CHINA: Bodies of eight Chinese peacekeepers arrive in Beijing from Haiti

Record ID: 349374

  • Title: CHINA: Bodies of eight Chinese peacekeepers arrive in Beijing from Haiti
  • Date: 20th January 2010
  • Summary: MORE OF MOURNERS LOOKING ON HEARSES DRIVING OFF STATIONARY TRAFFIC AND SOLDIERS STANDING TO ATTENTION POLICEMEN WALKING OUT OF MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SECURITY PEOPLE STANDING BEHIND FENCE WATCHING POLICE HOLDING A BANNER READING "GO WELL ALONG YOUR ROAD" PHOTOGRAPHER AND CAMERAMAN FILMING POLICE HOLDING BANNER READING "FRIENDS, WE HAVE BROUGHT YOU HOME" (SOUNDBITE) (Man
  • Embargoed: 4th February 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA8J60JDWAARHMZZO48APA5X6CB
  • Story Text: The bodies of eight peacekeepers killed in Haiti's earthquake return to Beijing, to be met by official mourners.
    The bodies of eight Chinese peacekeeping police officers killed in Haiti's earthquake were flown back to Beijing, China on Tuesday (January 19), where they were greeted by crowds of mourners and government officials at the airport.
    Draped in Chinese flags, the coffins of seven men and one woman were carried by honour guards down a red carpet.
    Mourners carried signs reading: "Brother, I am here to see you home", and "Salute the peacekeeping heroes", state news agency Xinhua reported.
    Four of the police officers were members of China's U.N. peacekeeping force in Haiti, whilst the other four had been visiting Haiti on peacekeeping consultations, Xinhua said.
    The officers had been holding a meeting with Haiti's U.N. mission chief, Hedi Annabi, at the U.N. headquarters in Port-au-Prince when the devastating 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck on January 12.
    Their bodies, along with Annabi's, were retrieved by the Chinese rescue team several days later.
    Platoons of police and military guards lined the roads and saluted the convoy of eight white hearses as they passed through Chang'an Avenue in central Beijing, towards the Baobaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in the west.
    Mourners watched the convoy pass in silence, some, like police officer Zhou Lianying, were in tears.
    "They died for peace, their deaths bring a lot of grief, they are models for us all to follow, we should learn from them," she said.
    Others said they were proud of China's role in the peacekeeping mission.
    "I think this is an honour, this is China's contribution as a responsible global power, I think that they hold a noble and honourable position," said Beijing resident Ruan Yitao.
    China has sent peacekeeping forces on U.N. missions since 2000 dispatching 1,500 peacekeeping personnel.
    There had been 125 Chinese peacekeeping police serving in Haiti before the quake struck, according to state media.
    The eight officers have all been given the title of "martyr", Xinhua reported.
    As many as 200,000 people are estimated to have died in the quake, which left the capital Port-au-Prince in ruins.
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