Tag: Rajapaksa

  • Protests mounting as Lankan president loses majority

    The embattled Sri Lankan president lost majority in parliamentary as former allies have urged his resignation in the wake of raging street protests over the island nation’s crippling economic crisis.

    Unprecedented shortages of food and fuel along with record inflation and blackouts have inflicted widespread misery in the country’s most painful downturn since independence from Britain in 1948.

    Once-powerful ruling coalition of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is in turmoil after a string of defections and the new finance minister’s resignation just one day after taking office.

    On the other hand, anti-Rajapaksa demonstrations continued for a fifth straight day and the government warned of retaliation if rallies turned violent.

    “Security forces will not hesitate to enforce the law against those involved in violence,” defence ministry secretary Kamal Gunaratne said in a statement.

    More than 60 people had been arrested in connection with unrest since Friday and many have said they were tortured in police custody.

    The UN Human Rights Council said it was closely watching the deteriorating situation in Sri Lanka, which is already facing international censure over its human rights record.

    “The drift towards militarisation and the weakening of institutional checks and balances in Sri Lanka have affected the state’s ability to effectively tackle the economic crisis,” the UNHRC said.

  • Sri Lanka reverses ‘anti-Muslim’ cremation order after PM Imran’s visit

    Sri Lanka reverses ‘anti-Muslim’ cremation order after PM Imran’s visit

    Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday welcomed the Sri Lankan government’s decision to allow the burial of COVID-19 victims.

    The Sri Lankan government rolled back the ban days after Imran’s visit to Colombo.

    On February 10, Prime Minister Imran had lauded his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa’s announcement that burials would be allowed. A day later, however, Rajapaksa backtracked and said there would be no change in the cremation-only policy.

    The ban had sparked protests by Muslims who bury their dead in accordance with Islamic customs. The Muslim community in Sri Lanka had held a protest prior to Prime Minister Imran’s visit, where they carried a mock janazah or coffin.

    “Respect Prime Minister’s statement and allow burials,” one banner at the protest read.

    On February 25, a day after Prime Minister Imran concluded his two-day official visit to Colombo, the Sri Lankan government issued a notification saying that the order has been amended to allow both burial and cremation of people who died due to coronavirus.

    “I thank the Sri Lankan leadership & welcome the Sri Lankan govt’s official notification allowing the burial option for those dying of Covid 19,” PM Imran said in a tweet posted today.

    BAN ON BURIALS:

    The Sri Lankan government had imposed a ban on burials in April amid concerns — which experts say are baseless — by influential Buddhist monks that burying bodies could contaminate groundwater and spread the virus.

    The World Health Organisation has said there is no such risk, recommending both burial and cremation of virus victims.

    Traditionally, Muslims bury their dead facing Makkah. Sri Lanka’s majority Buddhists, who are strong backers of the current government, are typically cremated, as are Hindus.

    In December, the Sri Lankan authorities ordered the forced cremation of at least 19 Muslim Covid-19 victims, including a baby, after their families refused to claim their bodies from a hospital morgue.

    This stoked dismay and anger among the Muslim community, moderates and abroad, with the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation repeatedly expressing concern.