Sri Lanka’s ex-president leaves Thailand, returns home
The ex-president of Sri Lanka finally left Thailand and returned to his home country. The former president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, had initially planned to return to Sri Lanka on August 24, but his return date ended up being yesterday, September 2.
Gotabaya has been on quite a journey ever since 100,000 angry protesters forced him to flee Sri Lanka on July 14. He first travelled to the Maldives and then to Singapore, where he was granted a temporary residence but without any talk of amnesty or a long-term stay. Gotabaya made his way to Thailand after his visa in Singapore expired on August 11.
During his stay in Thailand, police had advised him to stay in his hotel in central Bangkok for his safety, with many opposing Gotabaya’s arrival in Thailand.
Now that he’s back in Sri Lanka, Gotabaya’s homecoming is a tricky area for the new government. The government doesn’t want more protests, and it has to ensure Gotabaya’s security. Sri Lankan media reports that the government has found a house in Colombo for Gotabaya. It was not clear if he would go there immediately, or go to a secure military facility first.
Sri Lanka plunged into chaos in April, after the country experienced a 13-hour power blackout, its longest blackout ever recorded. Since then, the country has been unable to pay for fuel, medicine, and other necessary items.
More and more children in Sri Lanka face malnutrition as the country’s economic crisis is spiraling out of control. The secretary of Sri Lanka’s Ministry for Women and Child Affairs said that out of the 570,000 children under five years old in Sri Lanka, the ministry had counted 127,000 malnourished children in 2021. Last month, several of Thailand’s departments donated over 6 million baht worth of medicines, medical supplies, and food to Sri Lanka.
SOURCE: BBC
