Families of MH370 passengers reject ‘high-level’ meeting, want technical experts – Bernama
A high-level delegation,
comprising government representatives and Malaysia Airlines management officials, is expected to arrive in Beijing to meet with the next of kin of passengers onboard the missing flight MH370, within the next 24 to 48 hours.
"The team will meet the families face-to-face to discuss their plan to move forward on this issue," deputy chief of mission at the Malaysian embassy in Beijing, Bala Chandran Tharman said at a regular briefing for the families at the Lido Hotel, in Beijing today.
The families, however, angrily rejected any offer of meeting another high-level delegation from Malaysia and the airline.
Instead, the Chinese families insisted on meeting with a technical team comprising experts from satellite operator Inmarsat and the missing aircraft manufacturer, Boeing.
They believe their participation in the discussion with the technical team could assist the team in locating the whereabouts of the missing aircraft.
"Unless there is a technical team comprising experts from Inmarsat and Boeing to meet us, now is not an appropriate time for other delegations to meet us," said Steve Wang, one of the next of kin, at the briefing.
The furious family members repeatedly shouted slogans like "deliver the promises", "return my loved ones" and "stop hiding the truth" during a briefing which lasted almost three hours from 2pm, and with MAS regional senior vice-president of greater China, Joshua Law Kok Hwa, present.
Vulgar words were thrown at least twice by the families to the Malaysian representatives to express their discontent over the issue.
Earlier at the briefing, Bala Chandran told the families that questions pertaining to the technical aspects of the aircraft would be taken up later at an appropriate time and place, which triggered anger from the families.
He said the Malaysian embassy was committed to working with the Chinese next of kin here.
Meanwhile, Wang who is also a representative of the family members committee, urged that an independent third party be set up to assist the ongoing investigation into the missing MH370.
"We have only one purpose, which is to find the aircraft and our loved ones," he told reporters after the briefing.
The hunt for the missing Boeing 777 aircraft has entered Day 45 since its disappearance on March 8.
The airliner carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew went missing on March 8 while on its flight to Beijing about one hour after departing from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 12.41am.
It was to have landed in Beijing at 6.30am the same day. – Bernama, April 21, 2014.
