By Norman Palihawadane

Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday said the politicians who had ruled the country since the Easter Sunday carnage had been party to a conspiracy to hide the truth about the tragedy.

Addressing the media at the Bishop’s House in Colombo, the Cardinal said: “We recall vividly the statement made in earlier times by the former Attorney General that behind these attacks, there was a grand conspiracy. It is clear to us and to many others that the attacks were a plot to gain political power. Even the Parliamentary Select Committee appointed at that time by the Yahapalana government affirmed so in its report.

“It is clear for its future wellbeing, the citizens of this country who are upright and just, need to know that up until now what has happened is that, like it was for the Easter Sunday murders, so also there have been in the recent past many political murders, kidnappings, disappearances as well as setting up of religious and ethnic conflicts and violence in this country ignoring the principles of the rule of law and justice for the sole purpose of obtaining political power or hold on to it with the help of criminal elements who have been protected and sustained by them.

“This corrupt political culture adopts the policy of getting the people in this country to forget all these serious crimes by seeking to bury those in the sands of time and erase them from their memory. Our attempt is to show to these state sponsored criminals that we will not stop our efforts at exposing the truth behind the Easter attacks so that we may expose this evil strategy of theirs and ensure that justice is done.

“It is our belief, that if we let go of this effort it will create a bad precedent for the country.

“This country by now possesses a deeply corrupt political power base and some corrupt officials handling legal matters who manipulate the rules to justify such behaviour which would shield and protect political criminals. And so, in such a set up one could engage in such criminal activities even in the future in order to come to power or hold on to power by rousing up base feelings of racialism and religious bigotry among the people, cause such mass murders like the Easter-Sunday carnage and achieve power.

“That is the background in which there is a strong need to find out the truth behind the Easter attacks and to bring the master minds and criminals behind it to justice. Else some of these criminals who are now free and are enjoying political protection may be tempted to carry out such attacks again in order to obtain power even in the future.

“It is four years now, since the tragic murder of 272 innocent worshippers in Churches and visitors in Hotels on the fateful day, Easter Sunday 2019. Yet it has not been possible for us, up to now, to identify the perpetrators behind these attacks and to bring those responsible to book.

“It is clear that the Presidents as well as the politicians who ruled this country since then, as well as the present President and his government and some corrupt state officials have been and are part of an attempt to hide the truth behind these attacks in order to protect the culprits.

“Hence, we call upon all our citizens, irrespective of their racial or religious differences to unite with us to create a strong human chain, on Friday, 21st April, calling for truth and justice for the Easter attack victims.”