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Faizel Patel – 24/12/2020

(Twitter: @FaizelPatel143

The International Relations Department says it will continue to engage with the Sri Lankan government surrounding the cremation of Muslims COVID-19 victims.

Health authorities in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka insist all victims must be cremated — even if they are Muslims.

The order issued in April came amid alarm raised by influential Buddhist monks that burying bodies could contaminate groundwater and spread the virus.

In statement, International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor says Deputy Director-General for the Middle East met with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner Designate Sirisena Amarasekara to express concern about the Muslim cremations.

Pandor says the High Commissioner Designate indicated that Sri Lanka is currently experiencing a second wave of COVID-19 and the government had to resort to extreme measures to contain its rapid spread across the country.

“As a result, all religious groupings are affected by this decision of the government. He further informed that the Sri Lankan Prime HE Mr. Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has recently commissioned a team of scientists and expert to identify suitable land that could be converted into burial sites to address the concerns expressed by all religious groupings.”

Earlier this month, former Sri Lankan Parliamentarian Faizar Mustafa told Radio Islam Muslim parliamentarians in government including the opposition were speaking with one voice against the forced cremations.