Image: A book on Easter Sunday attacks published under the name of ex-paramilitary leader and pro-Rajapaksa politician has become a tool for a disinformation campaign.
Sunanda Deshapriya.
By the last week, six years after the Easter Sunday attacks, new disinformation stories emerged, seemingly aimed at protecting the political accomplices behind the crime. These stories claim that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) determined the attacks were carried out by the Islamic State group (ISIS).
This disinformation is aimed at blocking the current investigation, which aims to track down the politicians or political forces suspected of being behind the attacks. They say there is no need to investigate further as FBI has given the final word!
The Disinformation Campaign
Among those spreading this disinformation are a notorious professor, a political writer known for fabrications, and Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillayan, para military leader cum the Chief Minister of the Eastern Province under the Rajapaksa administration.
Pillayan, infamous for his violent political tactics, published a book on the Easter Sunday attacks, concluding that ISIS was responsible. However, Pillayan has not conducted any research to support this claim. Having joined the LTTE at the age of 14, his limited language skills raise questions about who authored the book under his name—an unsolved mystery tied to the Easter Sunday attacks.
This disinformation campaign is the latest in a series of efforts over the past six years to obscure the political forces behind the attacks. Four years ago, a Los Angeles court convicted and sentenced four men—Mohammed Naufer, Mohammed Ansar, Mohammed Rizkan, and Ahmed Milhan Hayat Mohammed—in connection with the deaths of Americans in the Easter attacks. Now, citing this ruling, the National People’s Forces have criticized the government’s ongoing investigations as ineffective.
Comparisons to Other Cases
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was charged for the 9/11 attacks in 2001, and LTTE leader Prabhakaran, along with intelligence chief Pottu Amman, was indicted for the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. However, in the US case related to the Easter attacks, the heads of the SISI organization were not named as suspects, as there was no direct foreign connection to the attacks.
Despite these facts, the disinformation campaign claims that the FBI’s findings render the current investigation futile. This narrative appears to be driven by those fearing that the investigation is closing in on the true perpetrators.
The Saharan Group and Political Implications
The Saharan group, responsible for the November 30, 2019, attack on the Vavunathivu police checkpoint, is now entangled in the investigation. This attack, initially attributed to the LTTE, was later revealed to be part of a broader political agenda. The current frenzy stems from fears that those who facilitated the Easter attacks for political gain may soon be exposed.
The Role of Professor Rohan Gunaratne
Last week, reports surfaced about Professor Asanga Abeygunasekara, who had provided a confidential report to President Sirisena dismissing the possibility of linking an LTTE resurgence and the attack on Vavanthiv police post. Abeygunasekara, then head of the Sri Lankan Institute of National Security Studies (INSS), was reportedly told to “stay silent on matters he did not understand” by an unnamed professor. It is understood that the professor who tried to justify the LTTE resurgence theory is Rohan Gunaratna.. He has since become a key figure in the disinformation campaign.
Pillayan’s Exploits
According to Pillayan’s book, Professor Rohan Gunaratne visited him in prison after the Easter attacks and before Hansir Azath Maulana’s statement was revealed. Only after that statement was Pilleyan linked to the Easter Sunday Attacks.
The purpose of the meeting between Gunarathan and Pillayan remains unclear, but Pillayan claims they had a lengthy discussion. In his book, Pillayan names Saharan as the mastermind behind the attacks. The Sunday Times political columnist, known for spreading falsehoods, has also endorsed this book.
The State’s Role in the Easter Sunday Attacks
The suicide bombers, led by Saharan Hashim, did not receive foreign funding or weapons training, as confirmed by the country’s intelligence chiefs. However, Saharan’s group was influenced by the extremist ideologies of ISIS, much like the 1971 JVP rebels were inspired by revolutionaries such as Che Guevara.
The Easter Sunday attack was more dangerous, as it was allegedly a state-led plan. The State Intelligence Service and the Army Intelligence Service had ample prior knowledge of the attack. This led to the conviction of President Sirisena, Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, Deputy Inspectors General of Police, State Intelligence Service Chief Nilantha Jayawardena, and National Intelligence Chief Sisira Mendis by the Supreme Court. They were fined millions for knowingly allowing the attack to occur.
Unresolved Mysteries
One of the main unresolved questions is the secret agreement between DIG Nilantha Jayawardena and President Sirisena. Jayawardena claimed he did not inform Sirisena about the attack scheduled for April 21, 2019, a claim rejected by both the Supreme Court and the High Court. Other intelligence officials, including then-Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, testified that Jayawardena must have shared this information with Sirisena.
This raises suspicions that Sirisena’s trips to India and Singapore, during which he delayed his return, were intended to facilitate the attack. The motives behind Jayawardena’s false narrative also warrant deeper investigation.
Evidence of a Cover-Up
There is substantial evidence suggesting that Nilantha Jayawardena allowed the Easter attacks to happen and later conspired to suppress the truth. He halted the questioning of intelligence officers linked to Saharan’s team and prevented the interrogation of Bandara, an agent who informed ISIS to claim responsibility for the attack.
Jayawardena’s loyalty to Gotabaya Rajapaksa is evident from his testimony in the MP Raviraj murder case, where he defended Gotabaya despite risking his career. No disciplinary action was taken against him for testifying ain’t the prosecution without the Attorney General’s permission, as the government intervened.
Data Destruction and Allegations
Jayawardena deleted all data on his mobile phone, including critical information about the Easter attacks, raising suspicions of a cover-up. He claimed the data was erased to give the phone to his wife, but questions remain about why he also altered data on his laptop. These actions suggest deliberate attempts to destroy evidence, including conversations with Sirisena and Gotabaya.
If the so-called “fearsome triangle” of Nilantha, Sirisena, and Gotabaya was not behind the attacks, why was this data destroyed? Could they indeed be the mastermind trio?
27. April 2025.