The Hon. Sugath Thilakaratne - Deputy Minister of Sports

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, first of all, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak a few words on the motion moved at the time of adjournment today. We are discussing a very tragic incident: the Easter Sunday attack of 21 April 2019, recalling it and sharing what lessons we must learn from it.

¶ 02 Easter Sunday is an extremely sacred day for the faithful. Unanticipated bomb attacks at several locations took over 250 lives and injured hundreds more. Some became permanently ill and vulnerable. We must not view the damage merely as numbers. Families were broken; youthful dreams were shattered; their hopes for the future were devastated.

¶ 03 One thing revealed was a grave issue concerning our national security, intelligence, and State responsibility. Questions remain as to who should be held accountable for the attack and who shirked their duties. Therefore, we strongly believe that proper action must be taken so justice is done to the victims and that justice must prevail. Rather than blaming each other, we should search for the truth, because people expect justice through truth. Where there is no truth, justice does not prevail. When justice is not done, public trust often breaks. We must restore that trust. That is the lesson I see we must learn.

¶ 04 Hon. Presiding Member, this attack was a major blow to our social harmony. Its most horrific aspect, as I see it, is that it targeted the unity among our communities – both ethnic and religious – and was a despicable act. It was an attack on all Sri Lanka, including the Catholic community, and an effort to sow division among our religions and peoples. Our response should not be to divide by religion or ethnicity, but to strengthen our unity.

¶ 05 During that period, there was a collapse in our society. Because of the vile attack, adults, parents, and children were traumatized for a considerable time. As Sri Lankan Olympians, we tried to run a program focused on the mental well-being of traumatized children, centered at St. Sebastian’s Church, Katuwapitiya. We requested that the children of the village be brought there. Even though we called for the children affected by fear, they stayed inside their homes. For months they did not go to Sunday school or attend Mass.

¶ 06 With our efforts, together with the parish priest, we implemented a special sports program to draw them back to the church. At 10.00-11.00 a.m. that day, only about 20 children had come. But by 3.00-3.30 p.m., we were able to bring over 200 children to the church. We saw their pain and fear first-hand. We tried to bring them joy, relieve their psychological pressure and fear, and re-socialize them – to help them return to Sunday school, to school, to come out from among their parents, to come out of the house and the village.

¶ 07 This attack tried to create a divide between races and religions. We must appreciate the efforts of our religious leaders who came together to calm the tense situation and set an example to the nation. We are nourished by all religions; thus we must value the steps taken by our religious leaders. The way the Catholic community, rising from the ashes at Katuwapitiya, refused revenge and asked instead for justice, set an example of peace for the entire country. Now as a Government of the National People’s Power, we are working for that justice. I strongly believe we will be able to reveal all the facts in due course.

¶ 08 As a country, we must learn from these attacks. We must pay attention to certain key issues. We must reveal the truth about this attack. No person or group is above the law.

¶ 09 Fulfilling justice for the families of the victims is our paramount responsibility. As the Government of the National People’s Power, I believe we can certainly fulfill that responsibility. We must reject, in every form, religious or political extremism as we move forward as a nation. We entered politics advocating living together across ethnic and religious differences on the basis of equality. The people now have hope and trust in our Government, and we have accepted that responsibility. I believe we can, as a Government, do all of this.

¶ 10 Finally, we should not use this debate to point fingers and gain political advantage, but to deliver justice to all who were victimized and treated unfairly or unjustly by the Easter attack.

¶ 11 Thank you, Hon. Presiding Member.