The main Parliamentary Opposition Party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), vowed to provide compensation within this year (2024) to those who allegedly became victims of the forced cremation of bodies during the Covid-19 pandemic under the administration of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

This statement was made by SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa during a gathering in the Moratuwa area, where he assured that a future SJB Government would not only apologise but also take concrete steps to deliver justice to the victims. Speaking further, Premadasa criticised the previous Government's reliance solely on the insights of a technical committee composed of political appointees, despite recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and an expert committee appointed to address the matter. 

"The Government cannot disregard its responsibility by merely tendering an apology to the victims. Under a SJB Government, an amount of compensation will be granted to the relevant families before the end of this year," he said. Premadasa also  emphasised that a future SJB Government would take immediate action to ensure justice for the victims. He declared, "We will not hesitate to do justice for those victims and will not merely apologise to them." 

Recently, the Government formally apologised to the country's Muslim minority for enforcing the cremation of Covid-19 victims' bodies, a practice that disregarded WHO assurances that burials in line with Islamic rites were safe. The Cabinet of Ministers issued an "apology regarding the compulsory cremation policy during the Covid-19 pandemic," according to a Government statement.

The forced cremation policy, implemented during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, sparked widespread outrage, particularly among the Muslim community, whose religious beliefs dictate burial over cremation. The policy was criticised by many as insensitive and discriminatory.