Malaysia flight MH370: Chinese families vent anger Previous Latest Debris? Relatives The search What we know Questions Key video Next The BBCs Jennifer Pak in Kuala Lumpur: The family members have come here for answers Continue reading the main story MH370 mystery 10 questions Black-box answers What we know Mourning the missing Relatives of Chinese passengers from the missing Malaysian plane have vented their anger at government officials, after arriving in Kuala Lumpur. Chanting Tell us the truth, they said they wanted the Malaysian prime minister to apologise for what they regard as misleading statements. Ten planes and eight ships are looking for remains of the airliner in a vast area of the Indian Ocean. The Beijing-bound plane disappeared on 8 March with 239 people on board. Continue reading the main story At the scene image of Lucy Williamson Lucy Williamson BBC News, Kuala Lumpur These new arrivals are being carefully guarded. Blue-shirted volunteers chaperone them to and from meetings. There are security guards dotted around their hotel, and at the airport this morning a welcoming party, including a local politician, was left standing as the families were whisked away from a hidden exit. But the message these families have brought wont be so easy to manage. At a brief press conference, they unfurled a banner which accused the Malaysian government of speculation and trampling on innocent lives. Many relatives accuse the Malaysian authorities of misinformation and secrecy. With no sign of flight MH370 or its passengers, their worn faces have become the most visible symbols of this mystery. And their frustration wont be easy for the government to deal with. Some relatives of the 153 Chinese passengers on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have refused to accept the Malaysian account of events and accused the authorities. On Sunday several dozen family members travelled from Beijing. After landing in Kuala Lumpur they held a news conference at a hotel holding up banners that read We want evidence, truth, dignity in Chinese, and Hand us the murderer. Give us our relatives, in English. Their designated representative, Jiang Hui, said they wanted the Malaysian government to apologise over the initial handling of the disaster, as well as for Prime Minister Najib Razaks earlier statement that indicated the plane had crashed with no survivors. He said the conclusion had been announced without direct evidence or a sense of responsibility. He said the group wanted to meet airline and government officials face to face - although he stopped short of saying that these included Mr Najib, as some relatives had earlier suggested. The relatives have previously expressed anger at officials during regular briefings by Malaysian officials at a hotel in Beijing. A relative of a passenger on board the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 looks out from a bus as he and other family members wait to leave for Beijing airport and take a Malaysia Airlines flight to Kuala Lumpur, in Beijing, 29 March 2014 Relatives of the Chinese passengers travelled Beijing airport on Saturday night Relative of a Chinese passenger of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, smokes next to a message board dedicated to passengers, in Beijing, 29 March. Relatives of the passengers have been anxiously waiting for news of their loved ones Malaysias acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said on Saturday that the search for survivors would continue. The hardest part of my job is to see the families, he said. Ive always said we are hoping against hope that we will find survivors. For a second day on Sunday, Malaysian officials cancelled their daily update on the search operation. Malaysian officials have concluded that, based on satellite data, the missing plane flew into the sea somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean. So far no trace of it has been found. The BBCs Jon Donnison, in Perth, explains how a towed pinger locator is used A Chinese and an Australian ship failed to identify debris from the missing flight after their first day in a new search area, about 1,850km (1,150 miles) west of Perth, on Saturday. Chinese patrol ship Haixun 01 and Australias HMAS Success both retrieved objects but none was confirmed to be from flight MH370, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa) said in a statement. Continue reading the main story MH370 - Facts at a glance 8 March - Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight carrying 239 people disappears Planes transponder, which gives out location data, was switched off as it left Malaysian airspace Satellite pings indicate plane was still flying seven hours after satellite contact was lost 24 March - Based on new calculations, Malaysian PM says beyond reasonable doubt that plane crashed in southern Indian Ocean with no survivors What we know The search for flight MH370 Some of the objects have been very small, and officials have cautioned that they may be sea junk. Aircraft involved in the search have so far reported seeing a number of objects of various colours floating in the sea in the new area since Friday. Poor conditions