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| Sunday, 21 November 2004 |
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Reminiscences of PLO chief Yasser Arafat by Indira Dahanayake Mohamed Imman, an employee of the Hotel Ceylon Inter Continental described his meeting with Yasser Arafat at a conference held in Saudi Arabia. Mohamed in the capacity of a roomboy was selected to serve the conference delegates which included 39 out of which Yasser Arafat was one. Mohamed Imman considers him very lucky having to serve Arafat. The first two days of his duties had to be carried out in the presence of heavily armed security men, but on the following day, he says when the PLO chief got to know him closely he was even asked to address him as 'Brother' and not as 'Sir' Imman reminisced with much sentiment. Yassar Arafat allocated at least one hour from his busy schedule every day for me to have a tete-a-tete with him, Imman said. On his departure from the hotel, I was showered with gifts including cash, decorative badges and a Kaffiyeh (to wrap around his head) that he spotted and was like a trade mark. Yasser Arafat the humble Palestinian Head with a golden heart is no more but his heart warming attitude to a Sri Lankan who had a rare opportunity of serving him, remains fresh in my mind' Mohamed Imman concluded. |
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