bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Reuters

Six months after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 went missing, relatives of those lost, desperate for any hint of what happened, say Chinese authorities have become openly hostile towards them.
Several relatives have described being detained and physically abused by police - seemingly in retaliation for publicly pressing Chinese and Malaysia Airlines authorities for information about the hunt for the plane.
"In the beginning, Beijing police were protecting us, but their attitude has completely changed," said Cheng Liping, 38, whose husband was on the flight.
"I can't fathom why they're doing this. I feel so incredibly disappointed."
The Boeing 777 aircraft carrying 239 passengers and crew disappeared on March 8 after taking off from Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur, bound for Beijing. About two-thirds of those on board were from China.
Investigators say what little evidence they have suggests the plane was deliberately diverted thousands of kilometres from its scheduled route before plunging into the Indian Ocean.
But no one knows for sure, or why. A painstaking international search has failed to find any trace.
For the relatives, neither their pain nor their quest for answers has eased, and that seems to have become an annoyance for China's authorities. Police had beaten at least two people whose children were on the flight, several family members said. In one case, a woman in her 50s landed in hospital for three days.
"I went to see her in hospital. I could see the injuries on her head and body," said Zhang Yongli, 64, whose daughter was on the flight. "The way the police acted was very extreme, it's wrong to treat us this way."
Beijing police did not respond to requests for comment.
Watch: Family members still in the dark over fate of MH370

The government has repeatedly said it would spare no effort in the search and leaders have expressed sympathy for the families. Public security authorities have not commented on the families but Malaysia Airlines said distraught relatives had sometimes been aggressive.
Some relatives said they believed their homes were being watched. Police have detained people several times at an office the government has set up in a Beijing suburb where families can go to seek information about the search from Malaysia Airlines and government representatives.
Detentions usually lasted for about 24 hours, said the families and their lawyer. Police had cited various reasons, family members said, including a rule against large gatherings. In a couple of cases, children were taken into custody with adult relatives.
In at least two other cases, relatives say, police went to family members' homes before dawn to detain them without a reason.
"On some level I can understand why the police are doing this - perhaps they're used to only dealing with bad people," said Liu Wanyi, 26, whose husband was on the plane. "But we're not seeking to antagonise the government in any way."
In the weeks after the flight disappeared, when media attention was intense, police were a constant presence at the Beijing hotel where the airline put up the families and held daily meetings.
But as the story faded from the news, authorities became less supportive, the families say.
"Honestly, I can't endure this," Cheng said. "My life has completely changed, I can't manage to work anymore."


Chinese court orders Malaysia Airlines to pay families of 8 missing MH370 victims

Malaysia resumes MH370 search with Ocean Infinity in Indian Ocean after more than a decade

Search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 paused amid ‘weather changes’

Malaysia agrees ‘no find, no fee’ terms to restart flight MH370 search

Malaysia Airlines flight 370

Relatives of MH370 missing say authorities have turned on them

Cheng Liping holds a family portrait. Her husband (top right) was on board the missing Malaysia Airlines flight. Photo: Reuters

News

China

Family members of those missing on Malaysia Airlines flight allege open hostility, even beatings


Six months after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 went missing, relatives of those lost, desperate for any hint of what happened, say Chinese authorities have become openly hostile towards them.
