The Malaysian Insider
In London, Amsterdam, Sydney, voices rang out to say that Russian President Vladimir Putin must come clean and do everything he can to allow those killed onboard Flight MH17 to come home and be buried.
Many believe Russian-backed separatists had access to the Russian-made missile that allegedly brought down the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777-200ER packed with 298 people over eastern Ukraine last Thursday.
British and Dutch newspapers are clear what happened to the Kuala Lumpur-bound MH17. It was shot down while flying in a 10,000 metres-high flight path over Ukraine.
Until press time, security monitors and Malaysia's experts team, that have landed in Ukraine, have yet to get access to the crash site near the eastern city of Donetsk.
Only Putrajaya has put in its demands for the relevant quarters to allow recovery teams safe passage to the crash site, not to interfere with evidence there so that an independent investigation can be conducted, and for those responsible to face justice for shooting down the passenger jet.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman leaves tonight for Ukraine as part of a diplomatic push to get access to the site which is controlled by separatists.
Other than that, nothing.
Malaysians are more pre-occupied with Gaza or blaming Malaysia Airlines for its pilots flying over Ukraine. Some say it is a cost-cutting measure, despite proof that the flight path was considered safe and had been used by other airlines.
Some cite the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) directive to stop flying over Ukraine, not understanding or realising that the directive in April only applies over the Crimean peninsula.
For the record, Flight MH17 is the ninth commercial aircraft shot down around Russian borders since 1940, out of the 22 commercial jetliners brought down around the world in the same period.
The Mashable website reported that the last such incident in Ukraine was when a Siberian Airlines plane was shot down in 2001 over the Black Sea, killing 78. Ukraine admitted to mistakenly firing an S-200 missile, which may also have been involved in downing the Malaysian airliner.
Other than that, it has been peaceful until now. So why just blame Malaysia Airlines?
Is MH17 just another excuse to bash Malaysia Airlines and Putrajaya for all the mismanagement of the past? That we forget someone had shot the plane down, but we rather blame the victim here for flying over Ukraine.
While relatives and politicians of other passengers put the blame squarely on Russia and by extension, Putin, we lament and criticise Malaysia Airlines for operating flights in Ukrainian airspace.
No protest. Nothing. Aren't the 298 souls aboard MH17, 44 of them Malaysians, worth protesting about?
By all means, get Malaysia Airlines and Putrajaya to account for running the flag carrier to the ground and in a sea of red ink despite massive capital injection and management overhauls that have yet to succeed.
But stay mute and let go of the perpetrators?
Perhaps it is easier to protest against Israel because we have no diplomatic ties with them, unlike Russia or Ukraine. Or perhaps the hate against the government is stronger than keeping the MH17 shooting in perspective.
Or maybe the British. the Dutch, the Americans the Australians and others are wrong about condemning Russia, Putin and the separatists.
Or are they?
* Jahabar Sadiq runs The Malaysian Insider.
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