By ; A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA

His highness Cardinal Dr. Malcolm Ranjith who is very much saddened about the carnage that struck the Christian community on the Easter Sunday held a meeting with diplomats from Islamic countries resident in Colombo on Friday 26^th April and blamed the powerful western countries for implementing a vicious, abhorrent and inhuman programme to create divisions among communities for the sake of marketing their arms and ammunition.  H.H.Cardinal also stated that he has instructed all priests to refrain from holding Church Sermons until the situation returns to normal

Meanwhile peace and inter religious harmony loving patriotic Muslim organizations have held a meeting in Colombo on 27^th April and have issued a statement titled ‘We are ashamed at the barbarism perpetrated in the name of Islam – a religion of peace and tolerance’

The message (only an extract of the long message given below) states that the leaders and members of civil society, Islamic and Muslim Associations and Movements, are horrified by the events of Easter Sunday, which resulted in killings, destruction and attack on innocent lives and they express their deepest sympathies and sorrow and condemn in the strongest terms the incidents, which were against all human and Islamic norms and it is grounded in the Noble Laws of Islam, which forbid all forms of violence and aggression..The message states that their hearts are profoundly troubled as they contend with the aftermath of this horrific act of violence and terror. They also state that they

 are ashamed at the barbarism perpetrated in the name of Islam, which is a religion of peace and tolerance and they express unity with the victims’ relatives and have called upon the authorities to immediately apprehend the true perpetrators of these crimes, as well as those who aid and abet them through incitement, financing or other support and urge tat they must be brought to justice in a court of law and punished appropriately.

Representatives of All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, National Shoora Council, Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, Memon Association of Sri Lanka, Dawoodi Bohra Community Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum, Sri Lanka Jama’athe Islami, Lanka Minaret, Quadiriyathun Nabaviyyah Thareeqah, Nabaviyyah Islamic Youth Organisation, Sri Lanka Muslim Womens’ Conference, Muslim Ladies Study Circle, Young Muslim Women’s League, and All Ceylon Union of Muslim Youth League Front have participated in this meeting.However it is shameful to find that none of dollar voracious political vultures who sustain by selling the Muslim community for their personal and political benefits has not attended this meeting.

Now let us focus attention on political aspects related to this abhorrent carnage which incidentally amounts the largest terrorist attack in this country.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe who was missing for two days following this attack, similar to his uncle JR who was missing for 5 days following UNP program of Black July in 1983 ,  has expressed regrets over the government’s failure to prevent the Easter Sunday a and said that as Prime Minister, he shares in the collective responsibility and express his  sincere regret to the people of the country for the Government’s lapse. He has said d that it is not enough to simply apologise and have to make sure these mistakes will never be repeated in the future and we must take measures to prevent such systemic failures, and commit ourselves to safeguard all human life.

In a tweet message he has said that everyone in the government takes collective responsibility for the failure to protect victims of tragic events. Despite CNN and a number of Indian news services reproof about the ring sent by the Deputy Inspector General of Police Priyalal Dissanayake on 4^th April, almost two weeks prior to the Easter attack he has denied receiving this warning.

Ranil Wickremasinghe is very much notorious among the people for his penchant qualities of denying facts, inventing illusory and imaginary stories and lies, distorting matters, making false promises, and for his untrustworthy qualities. People say that this denial is also one of his attempt to fool the people and evade responsibility.  

Critics question if that was so, how the Ministers and the government’s Christian MPs refrained from attending Mass on the Easter Sunday which is the 3^rd most important event in the Christian calendar.  They particularly ask about  foul mouthed Minister, John Ameratuga, the Minister of Christian Affairs, who is a staunch Catholic who frequently visits Bethlehem attend audience of His Eminence Pope at Vatican City.

Utterly disregarding and without any concern for the death of innocent people and those injured in the carnage he has proposed measures to open the doors of the country for foreign spies and allow them to gain access to strategic secrets of the country. He has said that this terror cannot be fought alone by us at a national level and the planning and training could be done in a foreign country.  It is shameless to find this Anglophile Suddha puppet making utterances belittling the talents, devotion and determination of our heroic war heroes.  Was he in a limbo when our Naval officers ed to international maritime territory near Indonesia and destroyed LTTE’s weapons storage vessels, when our Air Force personnel carried out precise bombing of Tamilselvan’s hideout and child soldier training camp Sen Cholai and when or intelligence operators went to Malaysia to apprehend KP and bring him back to Sri Lane. Canhe cite any example of such achievements by his Suddha forces. Only example that reminds us in the post World War II era is the Entebbe Airport raid by Israeli forces.

Another matter he has stated about is that our existing laws are insufficient to deal with the extraordinary situation we are faced with and we are to efficiently combat global terrorism, we have to enact laws that deal severely with academic institutions that impart extremist  views. If that is so why you are making all attempts to repeal the existing powerful PTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) and attempting to introduce a toothless law called Counter Terrorism Act on the insistence of your Suddha uncles, the diaspora, terrorist TNA and the cesspool UNHRC?

