Gotabaya Rajapaksa is staying at a lodge right here within the coronary heart of Thailand’s capital, the place police have suggested the ousted Sri Lankan president to stay indoors for safety causes, in accordance with a media report on Friday.
Rajapaksa arrived in Thailand with three different folks on a chartered flight from Singapore at Wing 6 of the navy airport adjoining to Don Mueang International Airport round 8 pm native time on Thursday.
The group had deliberate to land in Phuket however considerations a couple of attainable info leak resulted within the flight being redirected to the navy airport in Bangkok, the Bangkok Post newspaper reported, citing a supply.
At the lodge, the placement of which was not disclosed, plainclothes cops from the Special Branch Bureau have been deployed to make sure security of Rajapaksa. Officials have requested the embattled former Sri Lankan president to stay inside the lodge throughout his keep within the nation, the report mentioned.
Rajapaksa arrived in Bangkok on the identical day that his visa in Singapore expired. He arrived right here for a brief keep earlier than looking for everlasting asylum abroad.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Wednesday confirmed a brief go to to Thailand by the 73-year-old Sri Lankan chief for humanitarian causes, and mentioned he promised to not conduct political actions within the kingdom throughout his seek for everlasting asylum abroad.
After fleeing to the Maldives on July 13, Rajapaksa then flew to Singapore, the place he introduced his resignation a day later after months of protests over Sri Lanka’s unprecedented financial disaster.
“This is a humanitarian issue. We have made a promise that it’s a temporary stay. No (political) activities are allowed, and this will help him find a country to take refuge in,” Prayut was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post newspaper on Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai mentioned the ousted president can keep in Thailand for 90 days as he’s nonetheless a diplomatic passport holder, the report mentioned.
Don mentioned the Sri Lankan authorities didn’t oppose the go to and the Thai authorities wouldn’t make lodging preparations for him. The go to wouldn’t pose conflicts with Colombo as appearing President Ranil Wickremesinghe had labored for him when he was in energy, he added.
The minister mentioned a situation for Rajapaksa’s keep was that he shouldn’t trigger issues for Thailand.
Rajapaksa has made no public appearances or feedback since fleeing Sri Lanka.
A report within the Daily Mirror newspaper in Sri Lanka mentioned Rajapaksa will return to Sri Lanka in November after his 90-day Thai visa runs out.
The Sri Lankan authorities had instantly appealed on behalf of the ousted President and sought permission to permit him to hunt momentary shelter in Thailand, the report mentioned.
However, because the 90-day Thai visa runs out in November, political sources mentioned that Rajapaksa will return to Sri Lanka as he was a Sri Lankan citizen and had all of the authorized rights to stay within the nation.
Although a number of makes an attempt had been made for Rajapaksa to hunt asylum within the Middle East, he had not acquired any beneficial response, the report mentioned.
Sri Lanka, a rustic of twenty-two million folks, is below the grip of an unprecedented financial turmoil, the worst in seven many years, leaving tens of millions struggling to purchase meals, medication, gasoline and different necessities.
The large protests that started in March culminated with Rajapaksa’s resignation.
The protesters accused the Rajapaksa household, which has dominated Sri Lanka’s political scene for practically 20 years, of plunging the nation into the worst financial disaster because the nation’s independence in 1948 via mismanagement and corruption.
The nation, with an acute international foreign money disaster that resulted in international debt default, had introduced in April that it’s suspending practically USD 7 billion international debt reimbursement due for this yr out of about USD 25 billion due via 2026. Sri Lanka’s complete international debt stands at USD 51 billion.
The United Nations has warned that 5.7 million folks “require immediate humanitarian assistance,” with Sri Lankans experiencing excessive shortages of necessities together with meals, gasoline and medicines.
The new Sri Lankan authorities led by Rajapaksa’s ally Wickremesinghe faces the duty of main the nation out of its financial collapse and restoring order. Sri Lanka has seen months of mass unrest over the worst financial disaster, with the federal government declaring chapter in mid-April by refusing to honour its worldwide money owed.
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