While the Sri Lankan president is to have made a request to bury Muslim Covid-19 victims in Maldives, the neighbouring country’s cabinet claims to be unaware of any such request.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement issued on Monday, said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had sent the request to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih due to the challenges faced by Sri Lankan authorities in making funeral arrangements.

Noting that the government is in discussions with the relevant stakeholders to ensure the possibility of making the arrangements in the island nation, the ministry said that the president’s decision to consider the request is based on the "close long-standing bilateral ties" between the two nations as well as to ensure help to face the challenges faced by the neigbouring nation due to the ongoing pandemic.

Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid said that the assistance “will also offer solace to [the] Sri Lankan Muslim brothers and sisters grieving over burial of loved ones”.

While Sri Lankan authorities have yet to confirm this, cabinet spokesperson, Keheliya Rambukwella on Tuesday said that the cabinet “is unaware on reported request made to Maldives by the Sri Lankan government to bury Covid-19 victims in Maldives”.

Despite this, he said that the matter was not discussed at the weekly cabinet meeting held on Tuesday.

Further, former Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that Lanka making such a request to a neighboring country to facilitate funeral rites of some of its own citizens “is a disgrace”.

He added that “all Sri Lankans must have the right to carry out the last rites according to their respective beliefs on the soil they were born and bred”.

Muslims account for 10 percent of Sri Lanka’s 21 million population.

While Sri Lankan authorities back in April issued orders to cremate all victims of Covid-19 including Muslims, there has been outrage after at least 15 Muslim coronavirus victims, including a 20-day old infant, were cremated against family wishes and in contravention of Islamic tradition.

A number of religious scholars have expressed support for the government’s decision, however, former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom did not.

Noting that Maldives welcomes all foreign visitors irrespective of their nationality and faith, the man who ruled the nation for 30 years until 2008 said that “bringing bodies of foreign Covid-19 victims to be buried in Maldives” is not something he can support.