Global powers must unanimously call for a United Nations resolution, demanding that those responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 be held to account after a full investigation is conducted. The world’s leaders need to be pro-active in determining their next set of actions against the obstructive activities of pro-Russian separatists towards international experts who have arrived at the crash site to gather material for their investigations. They must overcome political constraints and agree upon unanimous and stringent measures against those responsible for this crime.
Russia-backed separatists finally allowed experts to visit the crash site and survey the wreckage, amidst claims that evidence had already been tampered with. They also allowed the bodies to be evacuated by train, displaying scant dignity for the dead, and finally handed over the flight’s black boxes in an overly elaborate process stage-managed for the cameras. Investigations must begin immediately, with the International Civil Aviation Organisation playing a key role. Access to the crash site must be unfettered. To facilitate this, a complete ceasefire must be called for by all parties. It is not enough for Russian President Vladimir Putin to put out calls that the conflict in eastern Ukraine moves from the battlefield to the negotiating table. He must back up words with action, park his arrogance to one side and accept the reality that he bears responsibility for Russia being diplomatically and economically isolated. Putin must use his influence on the rebels given the accusation that Russia provided the surface-to-air missile system that brought down the plane. The dead deserve justice and no single faction must be allowed to hold the investigation to ransom.
