CSR representatives, members of the April 21 Justice Foundation and Negombo’s Citizens Collective seen at a media conference organised to notify plans regarding the hartal

The Easter Sunday bomb attacks on churches and hotels killed 269 people leaving many maimed for life. But who is the mastermind behind these terror attacks? This is still unknown. In light of these events the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR) held a media conference recently in support of a black hartal organised by the Catholic Church and to be held today (August 21). The CSR also condemned the Government’s failure to provide answers to a letter sent by the Archbishop of Colombo Malcom Cardinal Ranjith and a group of Bishops. The Cardinal had recently appealed to Catholics to display black flags on August 21 in protest against the authorities’ failure to mete out justice to the Easter Sunday victims.  The Cardinal also called for the closure of shops on the same day. The media conference was organised by the CSR with the “April 21  Yukthiya Padanama (April 21 Justice Foundation)” and the “Meegamu Purawasi Ekamuthuwa (Negombo Citizens Collective)”

Representing civil rights movements in Negombo, and other concerned groups April 21 Justice Foundation Secretary Srikantha Senarathna said that for him the terror attacks  on churches as a whole was similar to killing someone in his own home. Being a resident of Katuwapitiya and as a person who witnessed the attack at the Katuwapitiya church he said, “The people urge the Government to trace the perpetrators who were behind the attacks.  We are a people who are always ready to forgive others, but justice also needs to be done and the mystery must be revealed.” He said that though the authorities had been aware of impending attacks they had failed to take measures to prevent the horrible crime. Senarathna said there was no clarity in previous and ongoing investigations. “We want to know the truth. The present Government came to power with the promise of delivering justice to the victims of terror. But the Government has failed to do so. Many in the present Government politicised the terror attacks and came to power. As a collective of civil rights activists we have been tirelessly working to bring justice to the victims. We will never give up the struggle,” he said. Senarathna said that the rights groups were ready to take the matter to international authorities if justice wasn’t done.

Centre for Society and Religion (CSR) held a media conference recently in support of a black hartal organised by the Catholic Church and to be held today (August 21)

CSR Director Fr. Rohan Silva said, “In July Cardinal Malcom Ranjith and a group of Bishops had sent a letter to the President seeking clarification to important questions regarding the terror attack.  He said that the Cardinal had rejected the letter sent to him by Presidential Secretariat’s Legal Affairs Director General Hariguptha Rohanadeera as a reply to the letter. The Cardinal said there were no clear answers to the questions he had raised. “A question arises as to why a proper answer was not given to the letter,” the CSR 
Director said.

The Cardinal had recently appealed to Catholics to display black flags on August 21 in protest against the authorities’ failure to mete out justice to the Easter Sunday victims.  The cardinal also called for the closure of shops on this same day

The CSR Director said, “The Cardinal had appealed to all Catholics and Christians to raise their voices against injustice. The Cardinal had requested Catholics and Christians to start a hartal raising black flags in houses, shops and vehicles to protest against the Government’s failure to reveal the whole truth about the attack. The CSR Chief said that the black hartal was organised to show that people were not happy about the progress made in the probe into the Easter Sunday massacre and that this struggle for truth and justice would continue. “To respond to that request by the Cardinal and the Bishops as citizens we should unite and extend our support for this hartal. We will continue this black hartal until justice is done. We hope people will contribute to this struggle which started in pursuit of truth and justice. Justice delayed is justice denied,” The CSR Director said. 

Katuwapitiya Church Parishioner Mary Lalani Weththasinghe who suffered injuries in the attack shared her thoughts. She said she had received compensation from the Government. “What I want is justice for the victims, not compensation,” she said. 

We will continue this black hartal until justice is done. We hope people will contribute to this struggle which started in pursuit of truth and justice. Justice delayed is justice denied