Sri Lanka President lands in S'pore, quits; asylum here not on the cards

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa flew into Singapore from the Maldives on Thursday (July 14) evening, where he had fled after days of massive street protests and a deepening economic crisis in his homeland.

Sources told The Straits Times he tendered his resignation soon after arriving on board a Saudia flight which touched down at Changi Airport Thursday evening.

The office of Sri Lanka's parliamentary Speaker said last night that Mr Rajapaksa's e-mailed resignation letter had been received, and an official announcement would be made after its authenticity had been verified and legal processes completed.

It remains unclear how long Mr Rajapaksa, 73, intends to stay in Singapore or if he has another destination in mind amid unconfirmed news reports that he could be headed to the United Arab Emirates.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said Mr Rajapaksa had been allowed entry into Singapore on a private visit.

"He has not asked for asylum, and neither has he been granted any asylum. Singapore generally does not grant requests for asylum," the spokesman said.

The Singapore police said in a statement that Mr Rajapaksa was here on a social visit pass, adding: "Police ask that the public, Singaporeans, residents, work pass holders and social visitors alike abide by our local laws. Action will be taken against anyone participating in a public assembly that is illegal."

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took over as acting president and imposed a state of emergency in Sri Lanka on Wednesday, said a new president will be chosen by Parliament next Wednesday.

Mr Rajapaksa has made no public comment since his arrival. Nor has he been seen in public, although over a dozen journalists and cameramen waited outside the entrance of the VIP Complex at Changi Airport as news spread that he was heading to Singapore.

Flight crew told Reuters news agency that Mr Rajapaksa, who was dressed in black, had flown in business class with his wife and two bodyguards. They described him as "quiet" and "friendly".

Upon arrival, he was met by a group of security guards and left the airport VIP area in a convoy of black vehicles, Reuters quoted an unnamed fellow passenger as saying.

Hailing from Sri Lanka's most influential political family, Mr Rajapaksa won the 2019 presidential election by promising to restore security after the Easter Sunday bombings that killed more than 250 people.

But a series of policy missteps by his government triggered an unprecedented financial crisis.

He is believed to have wanted to leave Sri Lanka before resigning from office, which afforded him immunity from prosecution, in order to avoid the possibility of arrest by an incoming administration.

On Thursday, troops patrolled the capital Colombo to enforce a curfew, and demonstrators began leaving some of the office buildings they had occupied.

On Wednesday, one person died and 84 others were injured in clashes near the Parliament and the Prime Minister's Office.

Sri Lanka has run out of fuel, staple food and life-saving medicines. It needs a stable government to provide urgent relief, curtail inflation that is spiking at 55 per cent, negotiate with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout, and shore up US dollars to import essentials.