Colombo: On Friday, thousands of Sri Lankans demonstrated in the nation's capital to demand justice for the nearly 270 people who died in the bombings on Easter Sunday in 2019.
The protesters demanded that the government find out who they claimed were the real conspirators behind the attacks on three churches, including simultaneous suicide bombings on April 21, 2019, including two Catholic and one Protestant. 42 foreigners from 14 different countries were killed when three tourist hotels were also attacked.
On both sides of the main highway that connects the nation's international airport in Colombo to the capital city, thousands of people, including Catholic clergy, lined up for a silent protest on Friday.
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They accused the government of failing to take the necessary steps to punish the perpetrators of the bombings and provide justice for the victims.
The protesters, who were dressed in black and white, joined hands and formed a human chain. "Until justice is meted out, we are watching," "No justice delivered to victims so far," and "Where is the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attack?" were among the signs and banners they displayed.
Six nearly simultaneous suicide bomb attacks were allegedly carried out by two local Muslim organisations that had sworn allegiance to the Daesh organisation, targeting both tourists having breakfast at three well-known hotels and worshippers attending Easter services in three churches. 269 people were killed and 500 more were injured in the attacks.
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Numerous individuals who allegedly took part in indoctrination sessions and received weapons training from the two local Islamic extremist groups accused of carrying out the attacks have been charged by authorities. However, no one has yet received a verdict or punishment.
Even after four years, no one has been held accountable for this vicious assault. It is truly repulsive. Ruwan Fernando, 47, who protested on Friday, stated that we need to know who the real offenders are and why they did it.
Prayer services were also held at churches throughout Sri Lanka on Friday to commemorate the explosions' four-year anniversary, with the main ceremony taking place at one of the churches the bombers attacked in Colombo.
At that event, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo, bemoaned the inability of previous administrations to pin down the attackers' masterminds. He pleaded with the authorities to look into claims that some of the attackers had connections to state intelligence agents.
He demanded that the government launch a thorough investigation into the explosions, saying, "Until justice is done, we will be watching."
The bombings investigation has drawn criticism from the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. The leaders of the church have repeatedly criticised both the current and previous administrations for failing to prosecute the offenders.
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The failure of authorities to act on nearly-specific foreign intelligence received prior to the attacks was attributed to a breakdown in communication brought on by a disagreement between then-President Maithripala Sirisena and then-Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Both of them belonged to various political parties.
Sirisena and four other people were ordered to pay compensation after Sri Lanka's top court ruled that their inaction contributed to the bomb attacks and that they had violated the victims' and their families' fundamental rights.