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Malaysia’s Linking of Plane Debris to Flight 370 Renews Relatives’ Raw Feelings Malaysia’s Statements on Flight 370 and Plane Debris Rekindle Relatives’ Grief and Anger
(about 2 hours later)
HONG KONG — For many relatives of the 239 people who were on the Malaysia Airlines jet that vanished 17 months ago, there was little or no solace in the Malaysian prime minister’s announcement that a wing part found on a remote island in the Indian Ocean had been “conclusively confirmed” to be from the plane. HONG KONG — For many relatives of the 239 people who were on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 when it vanished 17 months ago, there was little or no solace in the Malaysian prime minister’s announcement that a wing part found on a remote island in the Indian Ocean had been “conclusively confirmed” to be from the plane.
The grief, frustration and suspicion of the authorities that had begun to recede with the passage of time was only rekindled.The grief, frustration and suspicion of the authorities that had begun to recede with the passage of time was only rekindled.
Many questioned the timing and the motives of the announcement by Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia in the early hours of Thursday, which came before Boeing, the plane’s manufacturer, was prepared to verify that the part was from the missing airliner, Flight 370. French investigators would only say that there were “very strong presumptions” that the wing part, called a flaperon, was from the plane, a Boeing 777. Many questioned the timing and the motives of the announcement by Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia in the early hours of Thursday, which came before Boeing, the plane’s manufacturer, was prepared to verify that the part was from the missing plane, Flight 370. French investigators would say only that there were “very strong presumptions” that the wing part, called a flaperon, was from the plane, a Boeing 777.
For many people with loved ones aboard Flight 370, the identification, or near-identification, of the debris only intensified their desire to know why the jet had veered off its intended route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysia capital, in the early hours of March 8, 2014, flown out over the Indian Ocean and disappeared without a trace — until now. For many people who had loved ones aboard Flight 370, the identification, or near-identification, of the debris only intensified their desire to know why the jet had veered off its intended route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysia capital, in the early hours of March 8, 2014, flown out over the Indian Ocean and disappeared without a trace — until now.
Chinese citizens made up about two-thirds of the people on the plane, and in Beijing, relatives of the victims viewed Mr. Najib’s announcement with skepticism or outright disbelief.Chinese citizens made up about two-thirds of the people on the plane, and in Beijing, relatives of the victims viewed Mr. Najib’s announcement with skepticism or outright disbelief.
On Thursday morning, about 20 relatives gathered outside the Malaysia Airlines offices in the eastern part of the Chinese capital, demanding to talk to airline representatives and to fly to Réunion, the French island near Madagascar where the flaperon was found. More than two dozen police officers kept them from entering the office building. On Thursday morning, about 20 relatives gathered outside the Malaysia Airlines office in Beijing, demanding to talk to airline representatives and to fly to Réunion, the French island near Madagascar where the flaperon was found. More than two dozen police officers kept them from entering the office building.
“We don’t accept this, this is not closure,” said Dai Shuqing, who had five relatives on the plane, including her sister. “I don’t even know if our families have actually boarded the plane. Based on all these signs, it is just a man-made disaster. The Malaysians want to lie to the whole world, but they cannot lie to us. We will persevere and keep digging.”“We don’t accept this, this is not closure,” said Dai Shuqing, who had five relatives on the plane, including her sister. “I don’t even know if our families have actually boarded the plane. Based on all these signs, it is just a man-made disaster. The Malaysians want to lie to the whole world, but they cannot lie to us. We will persevere and keep digging.”
Other people with Ms. Dai outside the airline’s offices held signs with slogans such as “Malaysia hides the truth.” Later in the day, some of the relatives moved the demonstration to Boeing’s offices. Others outside the airline’s office held signs with slogans such as “Malaysia hides the truth.” Later in the day, some of the relatives moved the demonstration to Boeing’s offices.
Complicating the picture, the Malaysian transportation minister, Liow Tiong Lai, told reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday that a Malaysian team had found more aircraft debris on Réunion and had turned it over for analysis. The French authorities in Paris denied that anything new had been found.
A person familiar with the investigation said on Thursday that considerable tension had developed between French and Malaysian officials over the public pronouncements being made by Malaysian politicians about the debris.
