Sri Lanka President on private visit, not granted asylum: Singapore

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is on a private visit and has not been granted asylum, the Singapore government said today shortly before his flight was expected to land in the city state.

“It is confirmed that Mr. Rajapaksa has been allowed entry into Singapore on a private visit,” Singapore’s foreign ministry was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

“He has not asked for asylum and neither has he been granted any asylum. Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum,” the statement read.

Mr Rajapaksa landed in Singapore on board a Saudia airlines flight this afternoon.

Quoting sources in Sri Lankan security, AFP reported that he is expected to stay in Singapore for some time, before potentially moving to the United Arab Emirates.

The Sri Lankan President had taken left Colombo for Maldives late on Tuesday evening. Last night, he requested the Maldives government to arrange a private jet to fly him to Singapore, fearing public backlash, sources had said.

Before leaving Colombo, he had assured leaders that would send in his resignation. Thirty-six hours on, that is yet to happen.

As president, Mr Rajapaksa enjoys immunity from arrest.

Back in Sri Lanka, protesters demanded that he keep his promise to step down over the island nation’s worst-ever economic crisis.

Today, the protesters vacated several of the emblematic state buildings they had overrun earlier this week, including the Presidential palace and the office of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

On Wednesday morning, shortly after Mr Rajapansa left, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency and asked security forces to restore order.

--Agencies