Forced Covid-19 cremations: is it too late for redemption?

The Cabinet has approved a proposal to apologize to the Muslim community for the anguish and cultural insensitivity caused by the forced cremation of 276 Covid-19 victims, which went against their religious beliefs. Cabinet Spokesperson Bandula Gunawardena announced this decision during yesterday’s Cabinet media briefing. This apology should have come much earlier; ideally, the forced cremation policy should never have been implemented in Sri Lanka. The controversial forced cremation policy, based on guidelines from the Ministry of Health regarding the clinical management of Covid-19, was enacted due to fears that the virus could contaminate water sources. This rationale was promoted by the government under former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who cited statements from Prof. Meththika Vithanage of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, suggesting that buried bodies could contaminate water sources and virus could be spread further. The government’s chief epidemiologist, Dr. Sudath Samaraweera, claimed that burials would “contaminate ground drinking water”.

The distress caused to the Muslim community, already reeling from the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, was immense. The Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration’s stance seemed to reflect a disregard for concerns of the minorities, as they, the President himself, clearly said several times that they were not elected to the office through minority votes. Despite repeated assurances from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and many other experts, including reputable virologists like Prof. Malik Peiris, that buried bodies would not spread the covid-19 virus, the Government chose to ignore this expert advice. However, now, after three years, the government led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe seeks to apologise for the forced cremations. At first glance, this move appears commendable. However, it raises questions about the underlying motives, especially with a Presidential Election approaching. One might reasonably argue that the government, like many before it, is trying to exploit minority votes through such moves.

Minister Gunawardena, who announced this decision yesterday (23), said scientific studies, including a July 2021 investigation supported by the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and a March 2024 study by the China-Sri Lanka Joint Research and Demonstration Centre for Water Technology, have clarified the issue. According to Gunawardena, these studies have unequivocally identified faeces and urine, rather than safe burials, as the primary sources of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to water sources, suggesting that the enforcement of the cremation policy was not based on comprehensive scientific understanding. However, Gunawardena failed to address several critical questions. Firstly, who will issue the apology? Will it come from President Ranil Wickremesinghe, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, or both former and current Prime Ministers? Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in his book ‘The Conspiracy to oust me from the Presidency’ defended his actions regarding forced cremations saying he was only carrying out “expert advice” from Prof. Vithanage, not to let Covid victims be interred. If the government is genuinely remorseful, it should have a clear plan for how the apology will be delivered. It cannot be seen that they have such a plan so far.

Another key question is how the government plans to convey this apology. In what format will it be issued? Will a formal statement be released on behalf of the government? Additionally, what measures will be taken to hold accountable those politicians, academics and intellectuals who advocated for the forced cremations? The Cabinet Spokesperson also mentioned, during the media briefing, that the government is focused on introducing laws to prevent such tragedies in the future. However, no concrete plan for these proposed laws was provided. Gunawardena’s failure to offer clear answers on these critical issues further raises concerns about the sincerity of the government’s intentions. Minister Gunawardena also quoted a famous Sinhala saying: “Weradi kirima minis gathiyak – Samawa dima deva gathiyak” (making mistakes is a human quality, but granting forgiveness is Godlike). He acknowledged that the government made a mistake and is now seeking forgiveness. While it is true that citizens in this country have forgiven politicians time and again for their mistakes, extending forgiveness in this case should not be an excuse for recurring issues. The question remains: Is forgiveness enough? When will politicians learn from their mistakes and ensure such errors are not repeated?

Source: Ceylon Today (Sri Lanka)