Australians mourn victims of MH17 disaster
Australians are pausing for a national day of mourning for the victims of the MH17 disaster, with dignitaries and victims’ families and friends attending a multi-faith memorial service in Melbourne.
The Victorian capital, cloaked in sombre grey skies this morning, was chosen because 16 of the 38 Australians killed were from that state.
Flags are flying at half-mast and church bells are chiming around the country in honour of the 298 people killed when the Malaysia Airlines jetliner was downed by a missile over eastern Ukraine on July 17.
Grieving families have joined with dignitaries including Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten at a national memorial service at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne.
Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart welcomed the congregation before the Australian Boys Choir sang the national anthem.
Archbishop Hart said all Australians’ hearts went out to the families of victims of the “cruel horror of barbarism” which confronted the world on July 17.
He said the attack was worthy of condemnation.
“The why of terror, the incredulity and condemnation of the perpetrators gave way to an avalanche of compassion, love and prayer for those so burdened,” he said.
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“Here in Melbourne today, regardless of origin or creed, we stand in solidarity with those who are suffering unimaginable loss.”
Religious leaders from different faiths addressed the packed cathedral before Sir Peter spoke of the grief, shock, anger, confusion and loss felt across the globe as a result of the disaster.
“So often words do not and cannot express our true feelings and thoughts during such a time of great loss,” he said.
He paid tribute to the West Australian Maslin family, who lost children Mo, Evie and Otis – aged 12, 10 and 8 respectively – who died along with their grandfather Nick Norris in the crash.
“In spite of the enormity of their loss, the depth of their despair, their love exceeds and surmounts all the hatred in the world.”
There is nothing more powerful than the love felt for children, partners, parents, family and friends, the governor-general added.
“It is that love that can help us deal with even the most unspeakable of tragedies.”
He thanked those at work in eastern Ukraine after the disaster and said that all Australians were united as they faced the sadness of the tragedy.
Bill Shorten said the nation was united in its grief. He said those who died on MH17 were the victims of a most “terrible, violent and unimaginable evil”.
“We mourn 38 of our own who laughed, learned and loved beneath the Southern Cross that today flies at half-mast around the nation,” he said.
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He said some would call today closure, some would call it acceptance, some would call it letting go.
“Whatever it is, it will take a while,” he said.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Australia was coming together today to express “sorrow and solidarity” for the victims and their loved ones.
“You have not been abandoned and you never will be,” he said.
He said it was a time to rededicate the nation to supporting the bereaved, obtaining justice for the dead and for their families, and to working for a better world.
“The dead of flight MH17 reflect what’s best in modern Australia: doctors who worked with refugees, teachers who worked with Indigenous people and children with disabilities, volunteers in our armed forces and with local charities, business innovators and pillars of local communities, young people filled with passion for the life before them,” he said.
He said hundreds of police and defence personnel were working around the clock to bring home the dead with respect and dignity.
“This is what Australians do in times of trouble – we reach out to people and do what we can to help.
“We try to create order in the midst of chaos and we try to inject decency into the vilest of situations.”
Earlier, it was announced that the search for victims of the MH17 disaster had been suspended amid escalating fighting in Ukraine.
Australian, Dutch and Malaysian experts hope to be able to return to the crash site but say for now the worsening clashes between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia rebels have made the mission too dangerous.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte made the announcement in the Netherlands overnight.
“It doesn’t make sense to continue with the repatriation in this manner,” he told reporters in The Hague. “We have done what we could under the current circumstances.”
Australia’s special envoy to the Ukraine, Angus Houston, made it clear he hopes to see the search resume.
“When search and security conditions improve, we will conduct a final inspection to ensure that we have recovered all identifiable remains,” he said in a statement today.
“We are committed to honouring the victims of flight MH17 and seeking to give their loved ones the closure they deserve.”
