Gotabaya Rajapaksa advised to remain indoors for security reasons at Bangkok hotel
Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is staying at a hotel in Bangkok in the heart of Thailand’s capital, where police have advised the ousted Sri Lankan president to remain indoors for security reasons, according to a media report on Friday (August 12).
Rajapaksa arrived in Thailand with three other people on a chartered flight from Singapore at Wing 6 of the military airport adjacent to Don Mueang International Airport around 8 pm local time on Thursday.
The group had planned to land in Phuket but concerns about a possible information leak resulted in the flight being redirected to the military airport in Bangkok, the Bangkok Post newspaper reported, citing a source.
At the hotel, the location of which was not disclosed, plainclothes police officers from the Special Branch Bureau have been deployed to ensure safety of Rajapaksa. Officials have asked the embattled former Sri Lankan president to remain within the hotel during his stay in the country, the report said.
Rajapaksa arrived in Bangkok on the same day that his visa in Singapore expired. He arrived here for a temporary stay before seeking permanent asylum in another country.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Wednesday confirmed a temporary visit to Thailand by the 73-year-old Sri Lankan leader for humanitarian reasons, and said he promised not to conduct political activities in the kingdom during his search for permanent asylum in another country.
After fleeing to the Maldives on July 13, Rajapaksa then flew to Singapore, where he announced his resignation a day later after months of protests over Sri Lanka’s unprecedented economic crisis.
(PTI)
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Why the hell we cannot bring him home? What is the big secret in maintaining the suspense and the thrill, unless there is something like a group of internationally hired sophisticated killers at large to take his life? Aren’t the SL forces unable to protect just one person? If he is responsible for wrong doing, it is best to come here and face the court rather than letting the propaganda that he has ‘escaped to avoid the law’ to thrive.
Indra Akke,
You are right on one aspect while wrong on the other.
Gotabaya is the 1st President in SL who stood up and said to the Nation that he made a few mistakes.
That is admirable. His life and Iyoma’s life should be protected.
The Nation should not fear s**ts like IUSF, Kumara Gunaratnam (FSP) and the PEST, Stalin. These idiots corrupted our innocent and pure Aragalaya.
The Nation should welcome Iyoma and Gota into its fold.
Yes bigger thieves are attending the parliament and they are safe and these guys have a travel ban. GR fled the country and waiting for a country to give him asylum. Why can’t the present SL govt ask Thailand to extradite him? Let GR face trial in SL.
Well, first of all I think he should not have fled the country. If Mahinda, Basil, Namal et al are staying within the country, then he should have also stayed. Not sure what poor advice he was given to flee, but now that it happened, it’s what it is. We must not forget the fact that he fled in fear of the blood-thirsty criminals (arsonists, murderers, assaulters, drug peddlers, etc.) that were allowed (by none other than himself!) to storm his official residence and not for any other reason. Be that as it may, I personally think it is best for him to spend a bit more time away and here I agree with RW’s own assessment. I agree given the sacred dictum that “one is innocent until proven guilty,” he should be allowed to return and live in SL as per the provisions that provide him and his family with security and certain privileges for the rest of their life. After all, if the bumbling Gob MaruSira is awarded such (despite his devastating blunder by letting ISIS set off bombs, including bombs in upscale tourist hotels!), then GR should not be denied an iota of such privileges/provisions!
Mr Amarakoon. You can’t entirely blame this guy for the present economic situation of the country. This started with that JR borrowing money as there is no tomorrow. What more punishment you need when you have no country to go to and have security for the rest of your life to get on with day to day life. Worst that a prison sentence. As the great train robber said when he came out if the prison ” this moment is thousand time better than all the money of the world is put to gather. Yes bigger thieves are attending the parliament but what the point of leaving a supper corrupt and bankrupt to your offspring. Bad things happen to bad people.
Well, the leader has to carry the bucket in the end. But there were ‘Experts’ based on whose advice the leader made the final decisions. They should answer the questions, and ought to have the same fate as the boss. These experts were professionals, there job was to give the unbiased, facts based advice weather the boss liked it or not.
As usual, you make no sense or only partial sense! FYI, all past US Presidents do not wander anywhere they wish willy-nilly, but only with heavy US Secret Service escorts, both visibly and invisibly.
Brother Ranjith, You are right when you say GR can’t be blamed entirely for the prevailing precarious situation in SR. That is why I suggested to bring him to SL to face trial. That said, GR triggered the crisis imposing the Fertilizer issue, printing money and spending the state reserves. You say ‘Bad things happen to bad people” , are you suggesting all the folks in SL are bad? Or are you referring to Rajapakses?
Mr Amarakoon . Sorry I did not refer to any Sri Lankans but to any person in this world who do bad things has face the consequence. Sadam Husain, Amin, Gardafi are good examples.
Thank you Brother Ranjith. But one more question. Why you are referring only bad-politicians in 3rd world countries? Are you trying to say the politicians in so called developing countries are ‘GOOD””?
What is the deference between 3rd world countries and developing countries?
Sorry my mistake. It should be 3rd world countries and DEVELOPED countries!
Oh! no Mr Amarakoon. I am not telling that politician in developed countries are good, but they don’t have the powers that Sri Lanken politician have. They don’t have white vans, private armies, escorts and security with white gloves to escort them to where they want to visit pushing other road users to the side.
Thank you brother Ranjith. but hope you are aware of what happened to Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, etc.