The Chinese relatives of Flight 370 passengers have been vocal about their frustrations with Malaysia since the first hours after the plane’s disappearance. Though ground controllers lost contact with the plane about 40 minutes after takeoff, the authorities did not issue an alert about the missing plane until hours later.The Chinese relatives of Flight 370 passengers have been vocal about their frustrations with Malaysia since the first hours after the plane’s disappearance. Though ground controllers lost contact with the plane about 40 minutes after takeoff, the authorities did not issue an alert about the missing plane until hours later.
Then, Malaysia spent a full week directing a major search-and-rescue effort focused on the Gulf of Thailand along the plane’s scheduled flight path, even though Malaysia’s military had tracked an aircraft flying in nearly the opposite direction — toward the west and out into the Indian Ocean — which investigators later concluded was Flight 370. Then, Malaysia spent a full week directing a major search-and-rescue effort focused on the Gulf of Thailand along the plane’s scheduled flight path, even though the Malaysian military had tracked an aircraft flying in nearly the opposite direction — westward and out into the Indian Ocean — which investigators later concluded was Flight 370.
Eventually, based on the radar data and satellite signals received from the plane, investigators concluded that the plane must have gone down somewhere in the deep ocean west or southwest of Australia, and the Australian authorities have been searching the seabed there for 10 months, but have not found anything. Tony Abbott, the Australian prime minister, said on Thursday that the effort would continue: “We owe it to the hundreds of millions of people who use our skies.”
Meanwhile, Jean-Paul Virapoullé, the mayor of St.-André, Réunion, near where the wing debris was found, said in a statement on Thursday that his town would organize a “meticulous search” of the beaches there next week.
“If it can soothe the terrible pain of these hundreds of families, the city of St.-André, with the agreement of the relevant international authorities, is ready to erect a memorial for the people who are missing,” the mayor said in the statement.
David Griffin, an Australian scientist who has mapped ocean currents in the area, said on Thursday that he believed more debris from Flight 370 could wash up on Madagascar, the much larger island to the west of Réunion.
“There could be a very large amount of debris floating, or a very small amount,” said Mr. Griffin, who is with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Australia. “I am slightly surprised that something turned up at Réunion, rather than Madagascar, because Madagascar is so much bigger.”
Wen Wancheng, 63, whose son was on the aircraft, said finding one wing part did not answer the mystery of what happened to the plane, and why it had strayed. “The sort of closure the families want is to know what exactly happened to the plane, and have the bodies returned,” he said by telephone from Jinan, a city in eastern China.Wen Wancheng, 63, whose son was on the aircraft, said finding one wing part did not answer the mystery of what happened to the plane, and why it had strayed. “The sort of closure the families want is to know what exactly happened to the plane, and have the bodies returned,” he said by telephone from Jinan, a city in eastern China.
That sentiment was shared by other relatives of Flight 370 victims around the world, some of whom said that the discovery of the flaperon only intensified the mystery.That sentiment was shared by other relatives of Flight 370 victims around the world, some of whom said that the discovery of the flaperon only intensified the mystery.
“Ultimately in the end, for the families to have a sort of closure we need to know why it ended up in the ocean, what happened,” Sara Weeks, whose brother Paul was a passenger on the flight, said in an interview with Australian radio from Christchurch, New Zealand. “It is really important for everyone, because if that plane can go missing, another one can.”“Ultimately in the end, for the families to have a sort of closure we need to know why it ended up in the ocean, what happened,” Sara Weeks, whose brother Paul was a passenger on the flight, said in an interview with Australian radio from Christchurch, New Zealand. “It is really important for everyone, because if that plane can go missing, another one can.”
For some, the longing for more evidence has only grown stronger.For some, the longing for more evidence has only grown stronger.
“It’s a piece of flaperon, it’s not my husband,” said Jacquita Gonzales, the wife of a Flight 370 crew member, Patrick Gomes. Ms. Gonzales was one of a small group of family members who spoke to reporters on Thursday in the Malaysian city of Petaling Jaya.“It’s a piece of flaperon, it’s not my husband,” said Jacquita Gonzales, the wife of a Flight 370 crew member, Patrick Gomes. Ms. Gonzales was one of a small group of family members who spoke to reporters on Thursday in the Malaysian city of Petaling Jaya.
“Although they found something, it’s not the end,” she added. “They still need to find the whole plane and our spouses as well. We still want them back.”“Although they found something, it’s not the end,” she added. “They still need to find the whole plane and our spouses as well. We still want them back.”