Chief Opposition Whip writes to President of the Sri Lanka Catholic Bishops’ Conference Lakshman Kiriella seeks a meeting of SJB MPs with the Bishops

By Yohan Perera   

Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella in a letter addressed to President of the Sri Lanka Catholic Bishops’ Conference Bishop Winston Fernando has sought a meeting of SJB (Samagi Jana Balawegaya) MPs with the Bishops to present to them some information regarding the Easter Sunday attacks.   

“We ask, reverends, that a few key opposition political leaders are allowed the opportunity to present facts related to Easter Sunday attacks and subsequent responses of the present government to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and humbly request a meeting at a time and place best suited for it,” Mr. Kiriella said in his letter.   
Mr. Kiriellla said the following in his letter addressed to Bishop Fernando.   

“It is our firm belief that the aspirations of the Catholic clergy and the leadership is also to have the chief perpetrators of the attack revealed and therefore we trust that the reverends will urgently intercede and speak on behalf of the opposition political leaders and activists who can continuously voice their concerns both within and outside Parliament.   

The opposition leadership call is to resolve the issue pertaining to Easter attack and clear up the mystery. This is on behalf of all citizens of this country who have a right to know the truth. However the response of the government is to punish those in the opposition who have contributed to the struggle to extract the truth.   

While the Commission appointed for the purpose questioned why such an attack took place despite the then President, Prime Minister, IGP and senior police officers being warned on several occasions, the President, Prime Minister, as well as some present ministers admitted that before 2015, during the time of the war, Zahran Hasheem and the Thowheed Jamath had close relationships with the intelligence services and were looked after and even paid salaries. What is clear therefore is that if they have supported such a group during their time, then those individuals also bear responsibility for not preventing the terror attack.   

The Catholic community have the inalienable right to have this mystery solved and facts laid bare for their consideration. The fact that those who shirked their responsibility to ensure that this attack never happened should be justly punished, is equally obvious. Further identifying the manipulators and brains behind the attack is the most critical need of the hour. The Catholics have the right to know who strategised, planned and executed the attack.   
The evidence of the testimony of the witnesses of the attack have consumed more than thirty seven thousand pages. The evidence of 457 witnesses is compiled in those pages. Even though the report of the Presidential Commission spread across eight volumes, only the first has been tabled in Parliament. It is shown that the evidence of the intelligence officers should not be revealed to the public. The evidence provided by the wife of the terrorist who blew himself up at Tropical Inn Dehiwala has proved to be problematic while Sarah the wife of the terrorist Mohammad Hasthun has fled to India. It is critical that her evidence is recorded in this matter.”