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President vows to expedite Easter Sunday attack probe & ensure justice for victims

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President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks will be expedited, and steps will be taken to ensure that such a tragedy never occurs again in the country. He assured that justice will be delivered to the victims.

The President made these remarks during a discussion held today (06) at St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, Negambo, with the families of those killed and injured in the Easter Sunday attack.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake visited the church during the morning and laid floral tributes at the memorial established in honor of the victims. To mark the occasion, a commemorative gift was also presented to the president.

During the discussion the President met with the families of the victims, who shared their concerns and difficulties with him directly. He highlighted that the Easter Sunday Attack which happened on 21st April 2019 was the most tragic disaster in the recent past and that it will not be allowed to be buried with time.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressed his belief that one of the key factors influencing the people’s decision in the last presidential election was their hope for justice concerning the Easter Sunday attacks.

He emphasized that the aspirations of the citizens align with his own, stating that his goal is to deliver the justice and fairness the people seek in relation to the Easter Sunday attack. He assured that efforts have already begun to achieve this.

The President also stressed the importance of conducting the investigation without any preconceived conclusions or biases. He instructed the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security to ensure a transparent and impartial investigation, guided by openness and objectivity.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake acknowledged that there is a widespread belief in society that the Easter Sunday attacks may have been carried out to gain political mileage. He stated that if hundreds of innocent lives were sacrificed for political purposes, it would be a profound tragedy. He emphasized that if politics in the country has reached such an extreme, the first priority must be to eliminate this dangerous situation.

The President also highlighted growing suspicions that the government apparatus at the time may have been involved in the attacks. If such allegations are true, he warned, the country would remain in a dangerously unstable and insecure state. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to uncover the truth behind these events, he emphasized.

Additionally, President Dissanayake stressed that justice must be delivered to the victims of the tragedy, which claimed the lives of nearly 274 people and left many others injured, to honor the love and devotion of their families.

He also expressed his deep appreciation for the role played by the priests, who helped prevent an even greater social catastrophe in the aftermath of the attacks. The President extended his gratitude to them once again for their efforts.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake further stated that if the bonds, trust, and harmony within society are weakened, and people begin to view others with anger and suspicion, it would pose a serious threat to the well-being of the community. In light of this, he emphasized the need for a fair and transparent investigation into the Easter Sunday attacks.

The President also noted that for the past five years, those who gathered on the streets on April 21 were driven by a hope for justice, which sustained them year after year.

His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, speaking at the event, shared that despite appealing to the Human Rights Commission in Geneva for justice for the Easter Sunday victims, no resolution has been achieved. He also pointed out that while the government has been working to provide necessary support to the victims, the public continues to question the true cause of the attack.

His Eminence Cardinal Ranjith expressed his belief in President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, acknowledging the trust the people of Sri Lanka have in him and appreciating his integrity. He added that he believes the President will deliver on the promise of justice. He further expressed his belief that the President will take action to hold those responsible for the Easter Sunday attack accountable and ensure justice is served.

Rev.Fr. Manjula Niroshan, the mission in charge of Katuwapitiya Church, along with a large number of Easter attack victims and devotees, attended the event.

(News1st)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by News1st has not been edited by SLM staff)

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Names of Mayors and Chairpersons of several LG bodies gazetted

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A gazette extraordinary has been issued containing the names of Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Chairpersons, and Vice-Chairpersons of several local government institutions.

The names have been gazetted based on recommendations sent to the National Election by political parties and independents groups that secured a majority in local government bodies at the recently concluded Local Government (LG) election.    

Accordingly, the Election Commission has taken steps to publish the names from among the political parties and independent groups that secured a majority at the Local Government election held recently.

The names of the elected and nominated members for the respective local authorities, following the Local Government election were also published in the government gazette based on the respective administrative districts.

As per the gazette notification issued by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government on February 17, 2025, the term of office of local government bodies is scheduled to commence on June 2, 2025

පළාත් පාලන ආයතනවල සභාපතිවරුන්ගේ නම් ඇතුළත් ගැසට් පත්‍රය නිකුත් කෙරේ by poornima

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Weather Alert: Showers to ease in Southwest, strong winds forecast in North

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Prevailing showery condition in the southwestern part of the island is expected to reduced gradually from today (01st)

Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts during the afternoon or night.

Fairly strong winds of about (30-40) kmph can be expected at times over Western slopes of the central hills and in Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Hambantota and Trincomalee districts.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

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Aluthgamage and Fernando assigned printing work in prison

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Former Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and former Sathosa Chairman Nalin Fernando, sentenced this week to jail for 20 and 25 years, respectively, have been assigned duties in the printing section at the Welikada prison, sources said.

Both of them are being held together away from the main section of the prison’s ‘chapel’ section, where prisoners serving life sentences and those convicted of murder and rape are held. The prison’s printing section prints its own documentation.

Prison sources said that in placing them in relevant wards to serve their jail term, the authorities had taken into consideration the security of the two convicts, as they might have had political enemies.

Mr Aluthgamage was handed a 20-year term of rigorous imprisonment, while Mr Fernando was given a 25-year term of rigorous imprisonment by a High Court trial-at-bar after being found guilty of causing a Rs 53 million loss to the state.

They were accused of importing carrom boards and checkers boards through Sathosa during the 2015 presidential elections and distributing them to clubs.

Their lawyers said yesterday they were awaiting the certified copy of the judgement to prepare the appeal papers. The appeal will be considered by the Supreme Court.

(sundaytimes.lk)
(This story, originally published by sundaytimes.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

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