The United Nations has condemned the government’s policy of forced cremation of deceased COVID-19 patients, claiming it goes against beliefs of certain religious minorities in the country.
The UN said the practice could foment existing prejudices, intolerance and violence.
In a joint statement, Special Rapporteurs Ahmed Shaheed, Fernand de Varennes, Clément Nyaletsossi Voule and Tlaleng Mofokeng, said “the imposition of cremation as the only option for handling the bodies confirmed or suspected of COVID-19 amounts to a human rights violation.”
The UN experts therefore urged the government to stop the forced cremation of COVID-19 bodies and to take all necessary measures to combat disinformation, hate speech and stigmatization of minorities in the country.
All deceased bodies of suspected and confirmed patients across Sri Lanka have been cremated according to the government’s COVID-19 guidelines issued in March last year. (Global Times)
