Thaksin honours Mandela, slams opponents

Thaksin honours Mandela, slams opponents

Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has offered his respects to Nelson Mandela on his Facebook page, and then immediate criticised people in Thailand who "continually come up with lies to gain advantage over their opponents".

Thaksin posted on his Facebook page on Sunday, saying he wanted to praise and pay respect to one of the world's most revered statesman after learning about his failing health.

Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, left, shakes hands with former South African president Nelson Mandela. (File photo)

Mr Mandela spent 27 years in prison during his anti-apartheid fight and never gave up his peaceful struggle, Thaksin said. After Mr Mandela was released from prison and won South Africa's presidential election in a landslide, he started the reconciliation process by using rugby, a popular sport in South Africa, to unite black and white people. Reconciliation was achieved in the end, Thaksin said.

He said he met Mr Mandela two years ago. At that time, he was still very sharp but he couldn't stand for long without support.

"Back then, Mandela asked me about the situation in Thailand and told me that he wanted to see happy reconciliation in the country. We exchanged ideas for a brief moment," the deposed prime minister said. "I write this message to pay respect to the heart of the fighter who is compassionate and thinks of the public more than himself." 

"I only want to see Thailand, a once civilised country, reconcile. The task is not easy if we still live with lies and rumours in order to destroy our opponents without respecting the democratic rule of law, and if the ones who preserve the law are not impartial," Thaksin said.

Today in South Africa, people of all races love their country, respect the law and live together peacefully, he added.

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