Card Ranjith calls on the ICC to investigates the Easter attacks
Posted on February 12th, 2021
by Melani Manel Perera Courtesy AsiaNews.it
In case the local justice fails, the prelate wants the International Criminal Court in The Hague to intervene. The Sri Lankan government is already under UN pressure over its handling of the conflict with Tamil separatists. Victims’ families back the cardinal’s initiative.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – Card Malcolm Ranjith yesterday called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.
On 21 April two years ago, suicide bombers targeted three churches – two Catholic and one Protestant – and three hotels in different parts of the country. The blasts killed 280 people, including 45 foreigners, and wounded almost 600.
The responsibility for the attacks has not yet been determined. Then President Maithripala Sirisena first blamed Islamic extremists, then international drug traffickers trying to retaliate against his government for its actions against the drug trade.
The only thing that is certain is that the authorities had intelligence information before the attacks, but ignored it.
The findings from the official government investigation were handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on 1 February.
Card Ranjith, who has not yet seen the document, has called for the International Criminal Court to intervene should the local justice system fail. The families of the victims,” he says, want the truth.”
The Archbishop of Colombo believes that the authorities will do everything possible to avoid the involvement of international justice, noting that the government is already in the crosshair of the UN Human Rights Council over its actions during the civil war with Tamil separatists.
The families affected by the tragedy support the prelate’s initiative. This is crucial if we do not get justice from our authorities,” Geetha Appuhamy told AsiaNews.
A Katuwapitiya resident, the mother of three lost her husband in the 2019 attacks and faces serious economic problems. If our loved ones were still alive, our life would be happy; instead, we have to bear the burden of their loss,” she said.
The victims’ families suspect the government is trying to hide the investigation’s findings, so they want an international court to intervene.
Eva Antoinette lost a sister, a granddaughter and a brother-in-law in the attacks. She wants the culprits found and punished. Like Geetha, Eva explains that only God’s love can make her live with the pain and trauma caused by the Easter Sunday tragedy.
February 12th, 2021 at 8:03 pm
The reason for attacks on the Churches is definitely tied to the Attacks on Mosques in New Zealand and for the Christian and Islamic nations conflicts in the Middle East -Al Qaeda & ISIL conflicts which are themselves Zionist and American constructs.
It is up to the President to see that the prepetrators of the Easter Sunday Attacks are duely apprehended and punished. The punishments given should be according to the law of the land. It is definitely not up to the Cardinal to take the law into his own hands. If the President hands over the Commission Report to the Cardinal, he will take control over the process and the President will be held hostage by the Cardinal and the Catholic Church there onwards!
Who assassinated President John F Kennedy is still a mystery. All the secrets of the Easter Sunday attacks may not be found. However we are sure there are many who will be held liable for the attack as well as for dereliction of duty and for criminal negligence.
There are should not be double standards in Sri Lanka – one law for one segement of society and special laws for others – be they the Catholci Church or the Muslims.
On the otherhand, Islamists are going on a war-footing to capture land and power in Sri Lanka. The capture of thousands of swords in the aftermath of the attacks show what they were getting ready for. The Islamic Terrorism should not be swept under the carpet for political convenience!
February 12th, 2021 at 8:04 pm
God must be held responsible for not taking timely action to prevent the attacks. We definitely did not see God’s Love here!
February 13th, 2021 at 8:47 am
I don’t blame the Cardinal for his anger and frustration. We should never forget the fact that it was him who kept the peace after the bombing, by appealing to masses not to attack Muslims.
But I hope he will think twice before going to ICC. The last thing SL needs is another black mark in the international stage. It will be like throwing red meat to anti-SL forces, especially pro-LTTE Diaspora, which will go to town with it.
I blame GOSL, and its leaders for dragging their feet with this case because they don’t want public to know the key politicians who are behind this heinous crime.
No one can trust the government leaders and the judicial system to solve these crimes fairly, or bring the criminals to justice. Unfortunately, this is the reality in SL today.
They want to keep everything secretive, and silence the voices asking for justice, which includes Cardinal, and the families that lost their loved ones.