Bill approved to guarantee burial rights in Sri Lanka

Colombo: A draft bill that would grant the right to every individual in Sri Lanka to decide whether that person’s body should be disposed of by burial or cremation has been approved, a cabinet note said on Tuesday.

Forced cremations during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic had caused much heartburn among the island nation’s 9 per cent Muslim minority residents.

The 'Burial and Cremation Rights Bill’ seeks to pacify the aggrieved minority.

“The right to decide whether the body of the dead person should be buried or cremated to be entrusted with the deceased individual’s closest relative considering the deceased individual’s preferences,” the note said.

The bill was approved on Monday after which Minister of Justice M U M Ali Sabry posted on X: “Today, the Cabinet of Ministers approved taking steps necessary to pass the 'Burial and Cremation Rights Bill’, a proposal I strongly advocated for.” “This crucial piece of legislation ensures the right of every individual to choose between burial and cremation, respecting personal and religious beliefs. Together, we will uphold dignity and justice for all,” he added in his post.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2020 and 2021, an expert panel appointed by the then government had decided that there existed a serious risk of water contamination if bodies of patients who died of the virus were to be allowed burials.

The government didn’t relent even in the face of concerns raised by Islamic nations on the decision.

The current dispensation earlier this year extended an apology to the Muslim minority on the issue and said compensation could be granted to those aggrieved by the forced cremation decision.

The act of cremating a dead body is forbidden in Islam and the callous disregard for religious rites by the state has understandably caused distress amongst the Muslim community, Amnesty International had then said.