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Sri Lanka
10th Parliament· 154 sittings on record · 30,475 speeches · latest 10 June 2026

Sitting of Thursday, 23 January 2025

10th Parliament· 19 debates· 178 speeches· 51 speakers

Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1738314169039521 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard

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Order of business

Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.

  6. 6 Oral question Oral Question: Disposal of the Dead Due to COVID-19 During 2019–2022 7 speeches
    • The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB

      AI summary Hon. Rauff Hakeem asked the Minister of Health and Mass Media to provide detailed COVID-19 statistics for 2019–2022, including laboratory-confirmed cases, confirmed deaths, and demographic breakdowns by age, sex, residence, ethnicity and religion. He also requested data on the disposal of COVID-19 dead bodies, including numbers cremated and buried and corresponding demographic and geographic breakdowns, and asked for reasons if such information cannot be provided.

      Religion & CultureHealthcare Full speech →
    • The Hon. (Dr.) Nalinda Jayathissa JJB

      AI summary In response to a parliamentary question, Dr. Nalinda Jayathissa provided official COVID-19 statistics up to 31 December 2022, stating that Sri Lanka recorded 671,893 laboratory-confirmed cases and 16,817 confirmed deaths. He gave the death breakdown by age, sex and province, noting the highest deaths among those aged 70–80, more male than female deaths, and the largest provincial total in the Western Province. He also cited selected district figures and said full district-wise, ethnicity and religion breakdowns are maintained by the Epidemiology Unit and can be provided.

      Healthcare Full speech →
    • The Hon. Nalinda Jayatissa JJB

      AI summary Hon. Nalinda Jayatissa stated that COVID-19 death data were collected by the Health Ministry’s Epidemiology Unit for pandemic control purposes and were not disaggregated by ethnicity or religion, except for religion-wise data on burials. He said the Technical Committee on Management of Cremation of Bodies of Persons Who Died of COVID-19 recommended cremation within 24 hours and later burial in designated isolated locations, with Oddamavadi cemetery selected for burials. He reported 13,183 cremations and 3,634 burials from 5 March 2021, giving sex-wise totals and religion-wise burial figures, and noted that further breakdowns by age, province, district, ethnicity, or religion for cremations were not available.

      Healthcare Full speech →
    • The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB

      AI summary Rauff Hakeem raised concern that COVID-19 death data was not recorded or reported by religion, suggesting this could have been determined from names. He questioned the Minister on the prolonged lockdowns of predominantly Muslim villages such as Atulugama and Akurana after reported COVID-19 cases, alleging residents faced unnecessary fear and illegal pressure, and asked whether the actions in Atulugama were unlawful and whether an inquiry would be conducted.

      Law & OrderReligion & Culture Full speech →
    • The Hon. Nalinda Jayatissa JJB

      AI summary Nalinda Jayatissa said past political decisions in the health sector caused hardship to the public and pressure on officials, citing the closure of the Atulugama maternity clinic and its later restoration after opposition. He expressed regret over pandemic-era decisions influenced by religion, noting the government is now addressing such issues, and said legal action would be taken where deliberate wrongdoing is identified.

      Corruption & Governance ReformHealthcare Full speech →
    • The Hon. Rauff Hakeem, Attorney-at-Law SJB

      AI summary Hon. Rauff Hakeem welcomed action against officials who deliberately acted during the COVID-19 period but recalled that Muslim burials were permitted only after major protests. He argued that the cremation-only policy was unscientific and hostile, citing WHO guidance and medical views that the virus would not spread through groundwater or survive after death. He specifically questioned what action would be taken against Prof. Meththika Vithanage for her claims regarding groundwater contamination and burial policy.

      HealthcareReligion & CultureJustice & Human Rights Full speech →
    • The Hon. Nalinda Jayatissa JJB

      AI summary Nalinda Jayatissa stated that an earlier Cabinet decision, made despite expert epidemiological advice and without sufficient scientific basis, was wrong and was later reversed by a properly constituted committee. He said evolving WHO guidance allowed country-specific adaptations, and that Sri Lanka should continue to acknowledge and express regret for the decision.

      Corruption & Governance ReformJustice & Human RightsHealthcare Full speech →