The father of Vihanga Tejantha, a young employee killed in the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks at Colombo’s Shangri-La Hotel, has called for justice for the victims at the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Suraj Nilang, speaking on behalf of the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR) and Franciscans International, stressed the need for a thorough, independent, and speedy criminal investigation to hold all those responsible accountable.
He further urged authorities to ensure comprehensive economic, social, and psychological assessments to deliver justice for the injured and the families of those killed.
Vihanga Tejantha, who was 20 years old at the time, died in the suicide bombing carried out at the Shangri-La Hotel. While most of the Easter Sunday victims were Christian worshippers, Tejantha, a Buddhist, was among the few non-Christians killed in the attack.
Addressing the Council, Suraj Nilang said nearly a year after Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s election as President, hopes of justice for the victims were fading. He noted that key masterminds behind the bombings had yet to be exposed, while investigations continued to suffer from serious shortcomings.
Nilang also expressed concern that prior warnings were ignored and adequate security measures had not been implemented at churches and the Shangri-La Hotel, leaving worshippers and guests vulnerable.
Franciscans International and the Centre for Society and Religion urged the government to ensure independent investigations, cooperate with international mechanisms to guarantee accountability, and provide justice to victims’ families through proper assessments and reparations.
