For families who lose loved ones in tragic circumstances, their pain can ease with the passing of time. But for those families whose loved ones were on board MH370 on 8 March 2014, the passing of time only accentuates their pain. For with each anniversary, that which remains undiscovered, unknown and unresolved becomes a heavier burden to carry.
It is almost impossible to fathom the suffering and sadness of those families as they held funerals and remembrance services for their loved ones. Coffins lowered into the ground without bodies. Plaques sealing niches on memorial walls containing no ashes.
Ten years on from that terrible day, we remember the seven people on board who called our country home. The six Australian citizens: Rodney and Mary Burrows, Robert and Catherine Lawton, Yuan Li and Naijun Gu. And the one Australian resident: Paul Weeks – a New Zealander.
Today, we remember these seven splendid souls. We celebrate all they accomplished. We acknowledge the joy their lives brought to so many. And we recognise that though their lives were cut short in terrible circumstances, that good deeds have- and will continue- to come from this tragedy.
Today, we also acknowledge all those who have been involved in the search for MH370. The search took place from the sky, as well as on- and beneath- the waves. The initial surface search in March and April of 2014 involved aircraft and ships from eight countries: Australia, Malaysia, China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. They scoured more than 4.7 million square kilometres.
In May 2014, Australia then led the trilateral underwater search with Malaysia and China in the southern Indian Ocean which included mapping and combing the sea floor. That search took place in remote waters some 2,000 kilometres west of Perth. Despite the best efforts of many to explore 120,000 square kilometres, MH370 was not located.
In January 2017, the governments of Australia, Malaysia and China suspended the search until further credible evidence is available to warrant the resumption of search activities.
Debris has been located on the coasts of Africa and Madagascar. And washed ashore on the islands of Mauritius, Reunion and Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean. In analysing some of that debris, investigators confirmed that parts belonged to MH370. Those announcements would have come as a crushing blow to the families of those on board, but by no means provided sufficient closure.
Today, we also acknowledge the leadership provided by our 28th Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, in the wake of MH370’s disappearance. Every cent of the around $100 million committed to the search was vital. In 2016, Mr Abbott said:
“… we committed the lion’s share of ships and aircraft to the search for missing aircraft MH370 because it came down in Australia’s search and rescue zone and we owed it to the 239 people on board… to do all we humanly could to resolve this horrible mystery.”
I am confident that it is not a question of ‘if’ the mystery will be solved, rather, it is a question of ‘when’. I commend those oceanographic and marine robotics companies who are eager to continue the search working hand-in-glove with governments.
To the families and friends whose loved ones were on board the fateful flight of MH370, we pray that the closure for which you yearn comes quickly; that there is a swift end to your uncertainty; and that time tormenting is winding down.
8 March 2024