Geenstijl

Tuurlijk, nog maar een MH17-topic. Het gaat toch nergens anders over vandaag. Zojuist unaniem aangenomen in de VN Veiligheidsraad: de resolutie die eist dat de crash site van MH17 toegankelijk wordt gemaakt voor onderzoek naar de oorzaak van de ramp, en die een einde maakt aan het vernietigen van bewijs en het plunderen van bezittingen. Australië had samen met Frankrijk de resolutie ingebracht. Rusland eiste een paar wijzigingen, maar ging zojuist akkoord met de tekst. Letterlijk spreekt die van "the downing of a civilian aircraft" - woorden die Rutte nog niet in de mond genomen heeft. Timmerfrans is live aanwezig en knikt desalniettemin volop instemmend. Julie Bishop (Australië) tegen Rusland: "You will be held accountable for your actions." De voltallige Veiligheidsraad veroordeelt het neerhalen van het toestel van Malaysia Airlines - maar we hadden dan ook niet verwacht dat ze de aanslag zouden toejuichen.
Timmerfrans: "This is a political game that’s being played with human remains, and it's despicable."
Update 22u40: UN Livestream vervangen door audio van emotionele staatsmanspeech Timmerfrans. Tekst na de breek. Video volgt zodra beschikbaar. We zeggen het met pijn in het hart, maar Der Franz was awesome. Anders gezegd: die transfer naar een Hogere Functie heeft-ie nu wel in de pocket.
Update 00u20: Hoera! Flight Data Recorders overgedragen aan de Maleisiërs. Benieuwd wat daar allemaal mee gebeurd is, en wat er nog aan informatie uit te halen is.
GSTV: Een beetje ingehaald door de actualiteit, maar GSTV was vanmorgen present bij de Kamerbriefing (transcriptPDF). Den Haag is nerveus. Fractievoorzitters verwijzen naar woordvoerders op het onderwerp, en die worden op hun beurt omgeven door voorlichters. Michiel Servaes vliegt normaal de hele wereld over om zich overal tegenaan te PvdA'en, maar is nu ineens 'slechts een simpel Kamerlid', dat soort dingen. Eigenlijk houdt iedereen zich zo veel mogelijk op de vlakte - zoals eigenlijk altijd met alles in de Nederlandse politieke wandelgangen. Filmpje:

NEW YORK, 21 July 2014 Mr. President, We are here to discuss a tragedy: the downing of a commercial airliner and the death of 298 innocent people. Men, women and a staggering number of children lost their lives, on their way to their holiday destinations, their homes, loved ones, their jobs or international obligations. How horrible must have been the final moments of their lives, when they knew the plane was going down. Did they lock hands with their loved ones, did they hold their children close to their hearts, did they look each other in the eyes, one final time, in an unarticulated goodbye? We will never know. The demise of almost 200 of my compatriots has left a hole in the heart of the Dutch nation, has caused grief, anger and despair. Grief for the loss of loved ones, anger for the outrage of the downing of a civilian airplane and despair after witnessing the excruciatingly slow process of securing the crash site and recovering the remains of the victims. It is fitting that this august Council should take position on this matter and I welcome the adoption of today’s resolution of the UNSC, which was tabled by Australia and which the Netherlands co-sponsored. I thank the countries which expressed support for it. Mr President, For the Netherlands, one priority clearly stands out above all others: bring the victims’ remains home. It is a matter of human decency that remains should be treated with respect and that recovering victim’s remains should be done without any delay. The last couple of days we have received very disturbing reports of bodies being moved about and looted for their possessions. It must be unbearable first to lose your husband and then to have to fear that some thug might steal his wedding ring from his remains. To my dying day I will not understand that it took so much time for the rescue workers to be allowed to do their difficult jobs and that human remains should be used in a political game. I hope the world will not have to witness this again, any time in the future. Images of children’s toys being tossed around, luggage being opened or passports being shown, are turning our grief and mourning into anger. We demand unimpeded access to the terrain. We demand respectful treatment of the crash site. We demand dignity for the victims and the multitudes who mourn their loss. I call on the international community, on the Security Council, on anyone with influence on the situation on the ground: allow us to bring the victims’ remains home to their loved ones without any further delay. As we are currently taking the lead in the forensic examination of the human remains, I pledge that the Netherlands will do its utmost to make sure that all remains will be identified and returned home, where ever that home may be. We will work intensively with all countries and international organizations involved to make this happen. Mr. President, I also welcome the setting up of a proper investigation into the cause of the tragedy of MH17, as envisaged in today’s resolution. The Netherlands has agreed to assume a leading role in such an investigation, in close cooperation with the relevant countries, the United Nations and ICAO. I am fully aware of the great responsibility we now take upon ourselves and I give you my personal commitment that we will discharge this responsibility to the best of our abilities. Once the investigation ascertains who was responsible for the downing of the flight MH17, accountability and justice must be pursued and delivered. We owe that to the victims, to justice, to humanity. I call on all relevant countries to provide full cooperation. My country will not rest until all facts are known and justice is served. I thank you, Mr. President.