A WAR zone is no place for any form of civilian catastrophe to occur. To not expect problems when it occurs is to adopt a very unrealistic view of what warring factions do almost naturally, thus, causing anarchy to prevail. Hence when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot out of the sky over eastern Ukraine and fell in war-torn Donetsk, all hell broke loose, with little indication that any order can be imposed any time soon. The politics behind what is essentially a proxy war is only complicating matters, with each side — backers and combatant parties, both — blaming the other for what is most likely a tragic mistake. For, to suggest that a MAS flight was necessarily the target is to cast a huge blanket of needless conspiracy over the disaster.
The Dutch government is furious because three days after the shooting, the area is still beyond access by all except the Russian-speaking separatist rebels, who control it. With more than half the victims being Dutch nationals, the reaction is reasonable. Additionally, the summer heat is fast decomposing the remains scattered over several kilometres, making it urgent for investigations to get under way immediately and the bodily remains removed for identification and burial. Meanwhile, news of looting from the carnage and reports that some bodies have been moved are only adding to the concerns. Malaysia has stated its anxiety over the delay and lack of guarantee to preserve the crash scene as near pristine as possible to allow for accuracy of findings by investigators. It also affirmed Russia’s promise to help gain access through its influence among the rebels.
While speed and urgency are important, now is not the time for tempers to flare or premature accusations, especially when the cooperation of multiple governments and stakeholders will be needed to facilitate investigations and recovery efforts. And, if different languages, cultures and sensitivities are not enough, the region is diplomatically complex and could have serious implications on global peace. Senior officials shooting off their mouths, incriminating one party or the other at this delicate stage, is uncalled for. MH17 left no survivors. Malaysians are among the dead. Certainly, the hope is that the rebels can be quickly persuaded to relent and agree to, at least, a limited ceasefire to enable work on the scene to begin straightaway. Who is to blame must, of course, be identified and brought to book, but that is for the international team of investigators to determine. Meanwhile, diplomacy is of the utmost importance. Indeed, there are international laws and regulations governing most situations, but in a war, such legal decorum is cast aside in favour of competing advantages, mutual accusations and conflicting claims. In Donetsk, the goodwill of both Ukraine and Russia, as well as their supporters, will be paramount.