China should accept the reality that the missing Malaysian jet had crashed in the Indian Ocean and prepare for funerals, a commentary in state media said today amid protests and accusations by anguished relatives who insist their loved ones could still be alive.
"We should not let anger prevail over facts and rationality. In the process, from the relatives of the victims, public opinion to the government, we need to comply with the fundamental norms of a civilised society and need to show the demeanour of a great power," the commentary in China Daily said.
"Today no matter how distressed we are and how many details that are not clear, it is certain that flight MH370 crashed in the Indian Ocean and no one on board survived," said the commentary titled "Treat MMH370 tragedy rationally" while asserting that the Malaysian government has handled the tragedy "clumsily".
"(What) all the related parties can do is to continue to search for the wreckage, carry on negotiations with the Malaysian side for more information and prepare to make arrangements for funerals," it said.
The commentary, which is the first of its kind, puts at rest speculation that the outbursts of the passengers' kin may have official backing and raised apprehensions that it could damage China-Malaysia relations.
It followed highly emotional outpouring by relatives, who formed an association and demonstrated in front of the Malaysian embassy here accusing the Malaysian government of premature announcement that the Boeing 777 with 239 people on board, including 154 Chinese nationals, "ended" in the southern Indian Ocean.
