Some activists are now demanding that Rajapaksa face criminal charges, but with his allies remaining in power, analysts say a prosecution is unlikely. And it remains unclear whether his return to the island nation of 22 million will spark further protests. After brief stops in the Maldives, Singapore and Thailand, Rajapaksa may have run out of countries willing to let him in or stay, analysts said. And according to a source cited by Reuters on August 23, the cost of maintaining his lifestyle abroad — including a private jet, the presidential suite and security — had already run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Rajapaksa’s widespread unpopularity in Sri Lanka is a significant turnaround from the days when many in the country revered him as a “warrior-king” leader for defeating separatists in a decades-long civil war. The ousted leader’s downfall “would be a huge blow to his ego,” said Ambika Satkunanathan, a lawyer and former commissioner of the country’s Human Rights Commission. “It was very difficult for him to find a permanent or semi-permanent place to stay. It turned out to be more difficult than he imagined,” she said. “This was a politician who was once considered a demigod. He is not used to accountability.”
Moving from country to country
Rajapaksa’s first stop was Male, the capital of the Maldives, just a 90-minute flight from Colombo.
His plane was not initially cleared to land until former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed — now the Maldivian parliament speaker — intervened, according to a senior security official.
But Sri Lankans in Malé were not happy — many took to the streets to protest his arrival.
“Throw him out of here,” read one protester’s placard. “Dear Maldivian friends, please urge your government not to protect criminals,” read another.
Less than 48 hours later, Rajapaksa left the archipelago on a Saudia flight to Singapore.
Singapore’s foreign ministry confirmed on July 14 that Rajapaksa was allowed to enter the island city-state for a “private visit”.
“He has neither sought nor been granted asylum,” Singapore’s foreign ministry said at the time.
Multiple news organizations reported that Rajapaksa would next travel to Saudi Arabia — but that visit never materialized.
It is not clear why, although some analysts have pointed to a much-criticized Rajapaksa policy in 2020 that required Muslim victims of Covid-19 to be cremated as a possible reason. The practice was “incompatible with Islamic principles,” according to a statement in December by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), of which Saudi Arabia is a member. The OIC expressed its concern and asked “to respect the rite of burial in the Muslim faith”.
Rajapaksa later reversed the policy, but implemented another controversial rule that required Muslim victims to be buried at a remote government site, without their families and without performing last religious rites.
From Singapore, Rajapaksa formally tendered his resignation as the leader of Sri Lanka.
He then became the target of a possible criminal investigation in the city-state over alleged human rights abuses while serving as defense chief during Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war — allegations he denies.
On 23 July, lawyers from the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) filed a criminal complaint with Singapore’s attorney general, seeking Rajapaksa’s immediate arrest.
According to a 2011 United Nations report, Sri Lankan government troops were responsible for abuses, including the deliberate bombing of civilians, summary executions, rape, and blocking food and medicine from reaching affected communities. The UN report said “a number of reliable sources estimated that there could have been as many as 40,000 civilian deaths”.
A spokesperson for Singapore’s attorney general’s office confirmed to CNN that they had received ITJP’s complaint, but declined to comment further.
ITJP executive director Yasmin Sooka Sooka said filing a claim in Singapore was “incredibly symbolic” as it “proves that once Gotabaya has lost his immunity, he is equal before the law”.
On August 11, Rajapaksa left Singapore for Thailand in a private jet.
His diplomatic passport gave him the right to enter the country without a visa for up to 90 days, according to a spokesman for Thailand’s foreign ministry. The ousted leader’s stay was temporary and he was not seeking political asylum, the spokesman added.
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha cited “humanitarian” reasons for allowing Rajapaksa into Thailand — but said the former president had been advised to lay low.
“The promise has been made that he will stay here temporarily. No visit, no meeting and no movement,” Prayuth told reporters on August 10.
At home in Sri Lanka, pressure was mounting from the former leader’s supporters on new President Ranil Wickremesinghe — a Rajapaksa ally — to allow him to return safely.
On August 19, Rajapaksa’s brother Basil Rajapaksa, a former finance minister, requested protection to allow his return, according to a statement from the family’s Sri Lankan political party Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), which has an overwhelming majority in parliament.
“The main demand of the SLPP is the safety and security of the former president,” the statement said.
what is happening now
Sri Lanka took a step towards economic stabilization on Thursday by reaching an interim agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $2.9 billion loan.
The four-year program will aim to restore stability to a nation plagued by crippling food, fuel and medicine shortages by boosting government revenues and rebuilding foreign reserves.
But with the IMF yet to approve the loan, Sri Lanka faces a long road to economic recovery and analysts say it is unclear whether Rajapaksa’s arrival will reignite the situation in the country.
Since Wickremesinghe’s inauguration on July 21, protesters have been forcibly removed from protest sites by police and some jailed for damaging public property, among other alleged offenses — moves condemned by rights groups and opposition politicians.
“There is definitely an element of fear,” said Satkunanathan, a human rights lawyer. “It’s hard to say whether there will be further protests. But of course, the cost of living remains high and inflation is escalating.”
And while millions in the country cannot afford food or fuel, Rajapaksa’s comfortable lifestyle on his return threatens to reignite the situation once again.
“This is what brings my people to the streets. They are so angry at this hypocrisy,” Satkunathan said.
According to ITJP’s Sooka, it is also “unlikely” that the former leader will be investigated for war crimes charges.
“The political class will protect him, and despite his flight, the structures and faith he was based on are still intact,” he said, adding that the protest movement is “broken, scared and fragmented from within.”
“There is always hope that an intrepid civil society group will petition the court to open a case against him and that the attorney general and the police would support such an action,” he added.
“Impunity must not be tolerated. Dealing with Gota will show the world and Sri Lanka that no one is above the law.”
CNN’s Kocha Olarn and Iqbal Athas contributed reporting.
