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While every family member, relative or friend lost in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 represents a horrific tragedy, and while every nation whose citizens died as a result of that criminal act is in deep mourning, the loss suffered by the Dutch nation and the Dutch people is especially heavy: 193 of its residents killed in a matter of seconds, entire families wiped out…
No wonder the Netherlands has been taking a lead role in receiving and honoring the bodies of the victims.
No wonder the Netherlands is leading the investigation into this tragedy and taking the lead in the forensic examination of the human remains.
No wonder the Dutch are outraged at the shocking images of how Ukrainian separatists have desecrated the crash site, violated the bodies — and continue to do so.
It is not surprising that, while some of the traditionally pragmatic and peaceful Dutch are calling for “cooler heads” to prevail, others bemoan the EU’s reluctance to “slam its fist on the table.”
(Note: Immediately after the tragedy, various newspapers were suggesting sending Dutch military, with U.S. and British support, to eastern Ukraine to secure the crash site, according to the Dutch Volkskrant. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said since then that such a move is “unrealistic.“)
It is also not surprising that the Dutch, notwithstanding how much their financial and economic interests are intertwined with, perhaps even somewhat dependent on Russia’s, are joining the European Union in calling for stiffer sanctions against Russia, the enabler of this horrendous crime.
What surprised me, however, considering the “calm, cool and collected” nature of the Dutch people — especially of those in government — was the emotion, sorrow and anger expressed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Frans Timmermans, when he spoke at the UN Security Council Meeting on the MH17 tragedy last week.
At times with tears in his eyes, Timmermans talked about the human dimensions of the tragedy in a most powerful, moving manner.
I have not seen much coverage of his speech in the U.S. press.
Please watch the entire speech below.
Here are the Minister’s words that struck me most:
We are here to discuss a tragedy: the downing of a commercial airliner and the death of 298 innocent people. Men, women and a staggering number of children lost their lives, on their way to their holiday destinations, their homes, loved ones, or international obligations, such as an important HIV/Aids conference in Australia.
Since Thursday, I’ve been thinking: how horrible must have been the final moments of their lives, when they knew the plane was going down. Did they lock hands with their loved ones, did they hold their children close to their hearts, did they look each other in the eyes, one final time, in a wordless goodbye? We will never know.
The demise of almost 200 of my compatriots has left a hole in the heart of the Dutch nation, has caused grief, anger and despair. Grief for the loss of the loved ones, anger for the outrage of the downing of a civilian airplane and despair after witnessing the excruciatingly slow process of securing the crash site and recovering the remains of the victims.
[..]
Mr President, for the Netherlands, one priority clearly stands out above all others: bring the victims’ remains home.
It is a matter of human decency that remains should be treated with respect and that recovering victim’s remains should be done without any delay.
The last couple of days we’ve received very disturbing reports of bodies being moved about and looted for their possessions. Just for one minute, not addressing you as representatives of your countries, but as husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, just imagine that you first get the news that your husband was killed, and then within two or three days, you see images of some thug removing the wedding band from their hands. Just imagine that this could be your spouse.
To my dying day I will not understand that it took so much time for the rescue workers to be allowed to do their difficult jobs and that human remains should be used in a political game. And somebody here around the table talks about a political game – this is the political game that is being played, with human remains, and it is despicable. I hope the world will not have to witness this again, any time in the future.
Images of children’s toys being tossed around, luggage being opened and passports, including passports of children, being shown on television, they are turning our grief and mourning into anger of a whole nation. We demand unimpeded access to the terrain. We demand respectful treatment of the crash site. We demand dignity for the victims and the multitudes who mourn their loss.
Timmermans went on to plead for the return of the victims’ remains “home to their loved ones without any further delay” and for setting up a proper investigation into the cause of the tragedy of MH17.
A total of 227 coffins with victims’ remains have arrived thus far in the Netherlands.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs concluded:
Once the investigation ascertains who was responsible for the downing of the flight MH17, accountability and justice must be pursued and delivered.
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We owe it to the victims, we owe it to justice, we owe it to humanity. Please, provide full cooperation so that justice can be served. We will not rest until all facts are known and justice is served.
As fighting continues around the crash site and as Ukraine separatists continue to make it difficult for journalists going to the site, Dutch experts today cancelled plans to head to the crash site, according to the BBC.
Lead Photo: Frans Timmermans, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands at the UN Security Council. Courtesy the Government of the Netherlands
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.