have hampered recent search efforts. An Australian vessel carrying a US device known as a towed pinger locator is due to join the search in the coming days. The device is designed to detect any ultrasonic signals - pings - from flight recorders and can operate up to a depth of about 6,000m. But the search area is huge - covering some 319,000 sq km (123,000 sq miles) - and time is running short. The flight recorders batteries are expected to run out in about a weeks time. The current search area is about 1,100km (700 miles) north-east of the previous zone. Officials said the focus changed after radar data showed the plane had been travelling faster that previously thought, thus burning more fuel. This would reduce the possible distance the aircraft travelled south. search area map Chinese patrol ship Haixun 01 starts search in new area A Chinese patrol ship retrieved objects from the ocean but none were confirmed as from the plane Various theories about what went wrong have been suggested - including the captain hijacking his own plane. The speculation was fuelled by reports that files had been deleted on the pilots home flight simulator. However on Saturday Malaysias transport minister said investigators had found nothing sinister from the simulator. Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 vanished less than an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur. The airliner diverted off course and lost contact with air traffic controllers between Malaysian and Vietnamese air-traffic control areas. Towed pinger locator Are you in the region? Email us at [email protected] adding Malaysia Airlines in the subject heading and include your contact details. Or send your thoughts using the form below. (Required) Name (Required) Your E-mail address (Required) Town & Country (Required) Your telephone number (Required) Comments If you are happy to be contacted by a BBC journalist please leave a telephone number that we can contact you on. In some cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name as you provide it and location, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. When sending us pictures, video or eyewitness accounts at no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions. Terms and conditions More on This Story MH370 mystery A Boeing 777 - stock picture 10 questions As the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 continues, here are 10 key questions that remain unanswered. Black-box answers What we know Mourning the missing Who are the pilots? Salvage challenges Day of searching The debris Search logistics Armchair hunters The passengers Inside Inmarsats operations roomPings tracked plane Watch The BBCs Richard Westcott speaks to Chris McLaughlin, from the British satellite firm Inmarsat, about their analysis that helped track the missing Malaysia Airlines plane. How can a plane vanish? Watch Intense interest in China Watch On board search plane Watch Relative: Ive still got hope Listen From other news sites Guardian.co.uk Flight MH370: Chinese relatives demand apology from Malaysia 56 mins ago MSN UK Jet families go to Malaysia to vent fury at search failures 1 hr ago IOL MH370 Chinese relatives demand apology 2 hrs ago Yahoo! UK and Ireland Missing Plane Families Demand Malaysia Apology 3 hrs ago Khaleej Times Chinese relatives demand apology over missing jet 4 hrs ago About these results Share this page Share Facebook Twitter Print More Asia stories RSS Protesters denounce the controversial China Taiwan trade pact during a mass protest in Taipei, 30 MarchMass Taiwan rally against China deal Taiwanese opponents of a controversial trade deal with China hold a mass rally in Taipei, saying it will leave Taiwan too dependent on Beijing. China sea spat captured on camera Burmese Rohingya face census snub Top Stories US Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Paris on 29 MArchRussia and US set for crisis talks Prince George photograph released Dynasty star Kate OMara dies Spanish journalists freed in Syria Turkey PM faces local election test Features & Analysis Alistair Cooke in 1969Letters from America Alistair Cookes long-lost 1970s radio tapes found on a farm Lawrence Ferlinghetti, one of the owners of City Lights bookstoreSit and read The US city with some of the best bookshops in the world Motorcyclist drives by a sign reading Socialism or DeathOpen for business? Cubas charm offensive to draw in foreign investors RamikaAfghan Voices Watch The teenage rapper who expresses herself through music Most Popular Shared 1: Crossrail digs up Black Death victims 2: Prince George photograph released 3: Dynasty star Kate OMara dies 4: Call for ban on pavement parking 5: Mass Taiwan rally against China deal Read 1: Dynasty star Kate OMara dies 2: Russia and US set for crisis talks 3: Prince George photograph released 4: Brazils Chinese bikini problem 5: Chinese families seek jet answers 6: Theatre destroyed in massive blaze 7: Crossrail digs up Black Death victims 8: Boys ran to help plane crash victims 9: Whale carcass cure for rheumatism 10: Indy for sale at the right price Video/Audio 1: Plane search turns up sea junk Watch 2: Ewan McGregor: I cant shave my beard Watch 3: