我在塞浦路斯做群眾工作

文/趙韻子

任務(wù)區(qū)概況

塞浦路斯位于歐、亞、非三大洲的交叉路口，地處重要文明的交匯處，具有顯著的戰(zhàn)略地位，在不同時(shí)期先后被統(tǒng)治東地中海的各個大國所征服。這里是愛與美之神——阿佛洛狄忒的誕生之地，這里有著世界一流的海灘，滿地種植著象征和平的橄欖樹，曾經(jīng)的海上明珠卻無法為自己爭取到長久的和平統(tǒng)一。

塞浦路斯的居民主要由希臘族和土耳其族人組成，其中希族占人口的80%以上。由于文化傳統(tǒng)、宗教信仰和風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣的不同，希土兩族在歷史上積怨甚深。1974年塞浦路斯的希土兩族聯(lián)合政府解體，北方希族人南遷，南部土族人北移。雙方在島嶼中部由東向西劃出一條狹窄的無人地帶，被稱為“綠線”，由希土兩族和聯(lián)合國維持和平部隊(duì)分段設(shè)卡，塞島從此南北分裂。聯(lián)合國1964年3月派出駐塞浦路斯維和部隊(duì)，負(fù)責(zé)確保180公里緩沖區(qū)內(nèi)的穩(wěn)定和現(xiàn)狀。維和警察在這里的主要工作是在緩沖區(qū)內(nèi)巡邏，調(diào)解希土兩族間的民事糾紛，維持當(dāng)?shù)厣鐣闹伟才c穩(wěn)定，監(jiān)控南北過境點(diǎn)，預(yù)防、調(diào)查和報(bào)告緩沖區(qū)內(nèi)的所有非法活動，包括傾倒廢物和非法移民等。

自2015年中國第一次向塞浦路斯派駐維和警察，至今已經(jīng)有37名中國警察在這里執(zhí)行過或正在執(zhí)行維和任務(wù)。

開啟維和之路

我是一名土生土長的重慶妹子，大學(xué)畢業(yè)于重慶警察學(xué)院，之后成為一名普通的治安女警。2019年3月15日，是我結(jié)婚十周年紀(jì)念日，當(dāng)天我抱著試一試的心態(tài)向所在分局提交了維和警察報(bào)名表，并將這個決定當(dāng)作一個小驚喜告訴了愛人。雖然有些擔(dān)心和不舍，但對于這個百里挑一的機(jī)會，他給予了我極大的鼓勵和支持。有了家人的支持我決定放手一搏，接下來我積極準(zhǔn)備復(fù)習(xí)外語知識，練習(xí)駕駛技術(shù)，最終從幾百名報(bào)名者中脫穎而出，代表重慶警察幸運(yùn)地同30位戰(zhàn)友一起去往中國人民警察大學(xué)接受封閉維和培訓(xùn)。兩個月之后，我們接受了嚴(yán)苛的聯(lián)合國甄選考試（SAAT），并獲得了來之不易的派遣資格。然而，突然暴發(fā)的新冠肺炎疫情打亂了原有的計(jì)劃安排，經(jīng)歷了漫長的等待和一輪又一輪的篩選面試后，我最終如愿以償，獲得了派出機(jī)會。2021年5月27日我?guī)е胰说臓繏旌筒簧幔屯侵貞c的兩位戰(zhàn)友一起踏上了飛往塞浦路斯的飛機(jī)。

初到塞浦路斯，我和同事臨時(shí)租住在聯(lián)合國總部營地附近，在這里接受為期十天的上崗培訓(xùn)并通過考試后正式上崗工作。聯(lián)合國總部營地設(shè)在首都尼科西亞，這里是世界上唯一被分裂的首都，城市就像一個被時(shí)間打碎的拼圖，現(xiàn)代和老舊、光鮮和殘破的建筑與街道被隨意地拼接在一起。與國內(nèi)截然相反的駕駛方向和習(xí)慣，讓這里的一切看起來既熟悉又陌生。行走在總部營區(qū)里，與身著各式各樣制服、行色匆匆的人擦肩而過，不由從心底燃起一股重慶女孩的倔勁，我在這里代表的是中國女警，一定展現(xiàn)出我的專業(yè)。

