By Saman Indrajith
The JVP-led NPP has issued a Charter regarding the Easter Sunday terror attacks, vowing to pursue legal action against individuals already deemed guilty by the courts, and promising criminal proceedings against those identified for their involvement in the attacks.
Addressing a press conference held at the JVP headquarters in Pelawatte, NPP National Executive Committee Member Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala said that to expect criminal proceedings against under any other government except from NPP was not realistic as all other parties, included those with criminal liability on their part over the attacks.
Watagala said that there were some who have already been identified for their failure to prevent the attacks by the courts as well as by several other commissions. None of them are being prosecuted for their criminal liability. At the Fundamental Rights violation case, the Supreme Court in a landmark verdict held that former President and Defence Minister Maithripala Sirisena, former Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Hemasiri Fernando, former IGP Pujith Jayasundara, former State Intelligence Service Director and incumbent Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, the former Chief of National Intelligence and DIG Sisira Mendis have violated fundamental human rights by not preventing the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 2019.
“The commissions that investigated the attacks have recommended criminal proceedings against many including the members of the Cabinet at the time. Then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe could get an exemption as he has presidential immunity. Incumbent opposition leader Sajith Premadasa was also in the same cabinet at the time. His party’s General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara was the then Minister in charge of police. They too are criminally liable. In this Charter we pledge criminal proceedings against all politicians as well as officials already found responsible for this crime,” Watagala said, adding that no other party could prosecute all responsible for the Easter Sunday attacks.
The NPP Charter comprising seven sections state that in addition to those who had been identified and named by the high-level commissions of inquiry, there are evidence that some more have been left out on technical grounds and a special commission of inquiry would be appointed under an NPP government so that the matter would be cleared once and for all.
“Given the fact that authorities submitting a Presidential Commission of Inquiry report without over 1,5000 pages of it to the Church, and former President Sirisena going on making irresponsible statements, it could be discerned that for the incumbent authorities the Easter Sunday terror attacks that killed 273 persons and rendering over 500 maimed and disabled has become a joke. Seeking justice from them is similar to the old Sinhala proverbial saying of asking feathers from a tortoise,” Watagala said.
NPP executive council members Upul Kumarapperuma PC, Dr Krishantha Abeysena, Attorney at Law Harshana Nanayakkara and Dr Vijith Rohan Fernando of the Department of Christian Affairs of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Kelaniya also addressed the press.