Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa leaves for Thailand from Singapore

Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left for Thailand from Singapore on Thursday.  This information has been given in a news.  Rajapaksa boarded a flight from Singapore to Bangkok.  The Thailand government confirmed a day earlier that it had received a request from the current Sri Lankan government for Rajapaksa to visit the country.  According to the news of 'The Straits Times' newspaper, in response to media questions, the Immigration and Border Check Authority of Singapore said that Rajapaksa left Singapore on Thursday.

Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-chan confirmed on Wednesday that the Thai government has agreed to a temporary stay of Rajapaksa in the country during which time Rajapaksa will explore the possibility of finding permanent asylum in a third country.

Rajapaksa will not be able to conduct political activities in Thailand

Thailand's prime minister allowed 73-year-old Rajapaksa to travel to Thailand on humanitarian grounds, saying he had promised not to engage in political activities in that country during his search for permanent asylum.  Rajapaksa, who was in Singapore after leaving the country amid anti-government protests in Sri Lanka in July, is seeking asylum in Thailand as his Singapore visa expired on Thursday.

Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has left Singapore, the city-state's immigration office said, after his social visit pass expired: AFP

(file pic) pic.twitter.com/3e8jdiIGmB — ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2022

Arrived in Maldives on July 13

He reached Maldives on July 13 and then went to Singapore where he announced his resignation amid protests over the country's economic crisis.  Significantly, Sri Lanka is currently facing a serious economic crisis.  For this the people there had held the Gotabaya government responsible.  There were fierce protests across the country against Rajapaksa and there was a demand for his resignation.  Gotabaya fled the country amid the protests.  Later it was learned that he went to Singapore.  After this, he announced his resignation from there on 14 July.

Anti-government protests end in Sri Lanka

The unprecedented anti-government protests in Sri Lanka over the severe economic crisis formally ended on Tuesday after 123 days.  Because of these demonstrations, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had to lose power.  After former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected president, there was pressure on protesters to vacate the protest site.  Wickremesinghe had directed the army and police to vacate the protest site and identify those who entered the Rashtrapati Bhavan and other government buildings.