News
Cardinal Ranjith expresses more disappointment with govt. over continuing secrecy related to Easter massacres probe
Over 1,500 pages of vital testimonies not given to Church
Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has said the government did not make available the testimonies of those who appeared before the Presidential Commission on the Easter Sunday attacks. Those testimonies are on six CDs and run into 1,500 pages, the prelate said so while addressing the First Meeting of the Archdiocesan Presbyterian at the Archbishops House Conference Hall on 11 March.
“A team of our lawyers has sifted through the CD’s and found nearly 70,000 pages of evidence. In any case, we have found out that over 1,500 pages are missing in these CD’s, and we cannot open them. These missing pages contain the evidence given by key witnesses such as Hadiya, the wife of Zahran Hashim, and Sarah Jesmin, one of the leading protagonists who associated closely with the terror group.”
Cardinal Ranjith said 2024 marks the fifth anniversary of the Easter Sunday attacks, which cost 273 lives. There is absolute silence and attempts to mislead the public, he added.
The government gave the Catholic Church CDs containing the volumes of the sittings of the Commission of Inquiry into the Easter Sunday attacks.
“A letter was sent to the President by the National Committee for seeking the truth about the Easter attack on 11th October 2023 signed by me, His Lordship Bishop Harold Anthony Perera, the Bishops of Galle and Kandy and the three Auxiliary Bishops of Colombo, and 28 others, including priests and a group of lawyers, calling for a fresh and independent investigation into these attacks, but not even a letter of acknowledgement was sent to us,” he said.
The government continues to ignore these requests while affirming continuously that 99 percent of the investigations on the attacks were complete, the Cardinal said.
“Now they have filed cases against 23 Muslims who were associated with Zahran and his group and are seeking to turn them into scapegoats while not inquiring into all aspects of the case.”
The Cardinal said, “We will organize many initiatives calling upon the authorities to be sensitive to the demand for a full, independent and fair investigation into these attacks. Besides, no inquiry has been conducted, up until now, on new evidence emerging in the case, like the witness evidence given by Azad Moulana, the Personal Secretary of Shivanesathural Chandrakanthan alias Pillaiyan, a powerful Minister in the present government who alleged that the said Pillaiyan was the go between who assisted the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) to approach Zahran and his group.
“He also affirmed that the said group received money through Pillaiyan from the DMI, which was then headed by Suresh Saleh, the present government’s Director of State Intelligence. There were meetings between Suresh Saleh and Zahran, and a lorry load of suspicious materials was released without being checked on the orders of the present IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon at the Gelanigama exit of the Southern Highway. Its destination was the safe house of Zahran Hashim in Walana, Panadura, and the said lorry belonged to the Avant-Garde Security Services, closely connected to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and presumably contained explosives.
“You would ask me why we keep on insisting on this matter so much. Well, the reason for that is our Christian vocation. The Church is, as you know, the Body of Christ, and whenever or wherever in the body pain is experienced, it has to be felt by all.”
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a high-level dialogue titled “Tourism as Soft Power and Diplomatic Capital” held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin Davos, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum on January 20.
The session explored how tourism functions as a strategic instrument of diplomacy by strengthening international trust, cultural exchange, and regional cooperation through mobility and people-to-people engagement. The Prime Minister shared the panel with Mr. Kuban Omiraliyev, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States and Mr. Meshari Alnahar – CEO Aseer Investment Company, Saudi Arabia.
Addressing global trends, the Prime Minister emphasized that Sri Lanka is an example of hope, recovery and resilience in a world of conflict demonstrating how tourism can play a critical role in a changing global environment particularly amid climate shocks, geopolitical instability, and uneven economic recovery. She noted that tourism is not only an economic sector but also a vital diplomatic bridge that supports livelihoods, builds relationships and connects people.
Drawing on Sri Lanka’s recent experience, she highlighted the country’s strong tourism recovery despite multiple crises, including the impact of Cyclone Ditwah. Transparent crisis management and strategic engagement with international partners helped sustain visitor confidence, resulting in record tourist arrivals even in challenging circumstances.
The Prime Minister also underscored the importance of green and climate friendly tourism infrastructure and underlined that Sri Lanka welcomes long term investment in tourism. She pointed out that tourism supports millions of jobs worldwide and that inclusive policies are essential to ensure fair opportunities, particularly for women and vulnerable communities.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
During an operation conducted in the dark hours of 20 Jan 26, the Sri Lanka Navy seized two (02) Indian fishing boats and apprehended seven (07) Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, off Kovilan, Jaffna.
The seized boats and Indian fishermen was to be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Myliddy, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated in a series of high-level bilateral meetings on January 20 on the sidelines of the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.
The Prime Minister attended a productive bilateral meeting with Mr. Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships. During the discussion, both sides focused on strengthening Sri Lanka–EU cooperation and advancing mutual interests.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya also met with Mr. Masato Kanda, President and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), at the WEF Congress Centre. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss ongoing engagement and future collaboration between Sri Lanka and the ADB.
In addition, the Prime Minister held discussions with Mr. Hassan El Houry, Chairman of Menzies Aviation, where opportunities for collaboration in aviation services and connectivity were explored.
The Prime Minister also participated in a high-level dialogue at the Global Tourism Forum held at the Euronews Hub, Piz Buin, Davos, as part of the World Economic Forum engagements.
Dr. Anil Jayantha, Minister of Labour, and the Deputy Minister of Finance were also present at these meetings.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
ICC board votes to replace Bangladesh if they don’t travel to India
Sri Lanka is an example of hope, recovery and resilience in a world of conflict – PM
Brook needs to ‘regain trust of players’ after New Zealand nightclub incident
Navy seizes 02 Indian fishing boats poaching in northern waters
Prime Minister participates in high-level bilateral meetings at World Economic Forum
Dushmantha Chameera, Dhananjaya de Silva return for England ODIs
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
Editorial4 days agoIllusory rule of law
-
News5 days agoUNDP’s assessment confirms widespread economic fallout from Cyclone Ditwah
-
Business7 days agoKoaloo.Fi and Stredge forge strategic partnership to offer businesses sustainable supply chain solutions
-
Editorial5 days agoCrime and cops
-
Features4 days agoDaydreams on a winter’s day
-
Editorial6 days agoThe Chakka Clash
-
Features4 days agoSurprise move of both the Minister and myself from Agriculture to Education
-
Features3 days agoExtended mind thesis:A Buddhist perspective