The President’s Media Division (PMD) has raised concerns over recent news reports calling for an international investigation team to probe the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks.
The PMD has cited the editorial published in the Gnanartha Pradeepaya newspaper on Sunday (Oct 08), as well as the news report titled “An international investigation team is needed for an independent, transparent, and thorough investigation and monitoring.”
Issuing a statement, the PMD said that in April this year, Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles delivered 88 volumes and 48,909 pages of the presidential commission report on the Easter attacks to the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Harold Anthony following a request made by the latter.
During a recent telephone conversation between Minister Alles and Bishop Harold Anthony, the latter had mentioned that he is personally reviewing the report. In light of this, President Ranil Wickremesinghe is preparing to engage in discussions with representatives of the Bishops Conference, the PMD said.
The PMD further said that the government cannot endorse the idea of international investigations into Sri Lanka’s internal matters.
The Constitution of Sri Lanka and all other existing laws do not provide for conducting international investigations. Consequently, carrying out such investigations would be in violation of the law.
A committee, led by a retired Supreme Court judge, has been established to conduct an inquiry and produce a report regarding the Channel 4 television program, the PMD said.
The PMD added that the government also intends to engage in further discussions on this issue once the Bishops’ Conference has thoroughly reviewed the report from the Presidential Commission.
