Gotabaya Rajapaksa left Singapore after visa expiry, to stay in Thailand now
1 min read 11 Aug 2022, 05:14 PM ISTGotabaya fled Sri Lanka on 13 July amid intense protests against the economic crisis, the population is suffering from severe shortages of necessities like food, gasoline, and medications
PremiumSri Lanka's ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left Singapore after his social visit visa expired, the city immigration office informed on Thursday.
Rajapaksa will now stay in Thailand, as he was allowed to stay in the island nation temporarily till he finds a third country to take permanent refugee. The Prime Minister of Thailand, Prayut Chan-o-cha confirmed the temporary stay of embattled former President due to humanitarian reasons.
The reports mentions that as Rajapaksa still holds a diplomatic passport, he can stay in Thailand for a period of 90 days.
Gotabaya fled Sri Lanka on 13 July amid intense protests against the economic crisis. The protesters barged into his presidential palace, forcing him to leave the country. He first landed at the Maldives and then went to Singapore on a social visit visa. He resigned as President of Sri Lanka from Singapore.
Sri Lanka is still in the grip of unprecedented economic crises triggered due to the policies of ousted President. The population is suffering from severe shortages of necessities like food, gasoline, and medications, according to the United Nations, which has warned that 5.7 million people "need immediate humanitarian aid."
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Supreme Court on Wednesday extended the travel ban imposed on the country's former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa until September 5.
