Gotabaya Rajapaksa renounced his US citizenship to contest the 2019 presidential election. Rajapaksa took early retirement from the Sri Lankan Army and moved into the IT sector before settling in the United States in 1998, before returning to Sri Lanka in 2005. Currently, Gotabaya is staying with his wife in a hotel in Thailand.
Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country after anti-government protests in Sri Lanka, is waiting to get a US green card to return to the US and settle with his wife and son. The Sri Lankan newspaper Daily Mirror, citing sources, claimed that Rajapaksa’s lawyers had started the process of applying for a green card in the United States only last month. Rajapaksa’s wife Loma Rajapaksa is a US citizen, so she is eligible for a green card.
Rajapaksa gave up his US citizenship to contest the 2019 presidential election. Rajapaksa took early retirement from the Sri Lankan Army and moved into the IT sector before settling in the United States in 1998, before returning to Sri Lanka in 2005. In the process, his lawyer in Colombo will now submit additional documents to take the process forward, the Daily Mirror said.
Gotabaya is currently in Bangkok
The report also said that the 73-year-old former president is currently in a hotel in Bangkok with his wife. He will return to Sri Lanka on August 25 and will cancel his plans to stay in Thailand until November. The Daily Mirror reported that two days ago, Rajapaksa consulted his lawyers and decided to return to Sri Lanka later this month as he was not allowed the freedom to relocate to Thailand due to security concerns. Upon arrival in Bangkok, Thailand police had advised the former president to stay indoors for security reasons.
Policemen were stationed in plain clothes in the hotel
The Bangkok Post newspaper, while not disclosing the location of the hotel, said that police officers in plain clothes of the Special Branch Bureau were deployed to ensure Rajapaksa’s security in the hotel. The officials had asked the former Sri Lankan president to stay in the hotel during his stay in the country. On his return to Sri Lanka this month, the cabinet will discuss providing an official residence for Rajapaksa and security for a former president, the report said.
Goyabaya fled first to Maldives and then to Singapore
Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled Sri Lanka to the Maldives last month and then fled to Singapore. He entered Singapore on a medical visa and extended it twice to stay there as long as possible. Since his visa could not be extended further. Rajapaksa and his wife left for Thailand and were assured they could stay there until they finalized their move to a third country. The Thai government had made it clear to Rajapaksa not to engage in political activities while staying in the country. The report said that although his movement in Thailand is restricted, he will return to the country.
