No intention to sweep incident under the carpet - Dr. Sarath Weerasekera | Sunday Observer
Easter Sunday terror attacks

No intention to sweep incident under the carpet - Dr. Sarath Weerasekera

14 March, 2021

Minister of Public Security Rear Admiral (Retired) Dr. Sarath Weerasekera said the Government will bring about the maximum punishment against the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday carnage in order to mete out justice for the innocent victims adding that the Government has no intention whatsoever to sweep this incident under the carpet.

The Minister in an interview with the Sunday Observer said President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a six-member ministerial Committee to get a thorough idea about the recommendations of Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) that probed the Easter Sunday attacks and prioritise those recommendations and then act accordingly. The Minister said the former Yahapalana Government couldn’t prevent those eight terror attacks on Easter Sunday due to its lethargic attitude towards national security and lack of coordination which eventually led to weaken the national intelligence service to a great extent.

Excerpts

Q: Many groups have expressed their disappointment over the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) that the probed Easter Sunday attacks and say the PCoI has failed to mention the masterminds behind the Easter bombings. Your comments?

A: The PCoI was appointed by former President Maithripala Sirisena during the last Yahapalana regime. They have conducted the inquiry and questioned the people and they have submitted the final report. Before that we have submitted eight comprehensive reports to the Attorney General (AG) with regard to the eight terror attacks that happened on Easter Sunday.

Those reports have given enough evidence about 32 people who were directly involved with the massacre and the conspiracy. The PCoI is an additional source for the AG to indict people. He doesn’t go only by the report of the Presidential Commission. We respect that Commission and we also take notice of its recommendations but there are certain people who have not been included in the PCoI report whom we are going to indict. So, the Presidential Commission is only an additional source for the AG to file cases against the culprits. We have already given files with regard to the eight incidents and now the AG is going to peruse all the evidence that is available with him and then file cases.

Q: If the PCoI has made recommendations on what action should be taken against those who have not taken necessary steps to prevent the Easter Sunday carnage despite prior warnings, it is problematic that it has not made recommendations on what action should be taken against those who planned and carried out the bombings. Would you like to comment on this? 

A: That is up to the AG to file cases. As far as the Public Security Ministry and the Police are concerned, our duty is to feed the AG with all the materials that are required for him to indict the culprits which we have already done. The AG was waiting for the Presidential Commission report and he said there can be some fresh evidence. Now he is going to find out whether there is any fresh evidence or any contradictions in the evidence that are being given to the Police and the Commission. So, that is up to the AG now to file+ cases. We have already given him all that we have and we are continuing our investigations on certain other people. When we get some fresh evidence, we are going to feed the AG as required.

Q: Certain sections raise concern on the appointment of a six-member ministerial Committee to study on the final report of the PCoI. Actually, what led to appoint yet another Committee?

A: Now the PCoI report is out to the public. They know all the materials that are there in the PCoI report. The President appointed another Committee to study those recommendations and look into what are the recommendations that could be implemented immediately. The six-member Committee was appointed just to get a thorough idea about the PCoI recommendations and to prioritize the recommendations and then act accordingly. I think that is why they have appointed a special six-member Committee. 

Q: Speaking during the debate in Parliament on the PCoI that probed the Easter Sunday attacks, SJB Parliamentarian Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said seeking justice for the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks has turned into a political slogan. Your views?

A: Sarath Fonseka is a disgrace to the Army. He was with the Yahapalana Government when all those incidents happened.  When eight terror attacks occurred on Easter Sunday severely affecting national security, he just kept quiet. When the intelligence services were weakened and intelligence officers were remanded without any evidence, he remained silent. When the morale of the entire armed forces was degraded, Fonseka didn’t utter a single word. Fonseka is also one of the main persons held responsible for those terror attacks because being a senior military officer, he kept quiet when all those suspicious incidents happened before the Easter Sunday attacks. The Easter Sunday attacks never occurred suddenly. There were a series of incidents before that which I have also elaborated in my speech in Parliament.

