Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday warned Parliament that Sri Lanka’s international standing could be jeopardised following a statement made to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) by the father of a child killed in the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.
Making a special statement in Parliament, Premadasa said that the father of Vihanga Tejan, a young boy who lost his life in the suicide bombing at the Shangri-La Hotel, had expressed deep dissatisfaction with the progress of the investigation into the attacks. The father’s statement was reportedly submitted directly to the OHCHR.
“This is bad for the country. You must take steps to reassure the victims and give them the credibility they seek,” Premadasa told the House, warning that international perceptions of Sri Lanka’s accountability could be seriously undermined if victims and their families continue to express such discontent.
The Opposition Leader said that it was important to display
transparency and justice, particularly in high-profile cases like the Easter Sunday attacks that drew global attention. The coordinated suicide bombings on 21 April, 2019, claimed over 260 lives and injured more than 500, including foreign nationals, in a series of blasts targeting churches and luxury hotels.
Premadasa also used the opportunity to renew demands for greater parliamentary scrutiny of the government’s handling of the issue, particularly with regard to recent developments surrounding Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara.
He called on Parliament to disclose the reports from both the Cabinet Secretariat and the Attorney General’s Department, used as the basis for rejecting a No-Confidence Motion brought against Jayasekara.
“There are no personal issues with Minister Jayasekara,” Premadasa clarified. “But the public deserves to know the reasoning behind the decision to reject the motion, especially when serious allegations, involving a conflict of interest, have been raised.”
In August, a group of Opposition MPs submitted the No-Confidence Motion against Jayasekara, citing concerns over his alleged involvement and potential conflict of interest in the ongoing investigations into the 2019 terror attacks. Jayasekara currently serves as the Acting Minister of Defence.
Premadasa said that without full transparency, public trust in the investigative process, and the broader justice system, could further erode, potentially inviting more international scrutiny.
By Saman Indrajith