與外國女警一起參加授勛儀式

與緩沖區(qū)里摘蘆筍的兒童合影

經(jīng)過一系列的考核面試，我最終被分配到四戰(zhàn)區(qū)的皮拉警局。這里可謂是全任務(wù)區(qū)警情最復(fù)雜也最忙碌的警局，全島在緩沖區(qū)里的村莊現(xiàn)存一共四個，大部分警局緩沖區(qū)幾乎無人居住，而皮拉警局所管轄的緩沖區(qū)內(nèi)就有兩個村莊，其中一個便是目前全島唯一一個兩族混居的皮拉村（Pyla）。在這里，任何民事案事件都需要在聯(lián)合國安理會決議的框架下，謹(jǐn)慎按照尊重雙方的處理模式進(jìn)行以示公正。而作為聯(lián)合國警察我們也必須在聯(lián)合國授權(quán)范圍內(nèi)，在尊重各方執(zhí)法背景和環(huán)境下找到最好的解決之道，否則很容易觸碰到敏感的民族情緒，而演變成無法預(yù)料的政治事件。加之所轄緩沖區(qū)一部分與英軍主權(quán)基地交界，當(dāng)一個事件涉及三方權(quán)益的時(shí)候，情況將變得更加復(fù)雜多變。所以，在這里的工作不僅要能熟練地運(yùn)用語言，還要有極高的政治敏銳性和工作技巧。

面對諸多挑戰(zhàn)，我沒有退縮和膽怯。為了盡快熟悉情況，我跟著同事開車巡邏，一開就一整天，緩沖區(qū)的每條大路小路，每一個觀察點(diǎn)，都讓同事帶著我一遍一遍地走，一天下來開100多公里是常事。

靠著國內(nèi)群眾工作的經(jīng)驗(yàn)，我知道要想更快掌握情況，必須實(shí)地走訪，與人打交道，跟村民聊家常，跟商店老板聊生意，跟農(nóng)民聊收成……利用女性在溝通方面有著耐心細(xì)致的優(yōu)勢，我逐漸與當(dāng)?shù)厣鐓^(qū)建立起信任，給社區(qū)警務(wù)工作打下堅(jiān)實(shí)的基礎(chǔ)。作為警局中唯一一位單獨(dú)執(zhí)行巡邏任務(wù)而沒有配備搭檔的女警，我已經(jīng)處理報(bào)告包括從非法侵入到酒駕、盜竊等超過80起各類案事件。雖然我在警局中已經(jīng)算經(jīng)驗(yàn)豐富的“前輩”，但我依然在每一次處警的過程中不斷學(xué)習(xí)和積累，同時(shí)也收獲了更多感悟。

轄區(qū)內(nèi)有一位叫尼克拉斯的農(nóng)場主，我在巡邏中多次走訪了他的農(nóng)場。他會熱情地接待我，送我自產(chǎn)的牛奶，我也送給他從中國帶去的小禮物。慢慢地，他對我講起了他的故事。他的父親在戰(zhàn)爭中與他們失散，年幼的他與母親逃難來到這里，多年艱難的打拼讓他擁有了現(xiàn)在美滿的家庭和事業(yè)。一位當(dāng)初目睹他父親遇害而沒有伸出援手的人從“北塞”來到他家，登門致歉，尼克拉斯告訴他從此不用背負(fù)歉意，因?yàn)樗缇瓦x擇了原諒。傷害可以被原諒，但傷痛卻無法被忘記。戰(zhàn)爭的苦難反而造就了他如今樂觀豁達(dá)、慷慨感恩的個性，讓他更加珍惜如今幸福的生活。他說只有選擇放下才有力量繼續(xù)前行，否則將永遠(yuǎn)生活在痛苦中。作為出生在紅旗下，成長在改革開放后的“80后”，如果不是來到這里，我沒有機(jī)會如此近距離接觸到戰(zhàn)爭的傷痛。他的話讓我感觸良多，我不僅慶幸自己生活在和平安定的國家，也深深感受到作為維和人員的責(zé)任與使命。

