Member of Parliament and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National Organiser, Namal Rajapaksa said that his party stands "for Sinhala Buddhism" this week, in a staunch declaration of his Sinhala nationalist politics.
The eldest son of accused war criminal, Mahinda Rajapaksa, made the comments while addressing the media at the SLPP party office.
“We stand for Sinhala Buddhism because the majority of the people in this country are Buddhists. At the same time, we are Buddhists in this country. Therefore, we stand for the people of this country and for Buddhism. However, standing for the Buddha Dhamma, the Buddha Sasana, and the Maha Sangha is not racism,” said Rajapaksa.
He further continued to state that Sri Lanka was “built on a Buddhist foundation” and that “a nation rooted in Buddhism can safeguard all religions.”
“That’s why we are not afraid. I am a Sinhala Buddhist, and I also work to protect other cultures. I have been able to preserve my culture because I believe in my religion. Those who do not believe in religion cannot protect another person’s language, religion, or culture,” he added.
Rajapaksa’s family was directly responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide against the Tamils. His father, Mahinda Rajapaksa, was the president from 2005 to 2015, while his uncle, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, orchestrated the Mullivaikkal genocide in 2009 during his tenure as Defence Secretary.
Both of the Rajapaksa brothers were sanctioned in January 2023 by the Canadian government for gross and systematic violations of human rights during the armed conflict.
The Rajapaksa rule was marked by enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and the evasion of domestic and international accountability for mass atrocities committed against Tamils. Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidency under the SLPP from 2019 to 2022 embraced hardline Sinhala nationalism, during which Namal Rajapaksa was the Minister of Youth and Sports.
Rajapaksa’s comments were made amidst the rapid expansion of state-sponsored Sinhala Buddhist colonisation in predominantly Tamil areas. Tamils on the island continue to resist against the development of Buddhist structures across the North-East, despite facing harassment, intimidation and arrests by state authorities.
