Catholics in Sri Lanka support arrest of govt official over 2019 Easter attacks

Arresting a retired general in Sri Lanka in a case around the 2019 Easter bombings is “the right direction,” according to a leading Catholic official.

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Arresting a retired general in Sri Lanka in a case around the 2019 Easter bombings is “the right direction,” according to a leading Catholic official.

The suicide bomb attacks on April 21, 2019, killed nearly 270 people and officials believed to be inspired by the Islamic State group.

Suresh Salley, a retired army major general, was arrested last month by the country’s Criminal Investigation Department for possible “links or lapses” ahead of the attacks on churches and tourist hotels.

RELATED: Sri Lanka police arrest former intelligence chief in connection with 2019 bombings

“Those of us who are working for justice for the victims of the Easter Sunday bomb attacks have been campaigning to get this conspiracy behind this carnage exposed,” said Oblate Father Rohan Silva, the Executive Director of the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR).

“We believe this arrest is in the right direction and encourage the investigators to continue amid pressure, to bring before the courts all those who have been part of the conspiracy,” he told Crux Now.

CSR has been involved in the struggle for justice for the victims of Easter Sunday Bomb Attacks.

“We from the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR) appear in some court cases to represent the interests of the victims. We also accompany them in their struggle to live their lives after they have lost their loved ones in the bomb attacks,” the priest said.

What follows is his full interview with Crux Now.

Crux Now: What is your reaction to the arrest of the former senior police official in connection with the 2019 Easter attacks on churches such as St. Sebastian’s Church and St. Anthony’s Shrine, and do you see this as a meaningful step toward justice?

Silva: The arrest of General Suresh Salley, the former head of the Intelligence Unit, has made headlines across all news channels and on social media.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) announced that the arrest was made after gathering sufficient information. CID has informed the courts that they will name him the third accused in the case filed in the Magistrate’s Courts, where investigations into the revelations made in the Channel 4 documentary of September 05, 2023, are underway.

Although the suicide bombers led by Saharan Hashim carried out this disaster on April 21st, 2019, on Easter Sunday of that year, there was always the feeling that there was a master mind or minds that planned these attacks. Those of us who are working for justice for the victims of the Easter Sunday bomb attacks have been campaigning to get this conspiracy behind this carnage exposed.

We believe this arrest is in the right direction and encourage the investigators to continue amid pressure, to bring before the courts all those who have been part of the conspiracy.

Seven years on, what unanswered questions remain for the Church and for the families of those killed, and do you believe the government has been sufficiently transparent in its investigation?

Since the Easter Sunday Bomb Attacks on April 21, 2019, there have been three presidents in Sri Lanka. All promised to deliver Justice for the victims of these attacks without delay. But none of them were able to keep to their promises.

The new Government of Anura Kumara Dissanayake has shown keen interest in this issue and brought back the two important police officers, Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abesekara, to recommence the investigations. They carried out the investigations at the beginning and were removed from their offices as soon as Gotabaya Rajapakse assumed duties as the president in November 2019.

Although the investigation process appears slow at times, we feel that the will to do it is strong. The government must continue to give the investigators the freedom and the necessary assistance to carry out their work effectively.

How are survivors and victims’ families responding to this latest development, and what pastoral, psychological, or material support is the Church currently providing?

The Church continues to support the school-going children of the needy victim families and has also provided houses for those who have not had a house of their own. The lawyers sponsored by the Church have filed court cases to demand compensation.

Psychological assistance too is provided to the victims’ families.

We from the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR) appear in some court cases to represent the interests of the victims. We also accompany them in their struggle to live their lives after they have lost their loved ones in the bomb attacks.

How does the Church balance its call for accountability and truth with the Christian message of forgiveness and reconciliation, and what message would you send to the global Catholic community at this moment?

We struggle with and for the victims of the Easter Sunday bomb attacks to get the truth behind these attacks exposed. These innocents were killed when they were gathered in the churches for worship and prayer. And some others in hotels. The blood of these 272 innocent people cries for justice, and over 500 more who were injured seek consolation.

We consider this a sacred mission.

The perpetrators of these deadly attacks must be identified and brought to justice. That is for the good of society and to prevent similar carnages in the future. As Christians, we are ready to forgive the perpetrators once exposed. We believe this will facilitate inner healing.

We invite the Global Church to join us in prayer and spirit so that justice may be meted out and peace may prevail in our society.