Archbishop wants All Party Govt to resolve issue

GAGANI WEERAKOON-MAY 05 2019

Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said that he was personally unimpressed with the security measures taken by the Government since the 21 April Easter Sunday blasts. He warned that if the current regime does not have a stronger framework to combat terror, it will be impossible to contain the masses in the country in the future.

He said that the time has arrived for all political leaders to reach a consensus and map out a joint policy in connection with national security, if the country is to come out of its abyss after reeling from the Easter Sunday attacks in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa.

Furthermore, the Archbishop of Colombo and the leader of the country’s Roman Catholic Church also requested the Government not to reopen schools nationwide till it could guarantee full time security to students and teachers alike.

He made these comments during a media briefing held at the Archbishop’s House in Colombo recently.

 “When the country is still reeling from the Easter Sunday attacks and yet struggling to come to grips with their day-to-day lives, it is the duty of political leaders not to indulge in blame games or waste time by reminding what took place in the past.

 Hence, it is their responsibility to put aside their political differences and to find solutions to the issue of national security and take action to rid the country of this pitiful state. However, I cannot see any measures being taken towards it by those entrusted with such tasks.

These politicians are once again playing their favourite blame game and as a result the country and the people are continuing to suffer. At this juncture we do not need polls. Keep all of that aside for the moment. The time has come for all of us to consider the plight of this nation.

Hence, I call upon all political parties in this country to form an All Party Government to resolve this issue if the need is for that. I also urge the President, the Prime Minister, the Opposition Leader and other political leaders to put aside their differences and to map out a policy towards ensuring that national security is not compromised in this country at any stage in the future.

There is also tension among the public regarding various statements made by various MPs. The people are yet to be convinced that the country’s political leaders are attempting to resolve this issue by working together. They are only interested in scoring points, both personally and for their respective political parties. We cannot be content with the manner in which measures are taken to ensure national security.

 We cannot see any coordination in the security measures. We also feel that instead of such measures heading in a certain direction, they are just carrying out the tasks for the sake of doing it. Daily,
places are continuing to be searched and those places are being inspected only after being tipped off.

 All areas that were subjected to these attacks have to be searched thoroughly. We also feel house to house searches have to be carried out and each occupant’s authenticity has to be verified and if there are any illegal weapons those must be taken into custody and they should be grilled. It has to be unearthed as to who is behind these heinous acts of crime.

 Who brought these explosives, who gave support to these terrorists and they too should be questioned. We also have suspicions that some of those behind these bombings may have even fled the country by now. They have located swords, bombs, guns, and many such items from various locations. How many could still be there which the Security Forces have not been able to locate?

Hence these probes have to be carried out in a more detailed and thorough manner. They have to be conducted as on another occasion of the country waging a war. It is futile to drag these probes based solely on information that is collected daily. The Vesak Festival is coming and the people tend to converge in large numbers at such events throughout the country.

And if by some chance another attack were to take place during that time, the maintenance of national security will become a serious issue. The President has already formed a PCol to probe the Easter Sunday blasts. However, I am still in the dark whether those in the PCol had even begun their deliberations or any evidence has been sought from witnesses etc.

 I have my suspicions whether this PCol also will suffer the same fate like each of its predecessors. We are yet to seek the reports compiled by those previous PCols. The best example is the probe conducted by the PCol into the death of Roshen Chanaka who died from a shooting inside the Katunayake FTZ a few years ago. We are yet to see that report. Each of these incidents which took place in the past could always occur in the future.

For these reasons this report is needed. And we also need to know more about this PCol which is probing the Easter Sunday attacks. When appointing officials to such Commissions many retired officers are appointed. Those that should be appointed are those skilled and knowledgeable in the subject. Also we urge the Government if it needs to appoint a board comprising religious leaders to monitor the activities of officials of the PCol. We will support such endeavours.

