Four Sri Lankans were beheaded by the sword despite repeated protests

"The government ought to have a clear compensation policy," Minister in charge of Foreign Employement and Media, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardhana told BBC Sandeshaya.

It would be a "bad precedence" to offer compensation to those who "discredited the name of the country", the minister said.

DD Ranjith Silva, Sanath Pushpakumara, Victor Corea and Shamal Sangeeth Kumara were beheaded by the sword in Riyadh on 19 February.

Three of them were sentenced to death but Shamal Sangeeth Kumara was only sentenced to 15 years.

Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has told media that all four families would be compensated Widow of Sanath Pushpakumara

Dhammika Geetanjalee, Sanath Pushpakumara's widow, said the government has repetedly promised to pay compensation.

"Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has told media that all four families would be compensated," she told bbcsinhala.com.

Minister Rambukwella was not available to comment.

Despite repeated requests, Dhammika said, the authorities have failed to provide them with at least the death certificates.

"Nobody knows what to do. They keep sending us from one official to another," she said.

Minister Yapa Abeywardhana says the Foreign Employment Bureau (FEB) has no guidelines to compensate them.

Asked whether ministers promised to compensate the families, he said Minister Rambukwella had tried hard but cannot set a precedence to pay compensation to those discredit Sri Lanka.