INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Thailand has allowed ousted Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to temporarily stay in the country, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said
a third country to seek permanent refuge, Chan-o-cha added.Rajapaksa had fled his home country last month amid anti-government stir across
Sri Lanka that saw protesters barging inside the presidential palace and consistently demanding his resignation
Following his escape from Lanka, the former president first landed in Maldives on July 13 and then fled to Singapore from where he announced
Bangkok Post newspaper.Thailand foreign minister Don Pramudwinai said that Rajapaksa can stay in Thailand for 90 days because he is still a
diplomatic passport holder, the Post report added.Don said that the Lanka government led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe did not object to
However, the former president need to figure out his accommodation himself as the Thai government has refused to make any arrangements for
the same.The Thai foreign minister added that the country has placed one condition before Rajapaksa in return for his stay, and that is to
not cause any problems for Thailand.The latest development comes after Thailand received a request for temporary refuge from Rajapaksa, Thai
arrival date in the country.Earlier this month, Wickremesinghe said that it was not the right time for Rajapaksa to return to his Sri Lanka
as it could incite political tensions
Wickremesinghe was elected for the top role by the Lanka parliament last month
The crisis-hit Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is facing the worst economic crisis in seven decades, with its citizens struggling
to make ends meet due to dearth of food, medicine, fuel and other essentials.The new Lanka regime under Wickremesinghe faces the upheaval
task of leading the nation out of the impasse
The new president has remained in touch with Rajapaksa to deal with administrative handover matters and other governmental business, the
Journal report said.Furthermore, Sri Lanka has been in talks with the International Monetary Fund on a bailout package
In April, the country had suspended repayments on nearly $12 billion of foreign debt, and has payments of almost $21 billion due by the end
of 2025.Source: Hindustan Times
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://adaderana.lk
