“Brother Lal Wickrematunge expresses faith in the President’s commitment to bringing the culprits to justice after years of inaction:
On the morning of January 8, 2008, Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge, the outspoken Editor of the Sunday Leader, was brutally assassinated by unidentified assassins in broad daylight while travelling to his office along the Attidiya Road. Over the years, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has made shocking revelations in court, implicating Military Intelligence Units in the Editor’s brutal murder. However, despite the succession of multiple Governments, some even including politicians who continue to call Wickrematunge a dear friend, justice has remained elusive, forcing the slain Editor’s friends and family to persist in their relentless fight for accountability.
This week, those who have steadfastly supported the Wickrematunge family in their pursuit of justice gathered at his gravesite to commemorate yet another anniversary of his untimely death, as they have done faithfully every year since his passing. The group included family members, former colleagues, human rights activists and even several political figures.
Pledged justice
Lal Wickrematunge, brother of the late Lasantha Wickrematunge, in an open letter expressed the family’s renewed hope that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who pledged justice for the killing of Wickrematunge and many others upon his appointment, would demonstrate the political will that his predecessors lacked to hold those responsible accountable.
“The single reason why Lasantha’s murderers and those who gave orders to kill remain free is the lack of political will within successive governments. Our family has renewed hope that such will is present in the new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. His intention is demonstrated by bringing back former DIG CID Ravi Seneviratne and Director CID Shani Abeysekera into service.
“We will wait for justice. Karma may not. But, I wish one or the other would happen,” he added.
Directly addressing President Dissanayake, he said “Mr President, our family expects justice. We need closure”.
He also expressed his deep frustration with former Governments. “The killers, though known to some investigators, are yet free. Those who did resort to despicable acts to cover up the tracks of the murderers go high up in the security and police chain. Karma has dealt with some and it may not take long for others to suffer a similar fate,” he said.
He criticised the repeated failure of former Governments. “Four successive Governments deliberately dragged their feet, avoided following up and made certain that the perpetrators, including those who ordered the murder, were not brought before the law. We were fooled time and again. Initially, we believed that justice would be done with a change of Government. Just stuff and nonsense.”
The grieving brother also had choice words for the Editor’s political friends. “Lasantha’s so-called political friends whilst in power did nothing. That was the corrupt system. Finally, the penny dropped. Both sides of the political fence played a game. Your turn and then it’s mine, was the system,” he said.
Crucial details
Meanwhile, at the gravesite of his brother, Lal Wickrematunge said the CID investigation uncovered crucial details, including the names and addresses of those involved in the murder He praised former CID officer Shani Abeysekera for the progress made during that time
He expressed confidence that with Abeysekera’s return to the CID under the current Government and said there is no need to restart the investigation. “It’s simply a matter of finalising the work that has already been carried out,” he said.
Similar sentiments to those expressed by Lal Wickrematunge have also been shared by former colleagues of the late Editor this week. Taking to social media, Amantha Perera, a former journalist at the Sunday Leader said under both friendly and adversarial Governments, there has never been a serious attempt to conduct a thorough investigation into the Editor’s murder.
“There is renewed hope now that the new NPP Government will make good on its election pledges to investigate all the unresolved murders of journalists. There are dozens of such cases, some dating back to the days when I was in school. I knew five of them personally, one had studied journalism under me,” he said.
A journalist, yet another former colleague of Wickramatunge’s commenting on the presence of several politicians at the gravesite on the day remarked on the stark irony of the situation. He said these politicians who now shed tears for the slain Editor, had held prominent positions in the Good Governance Government which launched an investigation into Lasantha’s brutal murder but failed or maybe chose not to bring the culprits to justice.
Uncovering the truth
Giving hope to grieving families, in November 2024 President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at an election rally in Dambulla vowed that the Government would thoroughly investigate and bring to justice those responsible for the killings of Lasantha Wickramatunga and many others. He pledged to end the era of the killing of innocents by political authorities, emphasising that every life is valuable. The President expressed his commitment to uncovering the truth behind unresolved cases and ensuring that the perpetrators face the law.
Reiterating this commitment, Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara told Parliament this week that justice must be served for Wickrematunge’s murder and that the Government is dedicated to ensuring it.
Responding to a question raised by MP Rauff Hakeem regarding unresolved cases of journalist killings and torture, Nanayakkara said that the investigations were progressing in the right direction and would be handled appropriately.
The Justice Minister said the Government had removed all hindrances to those investigations unlike previous political regimes and will provide the fullest support to bring justice.
The renewed hope and justice promised by the new Government not only has the potential to bring long-awaited accountability for Lasantha Wickrematunge’s brutal murder but also offers a beacon of hope for the families of countless other journalists who have been killed or forcibly disappeared over the years. Achieving justice in one case would send a powerful message that the voices of all who have been silenced will not be forgotten and their families, too, will finally receive the justice they have long been denied.
Pix by Rukmal Gamage
