Sri Lankan court orders ex-leader to pay victims of 2019 Easter bombings
NBCDec 24, 2022
Sri Lanka: Protests on Fourth Anniversary of Easter Bombings
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Image copyright: AP [via Al Jazeera]
The Facts
Thousands of Sri Lankans held a protest Friday in the capital city of Colombo to demand justice for Apr. 21, 2019, Easter Sunday bombings that killed 269 people and wounded some 500 more.
Protesters want the government to uncover who's responsible for the suicide bombings of two Catholic churches, one Protestant church, as well as three tourist hotels that killed 42 foreigners from 14 countries.
The Spin
Narrative A
Despite hundreds of suspects having been interviewed and multiple investigatory commissions established, the Sri Lankan government has failed to achieve justice for the devastating attack. Though some politicians were forced to pay fines, financial penalties have done nothing to truly hold the murderers accountable. If other countries can quickly prosecute and convict suspects for far lesser crimes, why can't Sri Lanka punish suicide bombers and the government officials who allowed them to kill hundreds of people?
Narrative B
Though it could take years, given there are dozens of defendants and thousands of individual charges, the Sri Lankan Attorney General's department has already begun its prosecution of the alleged attackers. This investigation has been complicated as the terrorists and their families are under the prosecutorial microscope, which shows how much information authorities must sift through before justice can be served. This investigation is proceeding accordingly.
