Former Sri Lankan President and war criminal, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, has issued a statement condemning the burning of the Prime Minister’s house amidst widespread protests across Colombo.
My strongest condemnation of the torching of the PM Mr.Ranil W’s house .
The Aragalaya does not need violence to achieve it’s goal of sending away a Bad government and establishing a viable,People’s https://t.co/B9ewHxrR0j have shown extreme maturity and restraint until now.— Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga (@CBKsrilanka) July 9, 2022
Kumaratunga’s statement comes on the anniversary of the Navaly Church massacre which her administration oversaw. On this day 27 years ago, the Sri Lankan air force dropped 13 bombs on St Peter’s Church in Navaly. More than 140 sheltering Tamils, who were encouraged by the military to seek refuge at the church, were killed on the spot. At least 13 children were amongst the dead, with many more succumbing to injuries later as the local hospital was swamped with the wounded.
In 2015, she told an audience, "I have not done anything wrong… I don’t have blood on our hands”.
Kumaratunga developed a close relationship with the Rajapaksa’s appointing Mahinda Rajapaksa. He had served as labour minister and as ministers of fisheries under her administration. In 2004 Kumaratunga would appoint Mahinda as him as the Prime Minister and would later grant him her endorsement as a successor President.
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