinet at the time a breakaway faction of the National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) mounted the Easter Sunday attacks.

Those who wielded political power between 2010 and 2015 facilitated the sordid operations undertaken by the NTJ, MP Ranawaka alleged, while pointing out that the powers that be used the group to suppress dissent among the Muslim community. Unfortunately, in spite of the change of government, following the 2015 presidential election, the new administration obviously failed to take tangible measures to rein in extremist Muslim groups.

Reiterating that intelligence services should be depoliticised, the Colombo District MP alleged that in addition to promoting and encouraging extremism among Muslims, the Rajapaksa government had created two major security issues. The EPJ leader found fault with the Rajapaksa government for releasing Kumaran Pathmanathan aka ‘KP’ and many other members of the LTTE without subjecting them to legal proceedings and the use of a selected group of Buddhist monks to cause mayhem.

Ranawaka was in Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Cabinet during that period (2010-2014). He switched his allegiance to the Wickremesinghe-Sirisena alliance in late 2014 and secured a key Cabinet portfolio in the Yahapalana government.

MP Ranawaka also questioned the conduct of Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, alleging that the latter abused ministerial powers.The EPJ leader warned that Easter Sunday would be a major issue at the presidential elections scheduled for later this year.