{"id":87878,"date":"2019-04-28T16:52:32","date_gmt":"2019-04-28T23:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=87878"},"modified":"2019-04-28T16:52:32","modified_gmt":"2019-04-28T23:52:32","slug":"easter-blasts-and-its-aftermath-part-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2019\/04\/28\/easter-blasts-and-its-aftermath-part-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"Easter blasts and its Aftermath \u2013 Part II"},"content":{"rendered":"

By ; A.A.M.NIZAM \u2013 MATARA<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

His highness Cardinal Dr. Malcolm Ranjith who is very much saddened\nabout the carnage that struck the Christian community on the Easter Sunday held\na meeting with diplomats from Islamic countries resident in Colombo on Friday\n26th<\/sup> April and blamed the powerful western countries for\nimplementing a vicious, abhorrent and inhuman programme to create divisions\namong communities for the sake of marketing their arms and ammunition.  H.H.Cardinal also stated that he has\ninstructed all priests to refrain from holding Church Sermons until the\nsituation returns to normal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile peace and inter religious\nharmony loving patriotic Muslim organizations have held a meeting in Colombo on\n27th<\/sup> April and have issued a statement titled \u2018We are ashamed at the barbarism perpetrated in the name of Islam – a\nreligion of peace and tolerance\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The message (only an extract of the long message given below) states\nthat the leaders and members of civil society, Islamic and Muslim Associations\nand Movements, are horrified by the events of Easter Sunday, which resulted in\nkillings, destruction and attack on innocent lives and they express their\ndeepest sympathies and sorrow and condemn in the strongest terms the incidents,\nwhich were against all human and Islamic norms and it is grounded in the Noble\nLaws of Islam, which forbid all forms of violence and aggression..The message\nstates that their hearts are profoundly troubled as they contend with the\naftermath of this horrific act of violence and terror. They also state that\nthey<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 are ashamed at the barbarism\nperpetrated in the name of Islam, which is a religion of peace and tolerance\nand they express unity with the victims\u2019 relatives and have called upon the\nauthorities to immediately apprehend the true perpetrators of these crimes, as\nwell as those who aid and abet them through incitement, financing or other\nsupport and urge tat they must be brought to justice in a court of law and\npunished appropriately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Representatives of All\nCeylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, National Shoora Council, Muslim Council of Sri Lanka,\nMemon Association of Sri Lanka, Dawoodi Bohra Community Sri Lanka Muslim Media\nForum, Sri Lanka Jama\u2019athe Islami, Lanka Minaret, Quadiriyathun Nabaviyyah\nThareeqah, Nabaviyyah Islamic Youth Organisation, Sri Lanka Muslim Womens\u2019\nConference, Muslim Ladies Study Circle, Young Muslim Women\u2019s League, and All\nCeylon Union of Muslim Youth League Front have participated in this\nmeeting.However it is shameful to find that none of dollar voracious political\nvultures who sustain by selling the Muslim community for their personal and\npolitical benefits has not attended this meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now let us focus\nattention on political aspects related to this abhorrent carnage which incidentally\namounts the largest terrorist attack in this country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prime Minister\nRanil Wickremasinghe who was missing for two days following this attack,\nsimilar to his uncle JR who was missing for 5 days following UNP program of\nBlack July in 1983 ,  has expressed regrets over the\ngovernment\u2019s failure to prevent the Easter Sunday a and said that as Prime\nMinister, he shares in the collective responsibility and express his  sincere regret to the people of the country for\nthe Government\u2019s lapse. He has said d that it is not enough to simply apologise\nand have to make sure these mistakes will never be repeated in the future and we\nmust take measures to prevent such systemic failures, and commit ourselves to\nsafeguard all human life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a tweet\nmessage he has said that everyone in the government takes collective\nresponsibility for the failure to protect victims of tragic events. Despite CNN\nand a number of Indian news services reproof about the ring sent by the Deputy\nInspector General of Police Priyalal Dissanayake on 4th<\/sup> April,\nalmost two weeks prior to the Easter attack he has denied receiving this\nwarning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranil Wickremasinghe\nis very much notorious among the people for his penchant qualities of denying\nfacts, inventing illusory and imaginary stories and lies, distorting matters,\nmaking false promises, and for his untrustworthy qualities. People say that\nthis denial is also one of his attempt to fool the people and evade\nresponsibility.