By Faraz Salley –

In September of last year, security minister Ananda Wijepala informed Parliament that investigations into the 2009 assassination of prolofic journalist and human rights defender Lasantha Wickrematunge, has now been completed and handed to the Attorney General.

The assassination of Wickrematunge constitutes a flagrant and prima facie case of egregious corruption, precipitating a profound crisis of confidence in Sri Lanka’s justice system. This heinous crime has occasioned a grave and irreparable harm to the reputation of Sri Lanka’s law thereby undermining the very foundations of Sri Lanka’s legal system.

As the years drag on, the Wickrematunge family’s quest for justice remains an unfulfilled promise, a painful testament to the failures that have denied them closure. The decision by Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe to withdraw charges against a suspect earlier last year, citing lack of evidence, has only served to exacerbate the sense of outrage and betrayal felt by the Wickrematunges and the wider public.

This case is now representative of a critical juncture in Sri Lanka’s history, a moment of truth that will define the NPP’s commitment to the legal justice system. The Wickrematunge case is being viewed as the ultimate ‘litmus test’, a benchmark against which their credibility and effectiveness will be measured. The significance of this case goes beyond the individual circumstances of the murder. It speaks to the very nature of Sri Lankan society, where the law is subverted by the interests of the powerful. The failure to deliver justice in this case will only continue to perpetuate a culture of impunity, undermining the fundamental principles of the law.

In a country where dissenting voices have long been silenced through violence and intimidation, the case represents a watershed moment. It is a reminder that the pursuit of truth and accountability is not merely a imperative, but a necessary condition for the survival of true Sri Lankan leadership.

The Attorney General’s decision to withdraw charges in the case in February last year, sparked widespread outrage, with many condemning the move as a blatant attempt to shield those responsible for Lasantha’s murder. The timing of that decision, coming as it did on the heels of a new government’s ascension to power, only served to fuel suspicions of a cover-up.

The Wickrematunge case is powerful and symbolic of the need for a just society. The country’s legal institutions must demonstrate their commitment to justice, not merely through promises, but through concrete actions that deliver accountability. It is irrefutable that justice for Lasantha Wickrematunge is now a national imperative. The delivery of justice in this case would indeed send a powerful message to the Sri Lankan people, reaffirming their faith in our rule of law.

What is most damning is not merely the brutality of the crime, but the state’s sustained indifference to resolving it. Seventeen years on, the failure of governments to meaningfully conclude this investigation amounts to a abdication of responsibility. The continued delays, reversals, and institutional lethargy surrounding the Wickrematunge case expose a political culture that is either unwilling or incapable of upholding law.

The shame of this failure is compounded by the government’s repeated assurances, each met with renewed disappointment. Public declarations of progress, unaccompanied by tangible outcomes, have become a hollow ritual that insults both the intelligence and patience of the Sri Lankan public. Each year that passes without accountability deepens the perception that justice in Sri Lanka is selectively applied—swift for the powerless, endlessly deferred for those with political protection.

Lasantha would have been 67 years old today. His dedication to peace, reconciliation, and justice, driven by his purpose in breaking down religious and racial inequality and creating a new era in Sri Lanka must be carried on. He remains an iconic figure globally, inspiring movements for human rights. After years of governments failing to bring closure to Wickrematunge’s family, this current leadership is showing little progress thus far.

The assassination and now the NPP Government’s efforts to solve this case, represents a defining symbol, a symbol that will set the future and determine the government of Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s commitment to human rights. Justice for Wickrematunge is now seen as a necessary condition for the survival of Sri Lanka’s reputation on a international stage. In honour of his monumental service to the country, let us hope that Wickrematunge will finally receive the justice that he, his family and Sri Lanka deserves.