Ball finally rolling on cremation

THE government has approved draft legislation regulating the cremation of human remains, finally getting the ball rolling on an issue that has been pending for more than a decade.
The right to be cremated after death has been the long-standing demand of many expats living in Cyprus – a bill to build a crematorium was first drafted and presented to parliament in 2000 by Marios Matsakis, then an MP – though it is believed that a growing number of Cypriots would also go for that option if it was available.
A 2006 draft did not include Cypriots but it was amended some three years later to redress the inequality.
At present, the only choice for those who want to be cremated is to fork out thousands of euros for their body to be embalmed and transported to a country of their choice.
The legislation, submitted to parliament on Tuesday, includes provisions on the licensing and operation of crematoriums and where the ashes can be kept or scattered.
Cremation permits will be issued by district officers.
The right to decide on whether one’s remains would be cremated belongs to individuals defined in the bill in order of priority.
“Without however ignoring the expressed desire of the deceased,” the bill said.
According to the bill, the urn containing the ashes can be kept in a special chamber provided by the crematorium, or any cemetery that operates in accordance with certain rules.
The urn can also be kept or buried on private property – house or garden – with the owner’s consent where necessary, and after securing the permission of the district officer.
It can also be buried at sea – over two nautical miles from the nearest shoreline — and as long as the urn is biodegradable and does not contain pollutants.
“The urn containing the ashes of human remains cannot be sunk in any river, lake, reservoir or water conduit,” the bill said.
The urn can be transported abroad with a special permission from the district officer.
The ashes can be scattered at the place of remembrance set up in crematoriums, private gardens, and anywhere at sea away from areas reserved for bathers.
They cannot be scattered on public roads, public parks, river beds, lakes, reservoirs, or water conduits.
Cremation has been commonplace in many cultures for thousands of years. The funeral pyre was commonplace in ancient Greece and cremation has always been practiced in India. Even in Cyprus, the idea is not particularly new. Burial vessels associated with cremation dating back to the 11th century BC have been unearthed at Kourion.

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