Justice for MH17

The world is reshaping, unfortunately not for the better, on the day MH17 was shot down.

As Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak rightly mentioned, July 17 is a tragic day in a tragic year for Malaysia.

While flight MH370 which vanished with 239 people on board is yet to be found despite a huge search for several months now, the fate of flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, with 298 people, shocked everyone across the globe.

Having said that, the sentiment is different this time around.

In the incident of MH370, fingers were pointed to possible negligence of the Malaysian government and its national airline. However, in the MH17 tragedy, there is sadness, as well as sympathy and frustration, as it is a human tragedy. The MH17 is a victim of the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Now, the question of who shot down MH17 is of paramount importance.

As widely reported, MH17 was believed to have been shot down by pro-Russian Ukrainian separatists, with materials and technical support provided by Moscow.

At this point, while Kiev and Moscow blamed each other for the incident, all eyes are on Russia. Marches to boycott Putin are growing around the world, as 298 lives are lost due to a “mistake”.

Either way, the huge loss of innocent lives is a catalyst for the international community to escalate support for the Ukrainian government’s efforts to defeat the rebels, and intensify pressure on Russia to stop backing the separatists.

What happened to MH17 is heartbreaking. It underscores the dangers when non-state actors are armed. Hopefully the world leaders will take this as a lesson.

The 298 innocent people on MH17 had no connection whatsoever to the fightings. Their international flight was simply passing through airspace above the battle area.

Much remains unclear. One thing for sure, the tragedy has internationalised the conflict between Kiev and Moscow. This could lead to a further retrogression in Russia’s relations with the West.

In the past, the international community may have viewed the crisis in Ukraine as a remote issue. However, what happened to MH17 turned the situation into one with deep consequences worldwide.

The MH17 episode puts Malaysia in international limelight again. It is important that we do not make the situation worse. It should not be allowed to happen again.

We should all stand united together to ensure justice for the 298 people on board. An independent, fair and objective probe should be carried out to establish the truth as early as possible, and to bring those responsible to justice.

My thoughts and prayers go out to all families and friends of MH17. - July 21, 2014.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.