Civil society intervenes on behalf of Muslim Covid-19 victims

Karu: Extremists may exploit govt. stand

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Two civil society groups -NMSJ (National Movement for Social Justice) and Purawesi Balaya yesterday (21) urged the government to allow the burial of Muslim victims of Covid-19 in keeping with the WHO guidelines.

Former Speaker and one-time UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya and Gamini Viyangoda, on behalf of the NMSJ and Purawesi Balaya respectively, threw their weight behind the ongoing campaign to have the controversial ban on burials lifted.

They pointed out that the UN, too, backed Sri Lankan Muslim community’s demand for burial rights.

These civil society groups took up a stand on burial issue in the wake of Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) leader Sajith Premadasa attacking the government for not adhering with specific UN and WHO instructions in this regard.

Alleging that the government was acting contrary to international norms in respect of final rights of Covid-19 victims, Jayasuriya pointed out that internationally acclaimed virologist Prof. Malik Peiris recently set the record straight. He suggested that burials should be allowed with bodies wrapped in impermeable material.

Responding to another query raised by The Island, the former lawmaker emphasized that continuing prohibition on burials couldn’t be justified under any circumstances as the entire world allowed burials.

Pointing out that there had been a series of discussions among various stakeholders in that regard over the past couple of months and the issue at hand also figured during parliamentary proceedings, the former Speaker drew the government’s attention to a recent court directive that a body should be kept in cold storage until expert committee decided on the matter.

Jayasuriya urged the government to take a decision without further delay. The former Speaker warned that the failure on the part of the government to respond positively to reasonable request could be exploited by extremist elements. The NMSJ Chief said that the government should not turn a blind eye to public protests in various parts of the world demanding the Muslims given burial rights.

Muslims protested both in and outside parliament with Thowheed Jamaat displaying placards at Galle Face against the government.

Purawesi Balaya spokesperson Viyangoda said that the government bid to bury Sri Lankan Muslim dead (corona victims) in the Maldives revealed the bankruptcy of the SLPP lot. Viyangoda said that the Maldives turned down Sri Lanka’s request on the basis it could cause unrest there.

Regardless of UN and WHO assertions that burial of those who died of Covid-19 didn’t pose health risk, Sri Lanka prohibited burials but allowed unrestricted import of foreign garbage, including hazardous materials during the last regime, Viyangoda said.

The civil society activist asked whether anyone of those who had been responsible for importing container loads of British garbage were hauled up before courts.

Having imported garbage from Europe, Sri Lanka now wanted to export bodies to Maldives because it was a Muslim country, Viyangoda said.

Viyangoda said that the government decision was certainly not fair by both Muslims and Catholics as both communities buried their dead.

Referring to a plethora of recent claims that burial of Covid-19 victims posed a grave danger as the groundwater could get contaminated, Viyangoda said that no less a person than Prof. Malik Peiris recently declared scientific opinion on the issue at hand. Once Prof. Peiris stated his opinion there couldn’t be an issue over resumption of burials, Viyangoda said.

Viyangoda said that only China and Sri Lanka carried out compulsory cremations contrary to the stand taken by the UN and WHO.

Both Jayasuriya and Viyangoda pointed out that UN Resident Representative in Colombo Hanaa Singer in early last month made representations to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in this regard.

Viyangoda said that Justice Minister Ali Sabry, PC, recently explained why burials should be allowed as the practice didn’t pose a health risk. Appreciating the stand taken by Minister Sabry on this particular issue, Viyangoda said that the National List MP looked at the issue at hand as a member of the community affected by an extremely unfair government stance. However, Minister Sabry took a very different stand on other issues, Viyangoda said. A case in point, he said was the President’s Counsel’s stand on the 20th Amendment to the Constitution.

Viyangoda said that Minister Sabry’s 50 minute video on social media should be watched by both those for and against burials.

Viyangoda said that lawmaker Prof. Tissa Vitharana, too, expressed a view contrary to that of the SLPP as he was no longer a member of the cabinet. The civil society activist said that Prof. Vitharana wouldn’t have uttered a word contrary to the government stand if he was accommodated in the cabinet.