UNITED NATIONS: As Sri Lanka remembered the 279 victims of its worst-ever attack against civilians five years ago, the UN urged the nation to rectify its “accountability deficit” and uphold justice.
Speaking at a remembrance service in Colombo, the UN’s top envoy to Sri Lanka, Marc-Andre Franche, emphasized the need for a “thorough and transparent investigation” to uncover those responsible for the Easter carnage in 2019.
The Islamist bombers targeted three churches and three hotels in the island’s deadliest suicide attack aimed at civilians. However, grieving families continue to await justice.
Among the deceased were 45 foreigners, including tourists visiting the island a decade after the end of a brutal ethnic conflict that claimed over 100,000 lives since 1972.
Whether it is for claimed war crimes, recent breaches of human rights, corruption, or the abuse of authority, Sri Lanka has a persistent accountability gap that has to be remedied for the good of the nation.
He highlighted that despite the Supreme Court holding former President Maithripala Sirisena and his top officials responsible for failing to prevent the attack, victims are still seeking justice.
“Delivering justice for victims of these attacks should be part of addressing the systemic challenge,” Franche stated.
Additionally, the UN Human Rights office urged Colombo to publish the complete findings of previous inquiries into the Easter Sunday bombings and establish an independent investigation.
The Catholic church in Sri Lanka alleged that military intelligence officers were involved with the Islamists behind the attack, which reportedly boosted the political ambitions of retired army officer Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Seven months after the attack, Rajapaksa won the presidency.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the leader of Sri Lanka’s Catholic church, accused Rajapaksa of systematically protecting those responsible for the bombings since his victory.
Rajapaksa was ousted from power in July 2022 following months of protests over an unprecedented economic crisis that led to shortages of food, fuel, and medicines.
Later on Sunday, Sri Lanka’s Catholics planned a silent protest demanding a swift investigation into the attacks.
During a civil case initiated soon after the attacks, evidence revealed that Indian intelligence officials had warned Colombo of the bombings 17 days earlier, but authorities failed to act.
Former President Sirisena and his officials were ordered to pay 310 million rupees ($1 million) in compensation to victims and relatives. However, Sirisena has appealed the ruling, and a fresh hearing is scheduled for July.
