Sri Lanka president Gotabaya Rajapaksa blocked at airport as he tries to flee

SMA NEWS – COLOMBO
Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has endured in a humiliating standoff with airport immigration staff blocking his exit to safety abroad, official sources said on Tuesday.

Mr Rajapaksa and his wife spent the night at a military base next to the main international airport, officials said.

He has promised to resign on Wednesday and clear the way for a “peaceful transition of power” — but became stuck in his own country on Tuesday after an attempt to flee.

It followed widespread protests against him over the country’s unprecedented economic crisis.

The 73-year-old leader fled his official residence in Colombo just before tens of thousands of protesters overran it on Saturday, officials said.

As president, Mr Rajapaksa enjoys immunity from arrest. It is believed he wanted to go abroad before stepping down to avoid the possibility of being detained.

But immigration officers were refusing to go to the VIP suite to stamp his passport, while he insisted he would not go through the public facilities, fearing reprisals from other airport users.

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his wife spent the night at a military base after missing four flights to the UAE.
Mr Rajapaksa’s youngest brother, Basil — who resigned in April as finance minister — missed his flight early on Tuesday after a similar standoff with airport staff.
Basil Rajapaksa tried to use the paid concierge service for business travellers, but airport and immigration staff said they were withdrawing from the fast-track service with immediate effect.

“There were some other passengers who protested against Basil boarding their flight,” an airport official told AFP. “It was a tense situation, so he hurriedly left the airport.”