Chinese relatives of MH370 passengers camp outside Malaysian embassy

Desperate for answers, a group of relatives of Chinese passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have been camping outside the Malaysian embassy since Thursday night demanding to see an official. Holding signs that say "
Desperate for answers, a group of relatives of Chinese passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have been camping outside the Malaysian embassy since Thursday night demanding to see an official. Holding signs that say "We want the truth", the group of less than 100 are outnumbered by a massive contingent of Chinese security officers who are lined up around the group and are preventing the media from going near them. -- ST PHOTO: MH370 FAMILIES
Desperate for answers, a group of relatives of Chinese passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have been camping outside the Malaysian embassy since Thursday night demanding to see an official. Holding signs that say "We want the truth", the group of less than 100 are outnumbered by a massive contingent of Chinese security officers who are lined up around the group and are preventing the media from going near them. -- ST PHOTO: MH370 FAMILIES
Desperate for answers, a group of relatives of Chinese passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have been camping outside the Malaysian embassy since Thursday night demanding to see an official. Holding signs that say "We want the truth", the group of less than 100 are outnumbered by a massive contingent of Chinese security officers who are lined up around the group and are preventing the media from going near them. -- ST PHOTO: MH370 FAMILIES

Desperate for answers, a group of relatives of Chinese passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have been camping outside the Malaysian embassy since Thursday night demanding to see an official.

Holding signs that say "We want the truth", the group of less than 100 are outnumbered by a massive contingent of Chinese security officers who are lined up around the group and are preventing the media from going near them.

This desperate move by the relatives comes after three days of waiting for a meeting with a delegation from Kuala Lumpur, whom the families were promised on Monday would arrive in Beijing "within 48 hours" to discuss "the next step" with them.

That promise was made by the Malaysian embassy in place of a scheduled meeting between the relatives and technical experts that was abruptly cancelled on Monday.

When the meeting still have not been arranged by Thursday evening, family members confronted the Malaysian Airlines staff at Lido Hotel, where they have been gathered for 48 days now, and refused to leave the ballroom until someone from the Malaysian embassy came to meet them.

Some of the relatives were on a hunger strike, but it is unclear how many.

When no one from the embassy came by midnight, a band of relatives set out on foot to the Malaysian embassy, about an hours' walk from the hotel.

They would stay there until a Malaysian government representative "comes out and explains why they broke their promise twice," said family representative Steven Wang.

rchang@sph.com.sg

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