"Chinois" peacekeepers leave indelible impression in Haiti

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Dec 17, 2007 ... "Chinois" peacekeepers leave indelible impression in Haiti. 08:24 ... These acts gradually won over the locals of Port-au-Prince. Wherever theĀ ...
"Chinois" peacekeepers leave indelible impression in Haiti 08:24, December 17, 2007 What do you do when your armored car has a blowout on Haiti's "road of death?" That was the scenario faced by Chinese peacekeepers on their first mission in the strifetorn west Caribbean island nation when they joined the United Nations operation eight months ago. On April 16, China's fifth contingent of peacekeepers were assigned to carry out joint armed patrol in the central area of Cite Soleil in Port-au-Prince together with counterparts from Brazil. They were to perform traffic checks at designated sites on the country's main and longest road, known as the "road of death." Wei Guang, the contingent's political instructor, recalled leading the mission. "We set out at 6:00 a.m. with the Brazilian peacekeepers toward Cite Soleil in four armored cars. The street we drove through was very narrow and winding and full of garbage, but in the armored cars, we could only go forward," said Wei. "We held our rifles tight and were vigilant." However, the peacekeepers found the exit blocked by a grit heap. The first armored car attempted to pass, but the stones punctured its tyres, attracting a crowd of onlookers. The Brazilians and Chinese quickly fanned out on either side to protect the squad as the tyres were replaced. When the drama was over, they returned safely to barracks safely. Life soon improved for the 125-strong Chinese troop and the last group of 95 arrived home on Saturday after an eight-month experience that transformed both them and the Haitians they came across. With the anxiety behind them, they were embraced by loved ones after landing at Baiyun International Airport in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province. The first 30 advance members of the contingent returned on Dec. 5. The contingent, including seven women, was made up of border police with the Frontier Defense General Detachment of Guangdong.

Haiti fell into chaos in 2004 after former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide's government collapsed. Since then, a 7,800-member UN force has been tasked with providing security for the nation of about 8.7 million people. China maintains a contingent of 125 police officers in Port-au-Prince. Guardians of Peace Illegal armed forces are entrenched in Port-au-Prince, where gunfights are frequent, and bodies are left lying in the streets. The residents are haunted by hunger and violence, which has turned Haiti into one of the most dangerous regions for United Nations peacekeepers. A total of 24 peacekeepers have died there since 2004. The success of the first day's mission boosted the confidence of the Chinese riot police, who made five more trips to Cite Soleil and another seven journeys to the "road of death". On their missions, they detained 14 people carrying illegal weapons and 47 other criminal suspects, while seizing a vast amount of illegal weapons and ammunition. Captain Hu Yunwang, political commissar of the contingent, said, "We were often thrown into dangerous situations, so we had to make careful and complete plans before every action." The fifth contingent was also assigned the task of providing security to dozens of major events, including the Ayiti Men Konpa Music Festival on July 29 and the visit of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in August. It carried out its mission with no fatalities, no violations of discipline and no cases of repatriation. Pride of China Liaison officer Duan Zhonghui said the Haitians initially tended to be wary of the Chinese, making the peacekeepers uneasy. "Ordinary people the world over are all the same. If you treat them in a friendly way, they return the favor," said Duan, "so we decided to change their views through action."

When security allowed, the Chinese peacekeepers took the initiative to greet local people in their own language, seldom wore sunglasses, and they distributed food to the poor. As well as donating footballs, basketballs and sneakers, the contingent also chose seven martial arts experts to coach 60 primary school children from Cite Soleil, teach them basic Chinese and Chinese songs. These acts gradually won over the locals of Port-au-Prince. Wherever the Chinese appeared, locals would utter "Chinois" or greet them with the thumbs-up. The Chinese riot police also built friendly ties with peacekeeping forces of more than 40 other countries and local police by exchanging visits, and organizing recreational activities. Deputy chief of the contingent, Wang Sheng, said, "We felt very proud when visitors expressed admiration for our neatly-maintained barracks, China's prosperity and willingness to cooperate with us." In appreciation of the Chinese peacekeepers' security detail Ban Ki-moon reportedly described them as "the pride of China". Sacrificial Spirit For Dai Hong, one of the seven women officers, the biggest difficulty on patrol was fatigue. "The weather was hot and humid, but we had to wear heavy outfits and often patrolled continuously for more than 10 hours a day, so we had almost reached our limit after a one day's work." Commander Wang Feng said, "Whatever difficulties we may encounter, we must get the tasks done, without fault, because we represent China." During their tour of duty, eight members of the contingent lost relatives, and the wives of seven officers gave birth. The wife of cook Duan Xiangyi produced a boy on June 8. "I felt very uneasy at being unable to be at her side, comfort her and take care of her, but she understood, and other members of the family supported me." The commanders paid great attention to the psychological well-being of the personnel. Ma Defen, the doctor, opened a cafe room where staff could relax and discuss problems over coffee.

"Psychological pressure can easily build up with work and fatigue, but people showed the best of themselves," said Ma. The logistics detachment turned a stretch of wasteland into a vegetable plot and grew more than 5,000 kg of vegetables. A collective birth party was organized once a month. Reward and accolade On Oct. 1, the entire fifth contingent were awarded the United Nations Medal of Peace at a ceremony where 60 Haitian children sang China's national anthem to honor the Chinese peacekeepers. Shortly after the peacekeepers returned home on Saturday morning, Chinese Ministry of Public Security, Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and government held a function, where Meng Hongwei, Vice Minister of Public Security, conferred the Merit Citation on the fifth contingent, while women officers received honorary titles as "advanced workers" from women's federations at national and provincial levels. China has been active in United Nation peacekeeping efforts since 1990, and currently has forces in Liberia, Kosovo and Sudan as well as Haiti. The sixth contingent of peacekeepers, all the officers from the southwestern Yunnan Province, has already begun its tour of duty in Haiti. "Source:Xinhua"