Singapore: Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa reportedly left Singapore and boarded a flight for Bangkok after his visitor’s visa expired. This comes after Thailand confirmed that the current Sri Lankan government had applied for permission for Gotabaya to visit Thailand.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha announced that 73-year-old Gotabaya was granted a temporary visit on humanitarian grounds. But Prayuth clarified that political asylum will not be granted and no political activity will be allowed during his stay in the country.
Gotabaya left Singapore on Thursday, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore said.
Gotabaya, who arrives in Thailand with a diplomatic passport, has 90 days under the law
Can stay there. Gotabaya, who fled Sri Lanka following the popular uprising, has not yet appeared in front of the media. Gotabaya, who arrived in Singapore via Maldives on July 14, was later extended his visa by the Singapore government.
A temporary cessation of agitation
Protesters left the Gol Face Promenade, the center of protest, to end the popular uprising that ended the rule of the Rajapaksa family in Sri Lanka. With this, the 123-day-long strike came to an end. The leader of the movement, Manoj Nanayangara, said that while the agitation is being temporarily ended, the efforts for a radical change in the governance system will continue.
Goal Face Promenade has been the main protest center since the anti-government strike intensified on April 9.
After Gotabaya Rajapaksa left the country on July 14, the popular protest cooled down. However, the protesters continued on the Golfface Promenade.
Later, Renil Wickramasinghe, who came to power, ordered the army and police to suppress the agitation. The police gave an ultimatum to the protesters to leave the Goal Face Promenade by August 5. The protestors, who rejected this, filed a petition in the court. Later it was withdrawn and the agitation was decided to end.