Blame-shifting is no help to those grieving the MH17 victims

At a time when they should be working together to inquire into the fate of flight MH17, nations are playing politics.

It's time for all parties, including Russia's President Vladimir Putin, to stop the blame game band support an independent inquiry into the MH17 incident . Mikhail Klimentyev / AFP / Pool

Whenever and wherever tragedy strikes, there are those who stand by ready to lend a hand to help those who are suffering. Sadly, there are also those who are quick to point the finger of blame and score political points on the back of that suffering. Too frequently, the latter has been the case for Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which came down over eastern Ukraine at the cost of 298 innocent lives.

There are few hard facts, although a growing body of evidence – including intercepted radio messages – seems to suggest that pro- Russian separatists shot down the commercial aircraft after mistaking it for a Ukrainian military transport plane. If that is the case, then it was an enormous error that surely must be regretted all the way from the crash site to Moscow and, of course, in hundreds more homes across rhe world.

Of course, the only way to know for sure what happened is for there to be a full, independent inquiry that has the cooperation of all parties. And yet while these parties should be negotiating the terms of such an inquiry, they have been exchanging accusations instead. Russia and Ukraine appear to be more intent on blaming each other to gain leverage in the separatist war than they are in facilitating a transparent investigation.

This is clearly an international incident in which many countries have a stake. Not just Ukraine, Russia and Malaysia, but the many other countries that lost citizens on the plane. More importantly, this is a very personal, human tragedy for the victims’ relatives and friends who, quite rightly, are demanding answers and whose wishes regarding ­funerals and other tributes to their loved ones must be respected.

Already the crash site has been compromised, not just by the rebels who control the area, but by an insatiable media. One British journalist was caught live on camera going through a bag he found amid the debris, belatedly acknowledging that he should not have done so. Vital clues may have already been trampled into the ground, or removed by a guilty party.

This is a time when we should be seeing the best of humankind, supporting each other. Instead, we see squabbles and self-interested actions that provide no clues to the tragedy nor any succour for the grieving.