News analysis

No friends and a bumpy ride as Gotabaya flees Sri Lanka

A file photo from Nov 17, 2019, shows Sri Lanka's president Gotabaya Rajapaksa waving to supporters in Colombo. PHOTO: AFP
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

For all the fine trappings he enjoyed in office as Sri Lanka's president, Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa's flight to safety was a bumpy one.

The Soviet-era Antonov AN-32 that ferried him, his wife and two bodyguards to safety to the Maldives is a sturdy and purely functional machine built for military transportation.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.