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| Their relatives declared dead, families of plane passengers boil in anger, march on embassy | Their relatives declared dead, families of plane passengers boil in anger, march on embassy |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| BEIJING -- Days of anxious waiting and simmering anger exploded into full-blown outrage Tuesday as relatives of Chinese passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 marched to the Malaysian embassy in Beijing to demand answers. | BEIJING -- Days of anxious waiting and simmering anger exploded into full-blown outrage Tuesday as relatives of Chinese passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 marched to the Malaysian embassy in Beijing to demand answers. |
| Fueling their rage was Malaysian officials’ statement late Monday that all 239 passengers and crew on the plane died when it crashed into the Indian Ocean, a conclusion that destroyed the last shreds of hope for family and friends. | |
| The rowdy crowd threw water bottles at the embassy, scuffled with police and hurled criticisms, questions and curses at officials inside. While the crowd included many relatives, several also appeared to be Chinese government agents in plain clothes whose mission seemed to be not only guiding the protest but also keeping it under control. Some relatives said they believed authorities were giving them a way to release their anger for fear it could turn back on the Chinese government. | |
| Despite the Malaysian prime minister’s announcement Monday night, there has still been no confirmed debris from the plane in the southern Indian Ocean, as search teams chase after floating objects spotted by satellite only to come up empty handed. Under pressure to provide more evidence of how they came to their conclusion that their loved ones were lost in a crash, Malaysian officials on Tuesday released more detailed, technical information about the analysis done by British satellite company Inmarsat and the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch. | |
| The search for the plane’s wreckage was suspended Tuesday by the Australian-led search team due to rough weather. Meteorologists said the weather would likely improve over the next few days, according to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), and search operations were expected to resume Wednesday. A black-box locator sent by the U.S. Navy is also due to arrive Wednesday. | |
| But so far, reports of floating objects have proved inconclusive. | But so far, reports of floating objects have proved inconclusive. |
| “Unfortunately, there’s a lot of debris in the ocean all the time, and it ranges from really teeny-tiny pieces of plastic, up to fishing gear. It can be boats, it can be shipping containers,” said Nancy Wallace, director of the marine debris program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. | “Unfortunately, there’s a lot of debris in the ocean all the time, and it ranges from really teeny-tiny pieces of plastic, up to fishing gear. It can be boats, it can be shipping containers,” said Nancy Wallace, director of the marine debris program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. |
| At a press conference Tuesday, Malaysia Airlines chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya declined to comment on the ongoing investigation into what caused the jet to veer off-course. | At a press conference Tuesday, Malaysia Airlines chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya declined to comment on the ongoing investigation into what caused the jet to veer off-course. |
| “We do not know why,” said Ahmad Jauhari. “We do not know how.” | “We do not know why,” said Ahmad Jauhari. “We do not know how.” |
| Leading up to the Beijing protest, some of the plainclothes men corralled the protesters onto buses, provided them with well-printed placards and t-shirts with slogans related to the plane, and lectured them on how to protest in an orderly fashion. | |
| Many in the crowd, however, rejected the coaching, letting their most visceral emotions flow and accusing Malaysia’s leaders of lying to them. One woman cried, “give me back my son,” and demanded a thorough explanation of how investigators had determined with certainty using partial satellite data that the plane had crashed somewhere off the coast of Australia. | |
| To some families, however, their dominant question has long been whether passengers survived. With that answered, many were beginning to focus on who was to blame. | |
| Many in Beijing on Tuesday pointed fingers squarely at the Malaysian airline and government for missteps, especially in the early, most critical days of the investigation. And the Chinese government has not been shy of doing the same. | Many in Beijing on Tuesday pointed fingers squarely at the Malaysian airline and government for missteps, especially in the early, most critical days of the investigation. And the Chinese government has not been shy of doing the same. |
| Its foreign ministry has demanded a full accounting of how Malaysian investigators reached the conclusion that the plane crashed in the Indian Ocean. On Tuesday, according to state media, President Xi Jinping sent a special envoy to Kuala Lumpur to deal with the issue, adding pressure. | Its foreign ministry has demanded a full accounting of how Malaysian investigators reached the conclusion that the plane crashed in the Indian Ocean. On Tuesday, according to state media, President Xi Jinping sent a special envoy to Kuala Lumpur to deal with the issue, adding pressure. |
| Chinese officials’ handling of Tuesday’s protest, in many ways, appeared to be similarly a calculated. | Chinese officials’ handling of Tuesday’s protest, in many ways, appeared to be similarly a calculated. |
| In recent days, government officials living at a fancier hotel next door to where the families are gathered could be overheard discussing how to deal with their emotional volatility. | In recent days, government officials living at a fancier hotel next door to where the families are gathered could be overheard discussing how to deal with their emotional volatility. |
| As is often the case, the main concern of Chinese officials is that the families’ anger could quickly switch targets from Malaysia to the Chinese government itself. | As is often the case, the main concern of Chinese officials is that the families’ anger could quickly switch targets from Malaysia to the Chinese government itself. |
