Former South African President Nelson Mandela embraced me like a daughter each time we met, and asked me how my mother was doing, says former Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
Mandela and Kumratunga would often sit beside each other at multi-lateral conferences since their countries were alphabetically connected.
But even further, Kumaratunga told the BBC Sinhala service that Mandela had a great deal of respect for her mother Srimavo Bandaranike, the world’s first female premier.
Even though Mandela and never met Bandaranike, he never forgot the letters of support she sent him during his nearly three decades of incarceration.
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Kumaratunga says ‘The Elders’ – a group of leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela in 2007 to address major causes of human suffering approached her confidentially three to four years ago, during the end of the war to address reconciliation in Sri Lanka and minority rights.
CHANDRIKA WANTED MANDELA IN LANKA
She says the group contacted her again after the war inquiring if they can do anything to assist with reconciliation process in Sri Lanka.
“I told them you can do many things in Sri Lanka, but our government won’t listen. I told them to send former President Mandela to Sri Lanka, and maybe, this will convince the government to listen since he was a skillful statesman.”
Kumaratunga said the Mandela’s declining health had put a halt to travel, and the trip to Sri Lanka never materialized.
Kumaratunga served as Sri Lanka’s President from 1994 to 2005.
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South African President Jacob Zuma shared his country’s reconciliation process with the Sri Lankan government during a visit to Colombo last month and offered to play a role in the island nation.
Zuma proposed a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in Sri Lanka. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is expected to consult with India prior to taking up a visit to South Africa to discuss the possibility of a TRC.
Former South African President Nelson Mandela embraced me like a daughter each time we met, and asked me how my mother was doing, says former Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
Mandela and Kumaratunga would often sit beside each other at multi-lateral conferences since their countries were alphabetically connected.
But even further, Kumaratunga told the BBC Sinhala service that Mandela had a great deal of respect for her mother Sirimavo Bandaranike, the world’s first female premier.
Although Mandela and Bandaranike never met face-to-face, he never forgot the letters of support she sent him during his decades of incarceration in South African prison.
Kumaratunga says ‘The Elders’ – a group of leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela in 2007 to address major causes of human suffering approached her confidentially three to four years ago, during the end of the war to address reconciliation in Sri Lanka and minority rights.
CHANDRIKA WANTED MANDELA IN LANKA
She says the group contacted her again after the war, inquiring if they can do anything to assist with reconciliation process in Sri Lanka.
“I told them you can do many things in Sri Lanka, but our government won’t listen. I told them to send former President Mandela to Sri Lanka, and maybe, this will convince the government to listen since Mr. Mandela was a skilful statesman,” the former President said.
LATEST OFFER FROM SOUTH AFRICA
She says Mandela’s declining health halted his travel, and the trip to Sri Lanka never materialized.
Kumaratunga served as Sri Lanka’s President from 1994 to 2005.
South African President Jacob Zuma shared his country’s reconciliation process with the Sri Lankan government during a visit to Colombo last month and offered to play a role in the island nation.
Zuma proposed a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in Sri Lanka. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is expected to consult with India prior to taking up a visit to South Africa to discuss the possibility of a TRC.