When all those suspicious events took place, what did Fonseka do? Now he is trying to find fault with us and that is ridiculous. As I mentioned earlier, Fonseka is a disgrace to the Army. Being a military officer, he never even guided the Government or expressed his views with regard to those prior incidents. He easily averted those terror attacks. Actually, the assassins were able to easily launch those multiple terror attacks on Easter Sunday as the intelligence services were completely inactivated, the morale of the security forces was destroyed, the CID was politicised and national security was reduced to zero by the Yahapalana Government.   

Q: Minister Wimal Weerawansa said that a group of ruling party politicians are pondering a future political marriage with some Muslim Ministers of the Yahapalana Government and therefore an attempt is been made to prevent the exposure of the masterminds behind the Easter Sunday carnage. Would you like to elaborate?

A: I don’t think there is any truth in that statement. Nobody can prevent indictments against culprits. That is entirely up to the AG. As I said before, we have already given the material available. We are not going to keep them with us.

However, some of the materials that are being exposed in the Presidential Commission with regard to national security, it is up to the President and his discretion whether to go public with it or not. But with regard to indict the people, we have now given almost all the materials that are required. So, nobody in the Government will go to prevent that. Why should we do that? Sarath Fonseka speaking in Parliament implied that we are now playing into the tune of the Muslim community. I told Parliament that I am going to ban the burqua within the next two to three weeks. We are also going to ban all Madrasa schools which have not adhered to the Government education policy. Will I ever do that if I am going to rely on these minority votes? That is why I say Sarath Fonseka is talking nonsense.

Q: Has any decision taken by the Government to ban Madrasa schools as speculated by the media?

A: I have already spoken to the Justice Minister and Muslim organisations. We agree in principle that all children aged five to sixteen have to get the education as per the education policy laid down by the Government. You and I can’t open schools tomorrow and teach whatever we want to the children. Nobody can do that.

Even the pirivenas and the international schools, they teach the bhikkhus and children as per the syllabus of the Government. After 16 years, if somebody wants to become a Moulavi, then he can learn only the religion.

However, up to 16 years, if the schools teach the religion and the language, it has to be done according to the Government education policy.

We are going to ban all the schools including Madrasa schools which are not adhered to that principle.

In addition, steps have already been taken to revise the contents related to Islamic fundamentalism in school textbooks. Certain syllabuses and text books from Year 1 to 13 refer to revolts against other religions and subtly incorporate the fundamentalist principles of Wahad and Salab in a way that is detrimental to religious harmony. Therefore, steps have to be taken to remove them from the syllabus.

Q: Have you made any request to ban the Burqua?

A: Yes. We have already taken up that issue. I am going to submit a Cabinet paper within the next few days regarding this. After that it would be taken up in Parliament.

Q: The Attorney General has directed the Inspector General of Police to conduct investigations on the import of swords, daggers and other such weapons to the country following the writ application filed by the Colombo Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith. Could you explain? 

A: Those swords were imported to the country in 2015 and not just before the Easter Sunday attacks. A few months before the attacks, they had brought 300 swords and distributed them among their people. That is for any attack against Sinhalese.  Another 1,440 swords had been imported from China. The company which imported those swords didn’t have any buyers and those swords had been given to many hardware stores. However, we are concerned about 300 swords bought by Ibrahim Brothers and given to the people in Slave Island, Kattankudy and Beruwala.

Q: Former Governor of the Western Province Azath Salley who spoke against changing separate laws told the media that they won’t allow to change the Muslim law as demanded by certain sections. Your comments?

A: If Azath Salley wants to adhere to the Sharia law, he must go to a country where Sharia law is being implemented. He can’t be in Sri Lanka and then promote Sharia law. He will be dealt with legally within the next few days. If Azath Salley is in Sri Lanka, he must adhere to the Sri Lankan law. There has to be one law in the country. This is one country and there should be one law. We can’t have certain laws for the Muslims, Tamils and Sinhalese. All the people are equal in our country. In that case, all the people must respect one law in this country.

Q: Is there any confrontation among the constituent parties in the Government as some party leaders express some controversial remarks to the media? 

A: We are a democratic party. In a democratic party, our coalition partners can freely express their views but there is no division in our broad political alliance. We have a very good understanding among all political parties but our leaders have given freedom to all the constituent parties to express their views freely. That is what they are doing but that doesn’t mean there is a division in the SLPP led Government. 

Comments