- Easter Sunday Attacks (2019) in Sri Lanka
Minister Tiran Alles’s recent statement regarding former President Maithripala Sirisena’s knowledge about the Easter Sunday attack mastermind has sparked a new wave of speculation and controversy.
Despite a court ruling that Sirisena’s statements to the court will remain confidential, Alles publicly declared that Sirisena did not identify any Sri Lankans as the mastermind. This assertion raises the question: is Alles suggesting that the orchestrator of the 2019 attacks, which left over 250 dead and hundreds injured, could be foreign?
Earlier today a prominent Sri Lanka news media named Ada Derana published a story titled “Easter attack culprits: Tiran’s revelation on Maithripala’s statement”. The story went on to claim, quote “During the inquiry over former President Maithripala Sirisena’s recent statement that he was aware of the real culprits behind the Easter Sunday bomb attacks, he has not mentioned the names of anyone in Sri Lanka, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles said. The lawmaker made this remark while speaking during today’s parliamentary session, according to Ada Derana reporter.” – unquote
Alles’s comments come at a sensitive time, especially considering the backdrop of former President Sirisena being legally compelled to testify about his previous claims of knowing the attack’s masterminds. His remarks also follow a Supreme Court ruling that found the former President Sirisena and other officials negligent for their failure to act on intelligence that could have prevented the tragedy, further ordering them to compensate the victims’ families.
The timing and nature of Alles’s statement beg critical questions about his intentions.
What is the Minister trying to achieve by highlighting this aspect of Sirisena’s testimony? Is there an attempt to deflect responsibility or minimize local involvement by shifting focus to international actors? And importantly, who is Alles trying to protect or accuse with these remarks?
These questions are crucial as they touch on issues of national security, justice for the victims, and the integrity of the ongoing investigation and judicial processes related to one of Sri Lanka’s darkest days. The community and the victims’ families await clear answers as they continue to deal with the aftermath of the attacks, amid ongoing political and legal maneuvers.