Kurt Cobain: The last photo session Watch 4: Facial hair transplants on the rise Watch 5: Pinger locator joins MH370 search Watch 6: Moment searchers spotted new debris Watch 7: Going into the Black Death pit Watch 8: Fingerprints reveal hidden secrets Watch 9: One-minute World News Watch 10: Brighton hosts beard and moustache contest Watch Elsewhere on the BBC BBC CultureFilms to watch BBC Culture unveils nine films to see at the movie theatre in April Programmes Tikal ruins in GuatemalaThe Travel Show Watch How Guatemala is trying to encourage tourists to explore its hidden beauty Ukraine crisis: US and Russia set for Paris talks Previous Russia and US set for crisis talks Analysis Economic woes Timeline Putins Russia Russian-majority areas Next US Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Paris on 29 March Mr Kerry abruptly diverted his flight on Saturday to attend the talks in Paris Continue reading the main story Ukraine crisis Which Russian areas might be next? Ukraines troubled economy Crisis sharpens Latvia tensions Wests guessing game Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has set out demands for a neutral and federal Ukraine, ahead of crisis talks with his US counterpart in Paris. Sunday evenings meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry was hastily arranged after President Vladimir Putin phoned Barack Obama on Friday. Russia has annexed Crimea and there are reports of thousands of Russian troops massed close to Ukraines borders. Mr Lavrov has categorically denied any plans for an invasion. But he has stressed Moscow will protect the rights of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers, after pro-EU protests in Kiev led to the ousting of Ukraines President Viktor Yanukovych. He had faced months of protests after pulling out of an association deal with Brussels. Hours before the Paris talks were due to take place at the Russian ambassadors residence, Mr Lavrov told Russian state TV that Ukraine should come up with a new constitution providing for a federal structure and neutrality. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov: We have absolutely no intention of, or interest in, crossing Ukraines borders The Russian foreign minister said Moscow, the US and European Union should act as a support group for Kiev to begin a nationwide dialogue that did not involve the armed radicals. Moscow claims that fascists have taken power in Ukraine, jeopardising the safety of Russian speakers. In an interview on Saturday, he said Russia had been deceived after being promised there would be no movement of Nato military infrastructure closer to our borders. Natos outgoing Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned on Sunday that Russias government was [flouting] the principle that every state is sovereign and free to choose its own fate. Mr Putin is also thought to be demanding that Washington accepts Crimeas independence from Ukraine. Separately, Moscow is keen to tackle the issue of Trans-Dniester, a pro-Russian separatist region of Moldova on the south-western border of Ukraine. It accuses Ukraine and Moldova of blockading the area while the EU and the US stay silent. Map of Trans-Dniester US officials are divided over whether Mr Putin is seeking to ease tensions or is still planning further military action, BBC Paris correspondent Christian Fraser reports. The Pentagon believes Moscow has massed tens of thousands of troops close to Ukraines eastern border. Food, medicines and a field hospital are said to be among the supplies moved into position, officials say, which would not be necessary for any spring military exercise. Pro-Russian activists at a rally in Donetsk (29 March) Russia has said it has no intention or interest in invading predominantly Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine UK Defence Secretary Philip Hammond told the BBC: Everybody is concerned. We are concerned that there might be a further incursion in the territory of a sovereign nation. The diplomatic push was initiated by President Putin, who spoke to President Obama for an hour late on Friday. The next day, the US secretary of state abruptly diverted his flight from Saudi Arabia to Paris for Sundays meeting. We are getting closer in our positions, Mr Lavrov said on Saturday. The White House, in its statement after Mr Putins phone-call, said President Obama made clear that a de-escalation of the crisis could only take place if Russia pulls back its troops and does not take any steps to further violate Ukraines territorial integrity and sovereignty. People in the Crimean capital Simferopol have been celebrating the change of the clocks to synchronise with the time in Moscow As the rest of Europe put clocks forward by one hour on Sunday, Crimea aligned its time with Moscow, jumping two hours ahead. Hundreds of people waving flags greeted the time change in the capital, Simferopol. Voters in the mainly pro-Russian peninsula backed leaving Ukraine for Russia in a referendum a fortnight ago. But the vote has been condemned as illegal by Kiev and the UN General Assembly. Map of Crimea
Posted on: Sun, 30 Mar 2014 13:47:20 +0000
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