An air raid early Wednesday on a United Nations (UN) post in
south Lebanon by Israeli planes killed four UN observers including
one from China.
The Chinese victim, Du Zhaoyu, was a lieutenant-colonel in the
People's Liberation Army and had a postgraduate degree. He was sent
to Lebanon in January as one of three Chinese UN observers. Du was
previously the secretary to the military attaché in the Chinese
Embassy in India.
He was born in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, and the father of a
one-year-old son.
A 182-member Chinese engineering battalion, including a
mine-sweeping, engineering and logistics companies and a field
hospital began their peacekeeping mission in Lebanon in late March
this year.
There are almost 2,000 peacekeepers with the United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) which began its mission in 1978
following UN resolutions.
Wan Dong, an official at the Ministry of National Defense, said
eight Chinese military personnel including Du had died in UN
peacekeeping missions since 1990. From 1978 over 250 UNIFIL
military and civilian personnel have been killed while on
duty.?
Wang said China had sent approximately 5,600 personnel on 15 UN
peacekeeping missions since 1990. The country had contributed the
largest number of troops among the five permanent members of the UN
Security Council.
China now has more than 1,400 soldiers serving in UN
peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Liberia and Sudan.
Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday expressed his "deep
condolences" over the death of the Chinese UN observer, according
to a statement from Chinese Foreign Ministry.
President Hu "demanded the Chinese departments concerned
properly handle the aftermath of the incident and take every
measure necessary to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in
Lebanon," said the statement.
"After being informed of the tragic death of the Chinese
peacekeeper early this morning President Hu instructed the
departments concerned to condemn the attack on UN peacekeepers,
expressed his deep condolences and sincerest sympathies," the
statement added.?
(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency, July 27, 2006)
