Catholic Bishops in Sri Lanka demand intelligence reports about Easter Bombings

Siva Parameswaran

Over a dozen senior Catholic clerics from Sri Lanka have urged President Ranil Wickremesinghe to release the intelligence reports received prior to the Easter Sunday bombings four years back.

In an open letter to the President, they have also chided his divide-and-rule policy of trying to split the Catholic Church in the island nation.

Pointing out to his interview with journalist Martin Gak of the German National Broadcaster-Deutsche Welle News, in which Wickremesinghe said his dealings with the Catholic Church were with the Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka and not with the Cardinal, the clergy said “It should be noted that the Cardinal being the Archbishop of Colombo is not “sui generis” (existing alone) but is an integral and most vital Conference member of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference (CBCSL) in Sri Lanka, Hency, any reference to the Cardinal by Your Excellency in a singular manner undermines the collegiality of the CBCSL”.

The CBCSL comprises the Bishops of twelve Dioceses in Sri Lanka and three Auxiliary Bishops of Colombo.

While thanking the President for handing over all the volumes of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry report into the Easter Sunday bomb attacks to them, they have urged him to share the intelligence reports from various nations as said by him in the interview.

“In furtherance of same, Your Excellency further stated in the interview that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the British Police, the Australian, the Indian, the Chinese, and the Pakistani secret services have given reports concerning the attack”. 

Adding further CBCSL said the fact has been brought to the attention of the general public as well as them for the first time.

“In these circumstances, it would be appreciated if you could share with us the copies of the said reports as well”. 

The deadly Easter Day bombings carried out by the members of the National Towheed Jamath killed over 275 including foreigners. As many eight blasts happened in the capital city of Colombo, its suburbs, and the Eastern city of Batticaloa.

A recent documentary by British Broadcaster Channel 4 exposed an alleged link between the State Intelligence Services and the bombers. In the documentary Asad Maulana- an erstwhile close associate and spokesperson of now-state minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan aka Pillayan- claimed, it was he, who at the behest of Pillayan, arranged the meeting between the suicide bombers and Suresh Sally, the then chief of the country’s intelligence to facilitate ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksha to be elected as the President.

The open letter has been signed by Rt. Rev. Dr. Harold A. Perera, Bishop of Kurunegala, Rt. Rev. Dr. Noel C. Edmond, Bishop of Trincomalee, Rt. Rev. Dr. J.D. Anthony Jayakody, Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcom Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, Rt. Rev. Dr. D. Valence Mendis, Bishop of Kandy, Rt. Rev. Dr. Norbert M. Andradi, Bishop of Anuradhapura, Rt. Rev. Dr.Cletus C. Perera, Bishop of Ratnapura, Rt. Rev. Dr. F. L. Emmanuel Fernando, Bishop of Mannar, Rt. Rev. Dr. Raymond K. Wickramasinghe, Bishop of Galle, Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin Bernard Gnanapragasam, Bishop of Mannar, Rt. Rev. Dr. Jospeh Ponniah, Bishop of Batticaloa, Rt. Rev. Dr. Dr.  Jude Nishantha Siva, Bishop of Badulla, Rt. Rev. Dr. P. Anton Ranjith, Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo and Rt. Rev. Dr. Maxwell G. Silva, Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo.