More than eight months before an economic crisis and mass protests prompted him to flee Sri Lanka, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa presented his national statement during the World Leaders' Summit at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain November 1, 2021. Andy Buchanan/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
BANGKOK, Aug 10 (Reuters) – Former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has requested entry into Thailand for a temporary stay in a second Southeast Asian country after fleeing his island nation last month amid mass protests, the Thai foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
Rajapaksa fled to Singapore on July 14 following unprecedented unrest caused by Sri Lanka's worst economic crisis in seven decades, and days after thousands of protesters stormed the president's official residence and office. read more
The retired military officer then resigned from the presidency, becoming the first Sri Lankan head of state to quit mid-term.
Rajapaksa is expected to leave Singapore and head to Thailand's capital Bangkok on Thursday, two sources said, asking not to be named. Sri Lanka's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Tanee Sangrat, a Thai foreign ministry spokesman, said Rajapaksa holds a diplomatic passport that allows him entry into the country for 90 days. He did not say when Rajapaksa intended to visit. read more
"The entry to Thailand by the former president of Sri Lanka is for a temporary stay," Sangrat said.
"The Sri Lankan side informs us that the former president has no intention for political asylum in Thailand and will travel to another country afterwards."
Rajapaksa has made no public appearances or comments since leaving Sri Lanka, and Reuters was unable to immediately contact him.
Singapore's government said this month that the city state had not accorded him any privileges or immunity. read more
A member of the influential Rajapaksa family, the 73-year-old served in the Sri Lankan military and later as defence secretary.
During his time as defence secretary, government forces finally defeated Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009 to end a bloody civil war. Some rights groups now want accusations that Rajapaksa committed war crimes to be investigated. Rajapaksa has previously strenuously denied the allegations. read more
Some critics and protesters also accuse Rajapaksa and his family of mishandling the economy during his term as president, leading to the South Asian country's worst financial crisis since independence from Britain in 1948.
His elder brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, is a former president and prime minister. Their younger sibling, Basil Rajapaksa, served as finance minister until earlier this year.
Rajapaksa's successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has suggested that the former president should refrain from returning to Sri Lanka in the near future.
"I don't believe it's the time for him to return," Wickremesinghe told the Wall Street Journal in an interview on July 31. "I have no indication of him returning soon."
If Rajapaksa came back to Sri Lanka, he might not be protected under law if any charges were filed against him, legal experts have said. read more
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
As weary U.S. military planners wrapped up the evacuation and pullout from Afghanistan one year ago, officials across the government steeled themselves for intense public scrutiny into how America's longest war ended in shambles with the Taliban retaking power.
Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.
Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology.
The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs.
The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals.
Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile.
Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts.
Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks.
All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays.
© 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved