Protesters march in Colombo marking the fourth anniversary of the Easter Sunday attacks
Catholic clergy and ordinary Sri Lankans from every ethnic background joined the rally. Forming a human chain, protesters renewed their demand for the truth about the terrorist attacks and justice for their victims. The apostolic nuncio said the country has the blessing of Pope Francis.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – Thousands of Sri Lankans, including many Catholics, marched together to commemorate the victims of the terrorist attacks of 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday.
On that day, suicide bombers targeted four hotels as well as three churches – two Catholic and one Protestant – as religious services were underway, killing more than 250 people and wounding more than 500.
Yesterday, the fourth anniversary, protesters called on the Sri Lankan government to discover the people behind the attacks.
Led by Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith of Colombo, the country's Catholic Church and the families of the victims have long raised doubts and concerns about the slow pace of the investigation, accusing the government of hiding the truth for political gain.
Thousands of people, including Catholic clergy, lined up for a silent protest on both sides of the main road connecting St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, to St Sebastian's Church in Katuwapitiya.
Reminding politicians that, “We are watching until justice is meted out”, protesters, dressed in black and white and holding hands to form a human chain (Jana Paura), held up signs that read: “No justice delivered to victims so far”, “Where is the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attack?”, “Dirty politics must end”.
Bells rang at 8.45 am, the exact moment of the attacks, followed by two minutes of silence. At 6 pm, a Mass was held at the church in Katuwapitiya, followed by a prayer walk to the church of Kochichikade, joined by priests, nuns, young people from the archdiocese and the families of the victims.
“We have organised this human chain to show that our people are more powerful than their politics," said Fr Jude Chrishantha, director of communication of the Archdiocese of Colombo.
“We request the government listen and be sensitive to the message of the silent heart of the victims. I see that people are not only asking for justice for the Easter attack, but are also calling for remedies for our country, which is dying because of its disgraceful politics,” he added.
For his part, Cardinal Ranjith said that "we need a fresh and transparent probe to find out why repeated warnings prior to the Easter Sunday attacks were not taken seriously, to determine as to why the suicide bomber who blew himself up in Dehiwela was allowed to do so, why he was not arrested. [. . .] We need a fresh probe to find answers to these questions."
The apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Brian Udaigwe, said that Sri Lanka has the full blessing of Pope Francis in its efforts to bring justice to those affected by the attacks.
So far, two Islamic groups have been accused in connection with the attacks, but no one has been convicted.
In January, Sri Lanka's Supreme Court ruled that then-President Maithripala Sirisena's inaction had led to the bombings, and ordered him to pay compensation to the victims' families.
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09/09/2019 14:07
01/06/2019 13:07