“我們的武器只有腿和嘴”

很多朋友聽到我在國外維和，都會好奇地問我：這么危險(xiǎn)，你一個女性，去了能干什么啊？你們有槍吧？每當(dāng)聽到這樣的疑問，我都會半開玩笑地回答：我們的武器只有腿和嘴。

在塞浦路斯任務(wù)區(qū)，作為民事維和警察，我們所有的權(quán)力只有監(jiān)督、調(diào)解、觀察和報(bào)告，并沒有實(shí)際執(zhí)法權(quán)，要想在有限的空間取得更好的工作效果，那就只能靠溝通技巧和警務(wù)技能。這里不同的語言不同的文化背景雖然會帶來一些困難，但作為治安警做群眾工作化解糾紛就是我在國內(nèi)的日常工作，所以這里的工作環(huán)境反而讓女警的善于溝通、富有親和力、柔韌堅(jiān)毅的優(yōu)勢得到了更好的體現(xiàn)。

記得有一次深夜，我獨(dú)自駕車巡邏，被路邊一個少年攔下求助。少年自稱，由于他女友的父母不同意他們的戀情而與他在街邊起了爭執(zhí)。女孩情緒激動地坐在地上一邊抽泣一邊揚(yáng)言要自殺，她的父親則在一旁威脅男孩。見此情景，我按程序通知了當(dāng)?shù)鼐剑缓髣耖_男孩讓他通知自己家人到場，又以一位母親的身份對女孩父母進(jìn)行勸解，隨后安撫女孩直到警方和救護(hù)車到來，最終事態(tài)得到了控制，化解了一場家庭糾紛。

在中塞建交50周年圖片展上，向時(shí)任塞浦路斯外交部長介紹中國維和警隊(duì)

數(shù)十年來，聯(lián)合國大力推進(jìn)女性參與維和事業(yè)，而女性維和警察在保護(hù)弱勢群體、促進(jìn)婦女參與、加強(qiáng)社區(qū)溝通等方面具有顯著的優(yōu)勢。不管從外部環(huán)境還是自身能力來講，這都是中國女警參與維和行動的良好機(jī)遇。我有幸在此時(shí)加入維和警察隊(duì)伍，并在疫情肆虐的特殊時(shí)期獲得派遣資格，還在這樣的形勢下得到各級組織的信任，被委任為駐塞浦路斯維和警隊(duì)第一位女警隊(duì)長。這不僅是對我的一個鞭策，更是中國公安部對女警參與維和的有力支持，讓各國維和警察有機(jī)會看到中國女警的實(shí)力。

作為歷史上存續(xù)時(shí)間最長的維和任務(wù)區(qū)，歐洲國家一直擁有其話語權(quán)。在語言、文化、制度等方面歐洲國家都比亞洲國家更具有優(yōu)勢。在工作中，我不時(shí)感受到來自各個國家同事對中國的誤解。所以，在完成好自己工作的同時(shí)，我還加強(qiáng)了對西方文化制度的學(xué)習(xí)，努力了解并懂得如何運(yùn)用規(guī)則制度，用西方的底層邏輯講好中國故事，從而提高中國維和警隊(duì)的軟實(shí)力。

在過去一年中，新冠肺炎病毒一波又一波沖擊著全球，塞浦路斯全島累計(jì)確診病例數(shù)已經(jīng)超過全國總?cè)丝诘?0%。我身邊的同事朋友們接連確診，作為警隊(duì)隊(duì)長的我也感到巨大的壓力。我及時(shí)給警隊(duì)添置防護(hù)用品，在任務(wù)區(qū)疫情防控規(guī)定基礎(chǔ)之上制定了中國警隊(duì)的防疫規(guī)定。全體隊(duì)員按照任務(wù)區(qū)安排堅(jiān)持巡邏，恪盡職守，在出色完成工作的同時(shí)依然保持了零感染。

