June 27, 2007
Bandaranaike Wants to see Women
in Peacekeeping Role
Brussels
Former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga
called for women to play an active role in crisis management and
peacekeeping around the globe.
Speaking before the European Parliament's Committee on Women's
Rights and Gender Equality in Brussels Tuesday evening, Bandaranaike
proposed to the European Union to consider sending women when the
European bloc undertakes peace missions, according to Inepnext news
agency.
"Women have a completely different perspective on conflict
resolution. Women by the very nature of historic role have special
aptitude for alleviating conflict," she argued.
"Today one of the most important subjects is conflict and conflict
resolution. Women have not had a role in conflict resolution, not
even in the West," she asserted.
Speaking on the situation of women in Asia, Bandaranaike pointed to
the strange situation where on one side they suffer a great deal of
oppression and at the same time the region has produced so many
women leaders.
Bandaranaike explained this contradictory situation by referring to
the mother-image of women in Hindu and Buddhist societies.
"Once a woman is elevated to occupy the mother-image she is
respected tremendously," said Bandaranaike who served as President
from 1994 till 2005.
Answering a question posed by a member of the European Parliament on
the issue of terrorism in her country, she said Sri Lanka has the
biggest number of women suicide bombers in the world, 95 percent of
whom are aged between 20-25.
She argued that the phenomenon of terrorism has some reasons behind
it referring to the discrimination faced by the Tamil minority in
her country.
She said there was a "pogrom" against Tamils by a "foolish
government" in July 1983 following which many Tamils escaped to
India "found funds, found arms, trained themselves and then turned
to violence."
However, she noted, the reaction of the separatist Tamil Tigers is
"far in excess of the discrimination they faced."
"They have become too terroristic, they will not give up their
demand for a separatist state but they can be marginalized and
politically destroyed," added Bandaranaike.
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