Thailand allows Rajapaksa to temporarily stay in country, but has one condition

Thailand has allowed President Sri Lanka who was overthrown by Gotabaya Rajapaksa for a while living in the country, said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha on Wednesday. Rajapaksa Visa in Singapore, where he is currently living, runs out today, and after landing in Thailand, he will look for a third country to find permanent protection, added Chan-O-cha.

Rajapaksa had fled from his home country last month in the midst of anti-government risse across Sri Lanka who saw the protesters break into the Presidential Palace and consistently demanded his resignation. After escaping from Lanka, the former president first landed in the Maldives on July 13 and then fled to Singapore from where he announced his resignation.

The Prime Minister of Thailand stated that allowing Rajapaksa in the country even though it was temporarily carried out because it was a matter of “humanity”. “We have promised that this is a temporary residence. There are no [Political] activities that are permitted, and this will help him find a country to take shelter, “Chan-O-cha said as quoted by the Bangkok Post newspaper.

Thailand’s Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said that Rajapaksa could live in Thailand for 90 days because he was still a diplomatic passport holder, added after the post.

Don said that the Lanka government led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe did not object to Rajapaksa’s visit to Thailand. However, the former president needs to find out their own accommodation because the Thai government has refused to make any arrangement for the same thing.

Thailand’s Foreign Minister added that the country had placed a condition before Rajapaksa in return for its residence, and that did not cause problems for Thailand.

The latest developments came after Thailand received a temporary protection request from Rajapaksa, a spokesman for Thailand’s foreign affairs Tanee Sangrat said, according to Bloomberg.

He, however, said that the Ministry of Thailand had no information about the date of Rajapaksa’s arrival in the country.

Earlier this month, Wickremesinghe said that this was not the right time for Rajapaksa to return to his Sri Lanka because it could incite political tension. “I have no indication that he will return soon,” President told Wall Street Journal in an interview.

Seen as Rajapaksa allies, Wickremesinghe was chosen for the top role by the Lanka Parliament last month. Sri Lanka, which was hit by a crisis, a country with a population of 22 million people, faced the worst economic crisis in seven decades, with its citizens struggling to meet the needs due to scarcity of food, medicines, fuel, and other important things.