當(dāng)我敲下這句話時(shí)，還在塞浦路斯繼續(xù)執(zhí)行著維和任務(wù)。維和之路必定是充滿艱辛和挑戰(zhàn)的，但這一路風(fēng)雨后的收獲和成長將成為我人生中最寶貴的財(cái)富。最后希望我的故事能夠拋磚引玉，讓更多更優(yōu)秀的戰(zhàn)友們大膽走出國門，展示中國女警的專業(yè)和風(fēng)采。■

Serving Locals in Cyprus

By Zhao Yunzi

At the intersection of Europe, Asia and Africa, great civilizations converge. It is such a strategic position that Cyprus fell prey to succeeding military powers in the eastern Mediterranean. It is home to Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love and beauty, as well as superb beaches and olive trees, a symbol of peace. However, the “pearl on the sea" has failed to secure peace and unification.

Its population mainly consists of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, with the former accounting for over 80% of the population. Running long between the two sides is a feud due to difference in culture and religion. Following the collapse of the coalition government in 1974, the Greek Cypriots moved south while the Turkish Cypriots moved north. There emerged an unpopulated strip across the island from east to west, known as “the Green Line,” where the Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, and the United Nations Peacekeeping Force set up checkpoints, thus dividing the island into two regions.

The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) was deployed in March 1964 to ensure the stability of the 180-kilometer buffer zone. The peacekeeping police are responsible for patrolling, handling civil disputes between the two groups, maintaining social security and stability, manning the checkpoints to the southern and northern regions, as well as preventing, reporting and investigating illegalities within the zone, including dumping and illegal immigration.

A total of 37 Chinese police officers have served or are serving in this area since the Chinese government dispatched the first group of police to Cyprus in 2015.

Born and bred in Chongqing, I became a public security policewoman after graduating from the Chongqing Police College. It was on March 15, 2019, the 10th anniversary of my marriage, that I submitted the application to join the mission. I told my husband about my decision as a surprise. Despite his deep concerns, he encouraged me to take the hard-won opportunity.

With my family’s support, I decided to go. In the following days, I practiced my foreign language and driving skills very hard. Luckily, I was chosen on behalf of Chongqing with another 30 police officers from hundreds of applicants to take training courses in China People’s Police University. Two months later, we took the assessment conducted by the United Nations Selection Assistance and Assessment Team (SAAT) and were granted qualifications. However, the unexpected outbreak of COVID-19 disrupted the original plan, so I had to wait for a long time and took round after round of interviews before I finally got the chance to embark on my mission. On May 27, 2021, with the love of my family, I boarded the plane for Cyprus with two other colleagues from Chongqing.

Upon arrival, my colleagues and I were temporarily accommodated around the headquarters. Here we underwent a 10-day orientation training and passed tests before we took our posts. The UNFICYP headquarters is stationed in Nicosia, the only divided capital in the world, much like a jigsaw puzzle with a patchwork of modern and dilapidated buildings and streets. The people here drive on the left side of the road, which makes it familiar but also strange to us. Among the police officers in various uniforms at the headquarters, I, as a typical Chongqing girl, cannot help acting unyielding. A Chinese policewoman is to be professional in all aspects.

After successive tests and interviews, I was assigned to the Pyla Police Station in Sector Four, one of the busiest units with the most complicated situation. Mostly unpopulated, the buffer zone has four villages. Two of them are located within our jurisdiction, including Pyla village, the only one where the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots coexist.

For the sake of justice, any civil cases or incidents should be resolved in accordance with UN resolutions and with full respect to both sides. As the UN’s police force, we must act under the authorization of the UN, and find the best solution satisfactory to all parties concerned. Otherwise, we may provoke national sentiments that could evolve into unexpected political issues. As the buffer zone borders a British Sovereign Base Area, any case concerning the interests of the three parties could complicate the situation. So working here involves linguistic proficiency, political awareness and professional excellence.

I didn’t flinch at these challenges. To familiarize myself with the situation as quickly as possible, I asked other colleagues to take me on patrol, sometimes for the whole day. We would drive some 100 kilometers a day to check each road, trail and observation post over and again.

