Government’s credibility hangs on Easter Sunday investigation

As the six-year anniversary of the devastating Easter Sunday attacks has come and gone, the victims and their families are yet to receive justice. More than 260 innocent lives were lost on that day when terrorists targeted churches and hotels on 21 April 2019. Families were shattered, communities scarred, and the nation plunged into grief. Yet, despite the passage of time, the question remains: where is justice? 

The failure to hold those responsible to account is not just a political failure — it is a moral one and an indictment of the justice system. There can be no true healing without truth, no closure without accountability.

This Government, like those before it, has made promises. Pledges of thorough investigations, independent inquiries, and judicial action have been made in public forums and political speeches. President Anura Disanayake pledged to Cardinal Malcom Ranjith that he would deliver justice by this anniversary. This promise is yet to be kept. The credibility of this administration now hinges on its ability — and willingness — to confront the hard truths, however uncomfortable they may be. Thus far, the Government has shown little progress on the investigations into this attack. This is concerning since serious doubts have been cast on the involvement of intelligence apparatus in these atrocities. 

Since the military’s intelligence units have been previously accused of involvement in numerous crimes, including the killing of journalists, it is imperative that there not be any semblance of cover-up into these investigations. Already several administrations have sullied their reputations on the lack of progress into this heinous crime, the Government of President Anura Disanayake hopefully will not join this disgraceful list.

It is not enough to identify foot soldiers or peripheral actors. The people of Sri Lanka deserve to know: who enabled this atrocity? What intelligence failures or deliberate oversights allowed such a sophisticated attack to unfold unchecked? And crucially, was there political complicity or criminal negligence at the highest levels of power? The Supreme Court found former president Maithripala Sirisena liable for negligence in its ruling on a fundamental rights petition filled by a group of victims. Despite this ruling and Sirisena being ordered to pay compensation to victims, the Attorney General has not found it necessary to indict or prosecute him and others for criminal negligence.

The findings of previous commissions, while extensive, have not translated into meaningful prosecutions. Key reports have gathered dust while suspects walk free, some still wielding influence. This must end. We must demand that the full weight of the law be brought to bear, no matter how high the chain of command reaches. Anything less would be a betrayal of the dead, the injured, and every citizen who believes in justice.

The path ahead will not be easy. It will require political courage, institutional independence, and public pressure. But this moment offers a chance — perhaps the last — for the Government to prove that it is serious about the rule of law. If it fails, history will remember not only the attackers, but those who chose complicity through inaction.

As Sri Lanka steps into the sixth year without justice for this crime, we must renew our call: for truth, for accountability, for justice. Only then can we begin to rebuild the trust that was shattered along with the lives of hundreds on that tragic Easter Sunday.