Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa has urged his imprisoned son, parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, to place his trust exclusively in the judiciary and refrain from political retaliation, recalling his own experience of imprisonment and the advice he gave his son before he entered politics in 2010.
The letter was written by the former president, who is receiving inpatient treatment at Nawaloka Private Hospital in Colombo, and sent through one of his secretaries. Parliamentarian D.V. Chanaka was tasked with delivering it to Namal Rajapaksa, who is being held in remand custody.
In the letter, Mahinda Rajapaksa recalled that his son had sought his permission to enter active politics in 2010. He said he had warned him that political life could involve imprisonment and considerable hardship.
“Come into politics if you wish. But come prepared to go to prison and endure suffering. I have no objection to that,” he wrote, recalling the advice he had given Namal before his political career began.
The former president said his warning had been shaped by his own experience of imprisonment shortly after entering politics. He alleged that the government in power at the time had imprisoned him on baseless charges, adding that Namal had not yet been born when that occurred.
“That is why I said this. A short time after I entered politics, the government in power at the time imprisoned me on baseless charges. You had not yet been born then,” he wrote.
Mahinda Rajapaksa said his sole source of confidence during that period had been the judiciary. He urged his son to maintain the same approach regardless of what others might say.
“My only trust then was in the courts. Whatever anyone says, you too should place your trust only in the judiciary,” he said.
The letter also referred to the circumstances facing the Rajapaksa family, with Mahinda Rajapaksa and his wife both receiving treatment at Nawaloka Hospital, where Namal was born. He said their other sons, Yoshitha and Rohitha, had been visiting to check on their parents’ well-being.
Referring to Yoshitha, the former president said his son faced a court case because of his employment in the Sri Lankan Navy. He also recalled that thousands of young people had received employment during his administration, including the children of people associated with the current government.
Despite those circumstances, Mahinda Rajapaksa told Namal not to pursue individuals connected to political opponents if he or his family regained power.
“Even when you have power, do not go after those people,” he wrote.
He argued that children should not be held responsible for the actions of their parents, presenting non-retaliation as a principle associated with the Rajapaksa family.
“My view is that children are not responsible for what their parents do. Not taking revenge is the Rajapaksas’ way. It is our tradition,” he said.
The former president also referred to the political defeat suffered by his family, urging his son to remember the public’s role in determining political outcomes through elections. He said the Rajapaksas would not regard themselves as guilty in the eyes of society for having worked to secure the country’s freedom for hundreds of thousands of people enduring hardship.
Although acknowledging that the family had been defeated at the ballot box, he urged Namal to act on the belief that Sri Lankan society remembers and appreciates past contributions.
The letter concluded with a religious blessing for his son: “May the Triple Gem bless you.”