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Critics question if\nthat was so, how the Ministers and the government\u2019s Christian MPs refrained\nfrom attending Mass on the Easter Sunday which is the 3rd<\/sup> most important\nevent in the Christian calendar.  They\nparticularly ask about  foul mouthed\nMinister, John Ameratuga, the Minister of Christian Affairs, who is a staunch\nCatholic who frequently visits Bethlehem attend audience of His Eminence Pope\nat Vatican City. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Utterly disregarding and without any concern for the death of innocent\npeople and those injured in the carnage he has proposed measures to open the\ndoors of the country for foreign spies and allow them to gain access to\nstrategic secrets of the country. He has said that this terror cannot be fought\nalone by us at a national level and the planning and training could be done in\na foreign country.  It is shameless to\nfind this Anglophile Suddha puppet making utterances belittling the talents,\ndevotion and determination of our heroic war heroes.  Was he in a limbo when our Naval officers ed\nto international maritime territory near Indonesia and destroyed LTTE\u2019s weapons\nstorage vessels, when our Air Force personnel carried out precise bombing of\nTamilselvan\u2019s hideout and child soldier training camp Sen Cholai and when or\nintelligence operators went to Malaysia to apprehend KP and bring him back to\nSri Lane. Canhe cite any example of such achievements by his Suddha forces.\nOnly example that reminds us in the post World War II era is the Entebbe\nAirport raid by Israeli forces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another matter he has stated about is that our existing laws are\ninsufficient to deal with the extraordinary situation we are faced with and we\nare to efficiently combat global terrorism, we have to enact laws that deal\nseverely with academic institutions that impart extremist  views. If that is so why you are making all\nattempts to repeal the existing powerful PTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) and\nattempting to introduce a toothless law called Counter Terrorism Act on the\ninsistence of your Suddha uncles, the diaspora, terrorist TNA and the cesspool\nUNHRC?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are so hateful and antipathy to Sri Lanka why don\u2019t you with your\nButterfly acolytes and your childhood playmate that opld Hag anf go and settle\ndown in your Sudda uncle\u2019s laqnd allow we Sri Lankans to live peacefully\nmanaging our own affairs suitably?.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Maithripala Sirisena has charged that the responsibility of\nthe Easter Sunday carnage should be borne by all sections of the government\nthat weakened the security forces and intelligence services by putting\nintelligence officers behind bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing the media at the President\u2019s House, he said that the Defence\nSecretary and the Inspector General of Police should accept the responsibility\nof dereliction of duty which led to the disaster that took place on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that the Human Rights \u2018uncles\u2019 (bappala) who were making a big\nnoise could not be even found after the incident happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The President further said that the problems between him and the\ngovernment aggravated about two years ago after he protested within and outside\nthe government against the weakening of intelligence services and unnecessarily\narresting security services personnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said at that time the \u2018Human Rights uncles\u2019 (Manawa Himikan Bappala)\nwere saying that the law should be applied to everyone in the country equally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The President said that what he was against was not about applying the\nlaw equally but about weakening the intelligence services and security forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that under these circumstances many intelligence officers and\nexperts left the country during the past few years. He added some of them were\nput to Sri Lankan missions in foreign countries by him due to this harassment\nthey had to undergo. The President said that the other sections of the\ngovernment insisted that they could not continue to keep these officers in\nthose posts.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The President said that he has the fullest confidence that the law and\norder machinery has all the required capabilities to meet the challenge of\nterrorism and bring back peace and normalcy very soon since major search\noperation has been undertaken. Every household in the country will be checked\nand lists of permanent residents of every house will be established to ensure\nno unknown persons could live anywhere. \nHe pointed out that during the fight against LTTE terrorism, similar\nmethods were adapted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The President acknowledged that there was a serious lapse on the part of\nDefence Secretary and Inspector General of Police (IGP), who failed to inform\nhim about the intelligence agency letter from a friendly foreign country sent\non April 4, warning about a possible attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The letter warned of possible attacks on churches, places of public\ngatherings and VIPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IGP has sent that letter to Staff DIG and it was sent from table to\ntable and finally it was forwarded to DIG Dissanayake of VIP Security, who, in\nturn, forwarded it to officers in-charge of security of VIPs protection. I was\nnot informed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that both, Defence Secretary and IGP came to wish me on New Year\nDay (April 14) and they did not say a word about this warning letter. It was a\nserious lapse on their part and shirk of responsibility,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that the letter kept on going from one place to another with\nminutes being put and he was not informed about it. The President added that\nwhile in Singapore a friend who was with him had shown the letter that was\ncirculating in social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The President said that he asked the Defence Secretary and the IGP to\ntender resignations immediately and they agreed to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that an appropriate process will be implemented while\ncompletely reorganizing the security services including State Intelligence\nService and Intelligence Units of the Police and Tri-forces, to prevent\nrecurrence of these kinds of terrorist activities.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Referring to the current operations, raids and arrests of suspects, he\npraised the law enforcement and intelligence services for their efficiency and\ndedication in responding to this situation. The government has already been\nable to crack down on many criminals, suspects and those responsible for the\nrecent attacks and many arrests have taken place. Therefore, I truly believe\nthat we can avoid a repetition of such gruesome acts of violence in the\nfuture,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have already planned necessary actions to build an environment where\nthe people of this country could live freely and without fear in the future,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

We had to declare an Emergency situation to suppress terrorists and\nensure a peaceful environment in the country. What have been enacted by gazette\nare clauses pertaining to suppressing terrorism only. If these enactments were\nnot made, the powers prevailed were not sufficient for Police to take proactive\nmeasures and the Army, Navy and Air Force could not take part actively in the\noperations,\u201d he said.s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The President said There is a nexus between international terrorism and\ninternational drug trade. Furthermore, I got staunch support for anti-drugs\ncampaign from His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, who joined us at Anti-Drug\nWalks. Perhaps the terrorist hastened the attacks on churches for these reasons\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked about proscribing the Islamic militant groups responsible for\nterror attacks, the President said that can be done under the emergency laws,\nbut the ban would end, when the emergency is lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have asked to draft a new legislation for proscribing these\norganizations and we are studying such laws enacted in Singapore, Australia and\nother countries\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The President recalled that when the LTTE terrorism broke out in early\n80s, most Sinhala and Muslim people used to look at Tamils as if all of them\nwere terrorists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, people quickly learned about the LTTE and the fact that not all\nTamils were terrorists, and that laid the foundation for the nation to unite\nfor peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I request from Sinhala and Tamil people not to look at our country\u2019s Muslim\ncommunity with suspicion, fear or distrust. You must keep in mind that not all\nMuslims are terrorists. It is only a very small minority who are linked to such\na barbaric terrorist organization,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is very important therefore, that peace and harmony among Sinhala,\nMuslim and Tamil communities prevail. It is important for us to foster trust\namong us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He emphasized the importance of everybody joining together despite\ndifferences for the task of protecting the national security, However the patriotic,\ncivil. Professional and religious orgaorganizations and the general public\nfaulted the President for failing todismiss the Ranil Wickremasinghe government\nat least on the 22nd<\/sup> night itself and handover the country to a\ncaretaker government comprising a panel of secvurity service and judicial\nofficers yorun the country until the people a new government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(To be copntinued)  .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By ; A.A.M.NIZAM \u2013 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 26th April and blamed the powerful western countries for implementing a vicious, abhorrent and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aamnizam"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87878"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87878\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}