| At a meeting of provincial officials last week, according to people who were in the room, they discussed preventing a larger movement from forming out of the passengers’ families. Tuesday’s well-organized protest had the clear approval of authorities -- if for no other reason than the government’s normal practice of cracking down on anything that even looks like a demonstration. | At a meeting of provincial officials last week, according to people who were in the room, they discussed preventing a larger movement from forming out of the passengers’ families. Tuesday’s well-organized protest had the clear approval of authorities -- if for no other reason than the government’s normal practice of cracking down on anything that even looks like a demonstration. |
| Before the march on the embassy even began in the morning, many new men in plainclothes appeared at the hotel, mixed in with the families. To some in the room -- eyes still red from tears during Monday night’s traumatic revelation -- the men clearly stuck out as they brightly chatted with uniform police, surfed their smartphones and smiled. | Before the march on the embassy even began in the morning, many new men in plainclothes appeared at the hotel, mixed in with the families. To some in the room -- eyes still red from tears during Monday night’s traumatic revelation -- the men clearly stuck out as they brightly chatted with uniform police, surfed their smartphones and smiled. |
| The relatives were given matching t-shirts that read, “Pray for MH370” and signs saying “We await you at home with tears” and “Please come back.” | The relatives were given matching t-shirts that read, “Pray for MH370” and signs saying “We await you at home with tears” and “Please come back.” |
| They were led to buses outside the Lido hotel. They were told to wait for another group of families coming from another hotel. In the meantime, in one bus, a man with a loudspeaker prepared the relatives. “We don’t have any contradictions with the Chinese government, right?” he yelled into the loudspeaker, waiting for them to yell back “right!” “We don’t have any contradictions with the media, right?” | They were led to buses outside the Lido hotel. They were told to wait for another group of families coming from another hotel. In the meantime, in one bus, a man with a loudspeaker prepared the relatives. “We don’t have any contradictions with the Chinese government, right?” he yelled into the loudspeaker, waiting for them to yell back “right!” “We don’t have any contradictions with the media, right?” |
| After roughly 20 minutes of waiting, many families walked off the buses and after tussling with authorities began walking to the embassy. Police quickly blocked off traffic to help the crowd along. And they were met with swarms of police and army guards who mostly watched as the protesters shouted their demands and anger at Malaysian officials for more than two hours. | After roughly 20 minutes of waiting, many families walked off the buses and after tussling with authorities began walking to the embassy. Police quickly blocked off traffic to help the crowd along. And they were met with swarms of police and army guards who mostly watched as the protesters shouted their demands and anger at Malaysian officials for more than two hours. |
| One relative, from a neighboring province of Beijing, said the government’s tacit approval was clear. “If they didn’t want us to reach the embassy, of course we wouldn’t have gotten there,” he said. But at the same time he was glad for a chance, no matter what the surrounding conditions, to vent his anger. “The anger is ours and it is real.” Those more deserving of that anger than anyone else, he said, were the Malaysian authorities. | One relative, from a neighboring province of Beijing, said the government’s tacit approval was clear. “If they didn’t want us to reach the embassy, of course we wouldn’t have gotten there,” he said. But at the same time he was glad for a chance, no matter what the surrounding conditions, to vent his anger. “The anger is ours and it is real.” Those more deserving of that anger than anyone else, he said, were the Malaysian authorities. |
| After being criticized by some families for how Malaysia Airlines has handled the last three weeks, the airline’s chief executive on Tuesday described how the company was trying to support the relatives of those on board the flight. The airline has offered a network of more than 700 caregivers to help the families, said Malaysia Airlines head Ahmad Jauhari Yahya during a press conference. Hotel accommodations, transportation and food were being provided for up to five family members per passenger as they waited for more news. The airline has also offered $5,000 of financial assistance per passenger to each next of kin, said Ahmad Jahauri. | After being criticized by some families for how Malaysia Airlines has handled the last three weeks, the airline’s chief executive on Tuesday described how the company was trying to support the relatives of those on board the flight. The airline has offered a network of more than 700 caregivers to help the families, said Malaysia Airlines head Ahmad Jauhari Yahya during a press conference. Hotel accommodations, transportation and food were being provided for up to five family members per passenger as they waited for more news. The airline has also offered $5,000 of financial assistance per passenger to each next of kin, said Ahmad Jahauri. |
| “We realize the financial support is not the only consideration, but the prolonged search is naturally placing financial strain on the relatives,” he said. “We are therefore preparing to offer additional payment as the search continues.” | “We realize the financial support is not the only consideration, but the prolonged search is naturally placing financial strain on the relatives,” he said. “We are therefore preparing to offer additional payment as the search continues.” |
| Chinese reporters asked pointed questions during the press conference about how the families were being treated, asking for instance why they were being “isolated.” Another reporter asked how the airline could be sure that no one had survived. | Chinese reporters asked pointed questions during the press conference about how the families were being treated, asking for instance why they were being “isolated.” Another reporter asked how the airline could be sure that no one had survived. |
| Yang reported from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Xu Jing, Liu Liu and Gu Jinglu contributed to this report. | Yang reported from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Xu Jing, Liu Liu and Gu Jinglu contributed to this report. |