We could only mete out justice to the scores of lives lost through the Easter Sunday carnage, by taking concrete measures to prevent such devastation from taking place at any time in the future. I make bold to say that if there is no formidable security network it will be impossible to contain the masses from rising against the Government.

 That is because we cannot be trotting out lies to the people day in and day out and attempt to tell them to remain calm and collected. There are also reports that some of those behind the carnage are fleeing the country. Do not allow them to flee. Also even if an MP or a Cabinet Minister is behind these attacks please apprehend them and grill them.

That is what the public expect from the Government. At a time when people’s feelings are running high, we cannot allow those with vested interests to destabilise the country further and place it in more chaos. The Buddhist monks, the Mowlawi’s, and Hindu priests, we are all standing together to make this request. If these requests are not fulfilled we will be forced to step in to the streets.

To oppose the actions of the Government we will be marching right at the front. We finally request the Government to implement the law without any fear or favour without leaving room for us to take the law into our own mitts.”

Speaking at the briefing Chief Prelate of Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha, Most Ven. Ittepane Dhammalankara Thera said, “The Cardinal had already taken the lead to pacify the nation in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday blasts.

 We all are in debt to him for the leadership he had shown at this critical time for this country.

However, the same cannot be said of the conduct of the Government in the wake of these attacks. We are not at all content with the actions taken by the Government.

 We intend to discuss these issues again and again. When the whole country is attempting to join forces in fighting terrorism and to root it out, it is nothing but despicable to find some within the Government still continuing to play the putrid blame game even when scores had died and hundreds of others had been wounded. We cannot see those in the topmost positions of the Government taking decisions jointly as they are divided politically to the core.”

The conduct of Cardinal Ranjith in the aftermath of Easter Sunday carnage is commendable. It was his timely and wise intervention to calm the people that prevented another dangerous bloodshed. With this, there were calls for the Government to increase security measures to protect the life of the Cardinal.

It was later reported that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Government took immediate measures to provide a bullet-proof vehicle to the Archbishop.

Cardinal Ranjith on Tuesday (30) said that he had turned down accepting a bullet-proof vehicle which had been given for his safety by the Government.

Addressing media at the Bishop’s House, he said that he had informed Parliamentary backbencher Kavinda Jayawardena, who insisted that he should be provided with such a vehicle, to ensure his safety while travelling, that he usually depended on the vehicle assigned to him by security personnel. “I do not know whether it is bullet-proof or not.”

Observing that although he was able to provide for his safety, he questioned as to who was going to provide for the safety of the people.

Praising Archbishop Ranjith for his leadership during these trying times, former Leader of the Jathika Hela Urumaya, Ven. Dr. Omalpe Sobhitha Thera said that the Cardinal had placed himself in the line of danger in a bid to ensure the safety of the Catholics and maintain peace amongst the ethnic groups despite the recent terror attacks on three Catholic churches

The monk said that he wished the same could be said about the politicians of the country. “They are the first to want protection,” he said, pointing out that the politicos had expressed fear to go to Parliament.

In which case, they should either stay at home or keep the doors of the Parliament locked, he observed.

Petty explanations

Following Easter Sunday’s carnage not only was a political blame game started but most of the suspects that were taken into custody were linked to top politicians. Amongst those on the top of the list includes close associates of Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, Eastern Province Governor M.L.M. Hizbulla, Western Province Governor Azath Salley and UNP MPs M.I.M. Mansoor and Mujibar Rahuman. On the other hand, Muslim Affairs Minister Abdul Haleem was accused of permitting over 400 madrasa schools being built and another couple of dozen mosques.

Several stocks of swords too were found in mosques especially in the heart of Colombo.

According to Minister Haleem, recent cache of swords and knives found in mosques was to clear the overgrown shrubs surrounding compounds of mosques.

“It is possible that certain mosques would have kept weapons and other sharp objects to clean the yards and surrounding shrubs around certain religious places,” he claimed.

