Seventy-Seven Months After Easter: The Elusive Pursuit of Justice

Colombo, September 30 – Seventy-seven months since the Easter Sunday massacres, Sri Lanka’s quest for accountability remains incomplete, marked by contested narratives, political entanglements, and an absence of decisive judicial outcomes.

The coordinated bombings of April 21, 2019, killed over 260 people and injured more than 500. While initially attributed to Islamist extremists led by Zaharan Hashim, subsequent inquiries have suggested that the violence was not the work of isolated radicals but was embedded within deeper political and intelligence failures.

Allegations of Political Engineering

Observers and commentators argue that the Easter attacks contributed directly to the political environment that enabled Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s rise to power later in 2019. Had the Sirisena–Rajapaksa bid to reclaim government during the 2018 constitutional crisis succeeded, it is unlikely that Zaharan’s network would have operated with such latitude.

Former president Maithripala Sirisena has come under scrutiny for contradictory public statements. He has acknowledged that his controversial foreign trip to Singapore on the eve of the attacks was arranged on the advice of then–State Intelligence Chief Nilantha Jayawardena and military intelligence officer Suresh Salley. Both figures have long been accused of operating within a Rajapaksa-aligned “deep state.”

Despite repeated calls for accountability, Sirisena has not been formally questioned by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Critics argue that this reluctance undermines the credibility of successive governments, including the present National People’s Power (NPP) administration, which campaigned on dismantling Rajapaksa-era impunity.

The Lure of Power and Unanswered Questions

Analysts suggest that Sirisena was persuaded by assurances that post-attack instability would facilitate his political return, either as president or prime minister. His unauthorized foreign trips — bypassing Cabinet approval — appear consistent with this narrative.

Further testimonies, including from relatives such as Thilina Suranjith, may shed light on the extent of Sirisena’s involvement and awareness.

Key unanswered questions remain:

Why was Nalaka Silva, former head of the Terrorist Investigation Division, imprisoned in 2018 on the testimony of whistle-blower Namal Kumara, effectively removing him from the chain of command before the bombings?

Why were warnings from foreign intelligence agencies ignored?

What role did the obstruction of the Parliamentary Select Committee play in concealing early findings?

What the New Government Must Address

For investigators, analysts recommend six priority steps:

Re-examine Sirisena’s obstruction of the parliamentary inquiry.

Revisit the imprisonment of TID officer Nalaka Silva.

Re-question former IGP Pujith Jayasundara.

Analyze in full the recorded phone calls held by former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando.

Probe Sirisena’s alleged private threats to Gotabaya Rajapaksa regarding “revealing all secrets.”

Initiate questioning of Sirisena, followed by Salley and Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

A State Still at Risk

The persistence of entrenched networks of influence — often described as a Rajapaksa-aligned “deep state” — continues to cast a shadow. Analysts warn that these actors retain the ability to exploit instability or orchestrate new crises if unchecked.

Seventy-seven months on, the absence of decisive accountability leaves Sri Lanka vulnerable not only to renewed violence but also to the erosion of public trust in its institutions.

As one political analyst noted: “Until figures like Sirisena, Salley, and the Rajapaksas are thoroughly questioned, the Easter Sunday tragedy will remain an open wound — and a warning of how impunity can breed catastrophe.”