The Muslim Council of Britain is demanding an end to Sri Lanka’s draconian policy of forced cremations, maintaining that they will take “the necessary legal action to end this violation”.
Tayab Ali, a partner at the London law firm, Bindmans, described Sri Lanka’s policy as “a serious violation of the religious freedom” and as “a violation of international law”. He further stressed that the Supreme Court's decision to dismiss petitions against the policy was "rapid and unreasoned".
"We are now preparing to bring this matter to the urgent attention of the United Nations Human Rights Committee for resolution” Ali added.
Sri Lanka imposed its policy of forced cremations on the 11 April and has since been met with intense local and international backlash. Of the 124 coronavirus deaths Sri Lanka has reported, 50 have reportedly been Muslim and have been forcibly cremated against their family's wishes. This includes the death of a 20-day-old infant.
Read the Muslim Council of Britain's full statement here.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