From my previous experience working with people, I know that to learn more about the situation here, I should visit and get close to the locals: to chat with villagers, talk about business with shopowners and crops with farmers. Thanks to women’s innate advantages in communication and carefulness, I have gradually built trust with the local community, which paved the way for further services. As the only policewoman to patrol alone, I have handled and reported over 80 cases of different kinds, such as illegal trespassing, drunk driving and thefts. Though a veteran, I am keen on learning every case.

I often visit Nicholas, a farmer in our jurisdiction. He is hospitable and gives me some home-produced milk for free and in return I leave him with small gifts from China. One day he told me his stories. When he was young, his father got separated from the family due to the war. He and his mother fled and settled down here. After years of hard work, he has a happy family and his good business. A man from the northern region who witnessed Nicholas’ father being killed but did not help came to the farm to apologize. But Nicholas told that man not to feel guilty because he had already chosen forgiveness.

Harm is forgivable, but agony is unforgettable. The scourge of war made Nicholas an optimistic, generous and grateful man who cherishes his present life. He said that only by letting go of the past can we move on. Otherwise, we will indulge ourselves in sufferings. As a girl born in the 1980s and brought up in peace under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, I would never taste the pain of war if I hadn’t joined the mission. I thought a lot about his words. I count myself lucky to live in a peaceful country and I feel obliged to keep peace in a war-ravaged country.

Curious about my peacekeeping job in a foreign country, many friends said, “It must be dangerous. What can you do there as a girl? Do you have a gun?” Hearing such questions, I always answer them jokingly: We have no weapons but legs and mouths.

As civil police officers in the mission zone, we are not entitled to enforce law but only exercise oversight, meditation, observation and reporting instead. To work effectively in such a context, , we must improve our communication abilities and professionalism. It may pose a challenge to work with the local people across different languages and cultural backgrounds, but solving public disputes is what I do at home. I believe that this environment can bring into full play the advantages of female police officers: communicative, amicable, and resilient.

I remember that once a teenaged boy stopped my car when I was patrolling by myself late at night. He claimed that his girlfriend’s parents disagreed with their relationship so they squabbled by the road. The girl sat on the ground, threatening to commit suicide, her father coercing the boy. I dutifully reported it to the local police, asked the boy to bring his parents to the scene, and talked to the girl’s parents as a mother. I kept soothing the young lady until the local police and an ambulance arrived. Finally, the dispute dissolved.

The UN has been promoting women’s engagement in peacekeeping campaigns for decades because they show prominence in protecting vulnerable groups, contribute to women’s participation in society and improve communication at the local level. Personally and professionally, this is a good opportunity for Chinese policewomen to get involved in peacekeeping missions. With the trust from my office and higher-ups, I am honored to join the force at the height of COVID-19 and be appointed the first female Chinese police chief. It gives me increased impetus, shows the firm support of the Ministry of Public Security of China to women’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations, and demonstrates Chinese women’s capability to other peacekeeping countries.

This mission area is most longstanding peacekeeping mission in history. As Cyprus has long been subjected to the influence of European countries, it is easier for peacekeepers from these countries to perform duties due to their strengths in language, cultural backgrounds and social systems. I encountered misunderstandings with colleagues from other countries from time to time. To ameliorate this, I began to study western cultures and systems after work, and to understand their rules and regulations, so that I can tell Chinese stories in a way that fits the logic of the western public and improve the soft power of the Chinese peacekeeping police forces.

Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to rage with frequent flare-ups across the globe. The number of confirmed cases in Cyprus has exceeded 30 percent of the total population. My colleagues and friends got infected one after another. As the team leader of the Chinese forces, I am under heavy stress. I applied for more personal protective equipment and set up health and safety protocols for my team on the basis of the local directives, so that all my team members can continue taking patrols as scheduled to honor our commitment with zero infection.

As I write down these words, I’m still performing duty in Cyprus. Of course it is a painful and challenging journey. But I believe that what I gain from this experience will be treasured for a lifetime. I also hope that my stories can inspire many others so that more excellent police officers will take missions abroad and present to the world the professionalism and excellence of the Chinese policewomen. ■