• Govt. to consult AG on disclosure of victims’ info and decide on suitable arrangement for victims 
• Govt. defends Covid-era DGHS and incumbent Health Secy. Dr. Jasinghe as being duty-bound to act per then experts’ directives 

 The Parliamentary Opposition has called on the Government to conduct a departmental-level inquiry into the forced cremation of bodies, particularly those of Muslims, during the Covid-19 pandemic, which took place under the administration of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Speaking in the Parliament yesterday (17), Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) and Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Rauff Hakeem, made these remarks while urging the Government to disclose the details of the individuals who were cremated during the pandemic.

In response, Minister of Health and Cabinet of Ministers’ Spokesperson Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated that the specific information requested by Hakeem could not be published due to medical ethics and certain provisions within the Right to Information Act. However, he assured that the National People’s Power (NPP) Government would not allow such injustices to occur to ethnic minorities again for political gain. 

“Commemorating the deceased is an essential part of a society’s civilisation. During the early days of Covid-19, there were various opinions regarding the virus and its transmission. However, those concerns were addressed in a short period of time. But, the decision taken by the then Government created a problem, and we, as a country, feel ashamed of that decision. We assure you that such actions will not occur in the future,” he said.

Hakeem then questioned the medical ethics that prevent the disclosure of the relevant information. “I have never heard of such ethics. If they exist, please tell us what they are. We are simply asking for the number of cremations, the names of the individuals cremated, their addresses, and the details of their relatives. It is true that this decision was made by a previous Government, and even the former President (Ranil Wickremesinghe) has apologised for it. However, we urge the current Government to disclose this information,” he said.

In response, Dr. Jayatissa stated that the Government would consult the Attorney General (AG) on this matter and ensure that the Parliament is informed of the situation.

Meanwhile, SJB Opposition MP Mujibur Rahman questioned the appointment of former Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Anil Jasinghe, as the new Secretary to the Ministry of Health. He claimed that Dr. Jasinghe was one of the officers who justified the decision, which he argued was politically motivated by the then Government. 

“When we (MPs) met with him (Dr. Jasinghe) to discuss this decision, he stated that it was made by the Health Ministry, and not by the political authorities. Dr. Jayatissa has said that the entire country should be ashamed of that decision. Given that, how can you appoint him as the Secretary to your Ministry?,” he questioned.

In response, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the political culture at the time led officials to make such decisions. “We don’t protect such officials. Under our administration, we will not allow any officials to make decisions that harm the beliefs of certain ethnic groups,” she said.

Speaking on the matter, NPP General Secretary and Government MP Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe, who is also a consultant epidemiologist who opposed the decision to cremate bodies, explained: “Those officials had to act according to the decisions made by the expert committee appointed by the political authorities. Then-Secretary to the Health Ministry and the DGHS were required to implement the committee's decision. This occurred due to political gains,” he said.

Hakeem, further responding to Dr. Abeysinghe, noted that a member of the expert committee has been appointed as the acting Chief Epidemiologist of the Ministry. “I urge that such individuals not be appointed. At the very least, conduct a departmental inquiry and penalise those officials,” he said.

Meanwhile, responding to the SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa’s suggestion to give compensation to the victims of the particular decision, the Government replied that it will decide on a suitable way to address the inconveniences caused to the people because of the decision.

Forced cremation in Sri Lanka became a contentious issue during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government mandated cremation for all Covid-19 victims, including Muslims, whose religious beliefs require burial. This policy was justified by the Government on the grounds of public health, citing fears of virus transmission through groundwater. However, the World Health Organisation and various local and international health experts maintained that there was no evidence to support the claim that burial posed a risk of spreading the virus.