Ill-fated
flight MH370 and Asia
Mario Rustan ;
The writer teaches English and Australian cultural studies
at Uni-Bridge, St. Aloysius High School,
Bandung
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JAKARTA
POST, 13 Maret 2014
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The
disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has caught the world’s
attention for several reasons. The eerie disappearance without a trace (until
the time of writing), the fact that the 14 nationalities of the 227
passengers were from the Asia-Pacific region and Europe, the intrigue
surrounding the two passengers that boarded the plane using stolen passports
and reports that some listed passengers did not board the plane.
Media
coverage and global conversations surrounding the missing airplane also paint
a grim yet accurate picture of our continent, Asia. As adversaries show their
true nature, sadly it also takes a tragedy to reflect on our national
character and who we are.
The
Malaysia Airlines aircraft flew from Kuala Lumpur and was destined to reach
Beijing the following morning. More than half of passengers on the plane were
Chinese (and Taiwanese) nationals, and the rest were Chinese Americans,
Australians, Malaysians and Indonesians.
While
non-Chinese come to China for various reasons — including study, work and
leisure — the Middle Kingdom has a special place for Chinese people all over
the world. Even in this globalized planet, a person of Chinese descent from
any country is more likely to visit China and surrounding
states/semi-autonomous regions (i.e. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) than their
non-Chinese compatriots. They also are likely to have some form of
association with the Chinese-speaking world. In comparison, many
Italian-Australians and Indian-Malaysians may never visit Italy and India,
respectively, in their lifetime and have minimal interest in news from those
countries.
Therefore,
the reactions of friends and families of missing passengers in China dominate
world news even more than the reactions in Malaysia. Unfortunately, this is
where things have become unpleasant in several ways.
First,
translated statements from passengers’ relatives in China express harsh
opinions about not only Malaysia Airlines, but also with regards to Malaysia.
Eventually, the Chinese media itself began to adopt a critical view on
Malaysia, while its government’s spokespeople shared their frustration and
criticism on Malaysia, although the government later denied expressing such
claims.
In times
of tragedy, our sense of community and our hope are strengthened by putting
names and faces into stories. Unfortunately, the families and friends of the
aforementioned ethnic Chinese passengers are in general more guarded and
reserved in sharing their stories — regardless of their nationality. From
example in Australia, the local media know that the Chinese-Australian couple
who took the flight had just recently closed their gas station business in
Sydney and went to China to visit their child. But the friends who provided
the information refused to identify themselves, with the exception of their
accountant, and provided no picture of the couple, compared to families and
friends of Anglo-Irish Australian pensioners who shared everything about the
couples.
Similar
to the Australian media, Indonesian television channels have achieved mixed
results in getting statements and stories from families of Indonesian
passengers, and have found the most difficulty in getting opinions and
information from the families of Chinese descents. International journalists
were bemused that families and friends of the passengers in China were
willing to complain about Malaysia Airlines, but were reluctant to divulge
personal information about those on board.
That is,
in a nutshell, how the world sees the Chinese: secretive, silent and
selective, even in times of trouble. In China, perhaps it could be due to
Communism. In Indonesia and Australia, perhaps it could be down to
Confucianism and a long history of xenophobia.
With all
these attributes in mind, I must say I admire Chinese-Malaysians for their
active participation in journalism and politics, despite the enormous
challenges they have faced throughout the past. I still cannot comprehend why
it is much harder for those of Chinese descent in any country, except in Malaysia,
to open up.
The
search for flight MH370, concentrated in the South China Sea, is an
international effort. This is not the first time the region has witnessed
various navies from different countries work together to save lives. It makes
the ongoing maritime disputes in Asia seem trivial and silly — to put it
simply, the incentive for claiming those rocks or these reefs is purely based
on national pride rather than securing natural resources.
It is
also puzzling that various parties in China have demanded that Malaysia work
faster. After all, the airplane is missing on the high seas and the search
for it is an international effort, which involves the Chinese navy. Certainly
China wants its citizens to be found as soon as possible, but so does
Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Australia and several other countries.
Down
south in Malaysia, interfaith prayers are being held, uniting Muslims,
Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and other faiths in keeping hope alive, or for
the worst case scenario to pray for the peaceful departure from this Earth.
Malaysians, torn apart by religious and ethnic quarrels over the years,
certainly need to hold hands together now. On the Internet, the international
community showcase their pray and hope for the passengers and crews.
Regardless
of what the outcome of this saga will be, there is an important lesson for
us. Asia is a big place and there is enough space for all us, if only we are
willing to share our stories with our fellow Asians as well as understand
them better. ●
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