Sri Lanka to offer apology over cremation of COVID-19 victims

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Sri Lanka will offer public apology over cremation of COVID-19 victims, which included Muslims.

The Cabinet has approved a proposal to “plead an apology on behalf of the government from all the communities that were affected due to the enaction of the compulsory cremation policy,” Colombo-based Newswire website reported on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka had cremated COVID-19 victims at the peak of pandemic, which included some 276 members of the Muslim community.

Later, the then government had allowed in February 2021 the burial of pandemic victims with strict restrictions.

A study was commissioned by the government in July 2021 to identify SARS-CoV-2 virus in aquatic environments.

However, the study found no virus in the surface water.

Another joint study by the China-Sri Lanka Joint Research and Demonstration Center for Water Technology found “even though feces and urine are primary sources of transmission of the virus, it is not so through safe burial.”

Subsequently, the Cabinet approved joint proposal presented by the ministers of justice, foreign affairs, and water supply to “plead an apology on behalf of the government, from all the communities that were affected as a consequence of the compulsory cremation policy enacted in Sri Lanka during the COVID-19 pandemic period.”

It acknowledged that the cremation policy had caused displeasure among various religious groups including the Muslims.

Sri Lanka had reported 672,754 COVID-19 cases besides 16,897 deaths, according to Worldometers website.