Body of killed Chinese UN observer to be brought home
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-08-01 21:07
BEN GURION AIRPORT, Israel -- UN handed over the coffin
bearing the body of the UN observer Du Zhaoyu to a special plane, which took off
for China Tuesday afternoon.
Four Chinese soldiers carried the coffin, which was covered by China's
national flag, to the special plane, which arrived at Israel's Ben Gurion
Airport at about 12:30 p.m. (0930 GMT) Tuesday.
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Du Zhaoyu file photo.
[Xinhua]
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Chinese Ambassador Chen Yonglong mourned for Du at the airport and saw the
plane off.
A Chinese team including Du's widow Li Lingling and officials from the
Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry Peacekeeping Affairs Office had been
in Israel to handle the aftermath of Lt. Colonel Du's death.
Du was killed in an Israeli raid on a UN post in southern Lebanon on July 25,
which also killed three other UN observers from Finland, Austria and Canada
respectively.
Israel has expressed deep sorrow and regret over the incident, but denied it
was deliberate.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said on Sunday that questions still
surrounding the deaths of the four UN military observers in Lebanon must be
answered.
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