This was in response to journalists’ queries as to why certain mosques had amassed weapons such as swords and other sharp objects. “Most mosques have graveyards around them and some of these mosques could have a lot of shrubs and weeds growing in their yards, so it’s possible that they use these objects to clean up these areas,” claimed Haleem.

When queried by journalists as to why some of these places of worship were found keeping uniforms resembling Army camouflage uniforms, he claimed that he had seen the suspects involved claim to the Media that these uniforms were for re-selling purposes.

“We didn’t know about such things other than from the Media. We also saw a person in charge of a particular mosque saying these uniforms were for re-sale purposes and even showed receipts,” he added.

Meanwhile, releasing a statement, the Ministry of Muslim Religious Affairs has asked the Muslim community to cooperate with the necessary security measures implemented by the Government by avoiding different types of face covering veils such as the Niqab and the Burqa.

Meanwhile, Rishad Bathiudeen who is alleged to have close links with many of the suspects, including the arrested spice tycoon, left the country on Friday night around 7:30 p.m. to Muscat on SriLankan flight UL-205.

It is said that the Minister met both Prime Minister Wickremesighe and President Sirisena separately before embarking on the journey.

Officials engaged in investigations are under political pressure to release suspects even before the interrogations begin. Even though there are provisions under Emergency Regulations to detain a suspect for 90 days, we are forced to release many of them even before 24 hours lapsing.

The Gnanasara factor

It was in this context General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) organisation, imprisoned monk Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera claimed that terrorists are planning to carry out suicide attacks on some 50 odd temples throughout the country.

The imprisoned monk, Gnanasara Thera was produced at the Homagama Court on Monday (29) in connection with his Contempt of Court case.

After the hearing of the case the monk, before boarding the Black Maria, to be taken back to prison, made a special comment to the press.

He said, “There is no need for me to utter anything. There is a threat until the end of the Vesak and Poson Festivals. Do not allow such events to be marked on a grand scale in Sri Lanka. The terrorists are planning to carry out suicide attacks on some 50 odd temples throughout the country. Those in need of such information can come to the Prison Department and see me.”

The following day, the SLFP urged the authorities to obtain information from incarcerated General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena, Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera in connection with his claim that another terror attack targeting temples island-wide was in the offing.

UPFA Parliamentarian Thilanga Sumathipala said the Government should seek Gnanasara Thera’s advice and prevent possible bomb attacks at least in the future.

Addressing media at SLFP headquarters, Sumathipala claimed that most of the predictions made by the incarcerated monk about Islamist extremist attacks had come true and therefore attention should be paid to what he says. He added that the monk had made these statements having over 15 years of experience in the field.

“So, as a nation, it is a shame that a monk of his calibre has been imprisoned.  These announcements made by the monk are timely and there is time to prevent those alleged attacks by meeting him. He has made an open invitation to meet him and get information about attacks and plots,” he added.

Sumathipala emphasised that no one should undervalue President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision about anything at this juncture as terrorists could take advantage, adding that the President’s decision to change some people holding top positions in the Defence Ministry and others were on track and that he had selected the suitable persons to fill the posts.

“The President was helpless and couldn’t sack IGP Pujith Jayasundara even though he was in the wrong. And that is why the President appointed an acting IGP and the incumbent IGP has been sent on compulsory leave with immediate effect over inquiries into the Easter Sunday attacks,” he added.

Interestingly, a team of Intelligence and CID officers have reportedly visited the Prison Hospital to meet the General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena, Ven. Gnanasara Thera to obtain details about the activities of Islamist extremists in Sri Lanka.

Monks attached to the BBS organisation said Ven. Gnanasara Thera had been speaking about Islamic extremism in Sri Lanka since 2014.

Many people dismissed his claims but now everyone knows that what he said was true, the monks said.

They also requested that Gnanasara Thera be pardoned, so that his knowledge on Islamic extremism in Sri Lanka could be utilised to wipe out the Islamic State (IS) from the country.