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Gotabaya Rajapaksa faces protests in Maldives after fleeing Sri Lanka amid crisis
Sri Lanka Crisis: Amid protests in the island nation, the police fired tear gas and water cannons at the mob who were trying to break barriers and enter the restricted zone.
Sri Lanka Crisis: Fleeing Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who reached nearby Maldives with his family early on Wednesday, faced protests in the neighbouring island nation with dozens of compatriots urging Male not to provide him safe haven.
According to reports, the embattled President is now headed to Singapore.
Rajapaksa, who arrived in the Maldives on a military aircraft, appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the acting President of the crisis-hit nation.
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As Rajapaksa walked out of the Velana International Airport in Maldives, unverified videos of people shouting insults at him surfaced, news agency AFP reported citing local media.
In the capital city of Male, Sri Lankans working in the country held a banner which read, “Dear Maldivian friends, please urge your government not to safeguard criminals.”
Protests by Sri Lankans were also held at an artificial beach in Male who were later dispersed by police.
Sri Lanka and Maldives have close ties and a significant number of Sri Lankans work in the neighbouring country's education, health and hospitality sectors.
Apart from protests by Lankans, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), the main opposition in the Maldives, objected to Rajapaksa getting a free passage in the country.
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"We are betraying our friends in Sri Lanka by accepting Rajapaksa, a hated figure in that country," a PPM leader told AFP.
For months, Rajapaksa and his cabinet have faced violent protests in Sri Lanka over their economic mismanagement which led to severe shortages of food, fuel and other essentials.
The tension in Sri Lanka remains high with protesters continuing to seize government buildings in a push for new leadership.
They have demanded the resignation of Rajapaksa as well as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
