Rajapaksa lands in Singapore and completes his escape plan from Sri Lanka

US calls for 'peaceful transfer of power' in Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has finally landed in Singapore after leaving the Maldives after fleeing Sri Lanka in the framework of the strong protests due to the serious economic crisis that the Asian nation is going through.

Rajapaksa has landed in Singapore at 7:17 p.m. (local time) aboard a plane from the Saudi airline Saudia and in the company of his wife and several of his bodyguards after leaving Maldives, according to information from the newspaper 'Daily Mirror'.

The aforementioned medium has published a photograph on its social networks in which Rajapaksa is observed with his wife in the terminal of the Singapore Changi airport. Sources close to the matter have indicated that the president is only in transit through Singapore before flying to the Middle East and that he has no intention of requesting asylum, contrary to what the first information indicated.

In this regard, the Singapore Foreign Ministry has confirmed that, for the time being, Rajapaksa has not requested this measure and that he is visiting the country.

"We confirm that Rajapaksa was allowed to enter Singapore as a private visit. He has not applied for asylum and was not granted any asylum. Singapore does not usually honor asylum requests," the ministry said on its website.

Previously, the Sri Lankan politician, who formalized his resignation during the day, had to be escorted by special units of the Maldives Defense Force before boarding. In fact, his arrival in the archipelago has provoked criticism among the civilian population, which has expressed its support for the Ceylonese people and has asked the politician to leave the country.

The clashes registered next to the Parliament in the framework of the protests have resulted in 84 injuries, according to information from the Police collected by the Times Online news portal.

Medical sources have indicated to the aforementioned medium that a total of 79 of the injured are men and another five women. All are in the National Hospital in Colombo. In addition, among them there is a soldier, two policemen and two journalists.

The protests have so far resulted in a 26-year-old man dying after suffering respiratory problems due to inhaling tear gas launched by the security forces at the prime minister's residence.

The protesters have taken an assault rifle after seizing it from a soldier who was deployed in the area. The country is in a state of emergency under curfew.

The US ambassador to the country, Julie Chung, has called for a "peaceful transfer of power" within the "constitutional and democratic framework."

In a message on his Twitter account, he insisted that the population demands "justice, transparency and democratic governance, as well as a better future." "The United States reiterates its call for calm at this time," she said.

Thus, he has emphasized the importance of all parties "committing themselves to improving the nation and working to implement solutions that favor greater political and economic stability." "We condemn all kinds of violence and ask that order be maintained," she settled.