The United Nations has condemned the practice of compulsory cremation of people infected with the covid 19 virus as a human rights violation against minorities.
UN human rights experts Ahmed Shaheed, Fernand de Virennes, Clement Nialtsossi Woolley and Laleng Mofokeng have called on the Sri Lankan government to immediately suspend the process.
The four experts said in a special statement from Geneva that the cremation of Kovid was against the beliefs of minorities, including Muslims.
They warn that it will undermine the faith of Muslims and other religious minorities in the country and could lead to further breeding of existing prejudices, resentments and violence.
They also point out that although the Sri Lankan government considers cremation of the bodies of people infected or suspected with Kovid to be the only option, there is no medical evidence in Sri Lanka or any other country that burying those bodies will increase the spread of the virus.
The statement condemned the Sri Lankan government’s decision to cremate all Kovid infected bodies, saying that making the cremation of the bodies of those killed in covid compulsory in Sri Lanka would be an impediment to inter-ethnic harmony and a violation of human rights.
In some cases, the committee has focused on conducting cremations without even saving time to verify the accuracy of the reports.
It has come to the notice of the United Nations that the Government has accepted only the recommendation of one panel of experts appointed by the Government to confirm the cremation, despite the recommendation of one local panel of experts approved by the Sri Lanka Medical Association and the Sri Lanka Medical Association.
While the United Nations has strongly condemned the burning of the bodies of all those killed in the Kovid epidemic as a human rights violation targeting minorities, Muslims have sought the help of the United Nations to repeal the Sri Lankan government’s coercive policy. He was handing over a memorandum to the United Nations Office at Thummulla, Colombo yesterday (26) afternoon. The request was made by the Muslim Left Front.
Announcement by the United Nations
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