If you are so hateful and antipathy to Sri Lanka why don’t you with your Butterfly acolytes and your childhood playmate that opld Hag anf go and settle down in your Sudda uncle’s laqnd allow we Sri Lankans to live peacefully managing our own affairs suitably?.

President Maithripala Sirisena has charged that the responsibility of the Easter Sunday carnage should be borne by all sections of the government that weakened the security forces and intelligence services by putting intelligence officers behind bars.

Addressing the media at the President’s House, he said that the Defence Secretary and the Inspector General of Police should accept the responsibility of dereliction of duty which led to the disaster that took place on Sunday.

He noted that the Human Rights ‘uncles’ (bappala) who were making a big noise could not be even found after the incident happened.

The President further said that the problems between him and the government aggravated about two years ago after he protested within and outside the government against the weakening of intelligence services and unnecessarily arresting security services personnel.

He said at that time the ‘Human Rights uncles’ (Manawa Himikan Bappala) were saying that the law should be applied to everyone in the country equally.

The President said that what he was against was not about applying the law equally but about weakening the intelligence services and security forces.

He noted that under these circumstances many intelligence officers and experts left the country during the past few years. He added some of them were put to Sri Lankan missions in foreign countries by him due to this harassment they had to undergo. The President said that the other sections of the government insisted that they could not continue to keep these officers in those posts.  

The President said that he has the fullest confidence that the law and order machinery has all the required capabilities to meet the challenge of terrorism and bring back peace and normalcy very soon since major search operation has been undertaken. Every household in the country will be checked and lists of permanent residents of every house will be established to ensure no unknown persons could live anywhere.  He pointed out that during the fight against LTTE terrorism, similar methods were adapted.

The President acknowledged that there was a serious lapse on the part of Defence Secretary and Inspector General of Police (IGP), who failed to inform him about the intelligence agency letter from a friendly foreign country sent on April 4, warning about a possible attack.

The letter warned of possible attacks on churches, places of public gatherings and VIPs.

The IGP has sent that letter to Staff DIG and it was sent from table to table and finally it was forwarded to DIG Dissanayake of VIP Security, who, in turn, forwarded it to officers in-charge of security of VIPs protection. I was not informed.

He said that both, Defence Secretary and IGP came to wish me on New Year Day (April 14) and they did not say a word about this warning letter. It was a serious lapse on their part and shirk of responsibility,” he said.

He said that the letter kept on going from one place to another with minutes being put and he was not informed about it. The President added that while in Singapore a friend who was with him had shown the letter that was circulating in social media.

The President said that he asked the Defence Secretary and the IGP to tender resignations immediately and they agreed to do so.

He added that an appropriate process will be implemented while completely reorganizing the security services including State Intelligence Service and Intelligence Units of the Police and Tri-forces, to prevent recurrence of these kinds of terrorist activities.  

Referring to the current operations, raids and arrests of suspects, he praised the law enforcement and intelligence services for their efficiency and dedication in responding to this situation. The government has already been able to crack down on many criminals, suspects and those responsible for the recent attacks and many arrests have taken place. Therefore, I truly believe that we can avoid a repetition of such gruesome acts of violence in the future,” he said.

I have already planned necessary actions to build an environment where the people of this country could live freely and without fear in the future,”

Answering a question about the safety of schools and places of worship, the President said that as the Government, it will create a background where the public servants, school children, entrepreneurs and the general public of the country could act liberally in a free and peaceful environment.

We had to declare an Emergency situation to suppress terrorists and ensure a peaceful environment in the country. What have been enacted by gazette are clauses pertaining to suppressing terrorism only. If these enactments were not made, the powers prevailed were not sufficient for Police to take proactive measures and the Army, Navy and Air Force could not take part actively in the operations,” he said.s.

The President said There is a nexus between international terrorism and international drug trade. Furthermore, I got staunch support for anti-drugs campaign from His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, who joined us at Anti-Drug Walks. Perhaps the terrorist hastened the attacks on churches for these reasons”.

Asked about proscribing the Islamic militant groups responsible for terror attacks, the President said that can be done under the emergency laws, but the ban would end, when the emergency is lifted.

I have asked to draft a new legislation for proscribing these organizations and we are studying such laws enacted in Singapore, Australia and other countries”.

The President recalled that when the LTTE terrorism broke out in early 80s, most Sinhala and Muslim people used to look at Tamils as if all of them were terrorists.

However, people quickly learned about the LTTE and the fact that not all Tamils were terrorists, and that laid the foundation for the nation to unite for peace.

I request from Sinhala and Tamil people not to look at our country’s Muslim community with suspicion, fear or distrust. You must keep in mind that not all Muslims are terrorists. It is only a very small minority who are linked to such a barbaric terrorist organization,” he said.

It is very important therefore, that peace and harmony among Sinhala, Muslim and Tamil communities prevail. It is important for us to foster trust among us.”

He emphasized the importance of everybody joining together despite differences for the task of protecting the national security, However the patriotic, civil. Professional and religious orgaorganizations and the general public faulted the President for failing todismiss the Ranil Wickremasinghe government at least on the 22^nd night itself and handover the country to a caretaker government comprising a panel of secvurity service and judicial officers yorun the country until the people a new government.

(To be copntinued)  .