From Malaysia: Hoax Claims in Missing Flight MH370 Disproved by CCTV
A terrorist group, the Chinese Martyrs' Brigade, claimed responsibility for the missing Malaysian flight MH370 through sending a PDF statement to media outlets. The group claimed that the terrorist act was way of pay back. "You kill one of our clan, we will kill 100 of you as payback," the statement said. The PDF file was also sent using encrypted Hushmail anonymous remailer service which cannot be replied and traced.
The statement also expressed regret in killing all the passengers of the missing flight, saying that they only wanted to kill the 153 Chinese passengers.
"We wished 100% of the flight was all Chinese people," the statement said.
The group threatened to commit another attack until the Chinese government changed its national policy on human rights and stops oppression of ethnic minorities.
According to another report from WantChinaTimes, Uyghur activists (also mentioned in the PDF statement) claimed they were responsible for the missing Malaysian flight MH370 to spark ethnic tensions.
Uyghur activists condemned the Chinese government for its persecution of Uyghur ethnic minority. The minority was allegedly responsible for organised assaults on Chinese policemen in China's Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region, for a jeep accident in Tiananmen Square and mass stabbing in the Yunnan capital of Kunming recently.
Greg Barton, a professor from Australia's Monash University said that if information revealed through the plane's black box proved the suspicion of a mid-air explosion, then Beijing has basis to link the missing Malaysian flight to Uyghur activists.
However, Malaysian officials and Chinese media outlets were quick to dismiss the statement as hoax for it did not give specifics about how the plane crashed.
Civil Aviation Department Chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said that CCTV footage revealed that the two men suspected of being terrorists were not of Asian appearance. The press conference was done following claims from the Chinese Martyrs' Brigade.
"It is confirmed now that they are not Asian-looking men," Mr Abdul Rahman said during a press conference.
When asked to describe the suspects, Mr Abdul Rahman said that they looked like AC Milan and Italy striker Mario Balotelli.
"Do you know a footballer by the name of Balotelli?," he said.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar also confirmed that the suspects were neither Malaysians nor Chinese.
"I can confirm that he is not a Malaysian, but cannot divulge which country he is from yet. The man we have identified is not from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. We are now working to identify the other suspect," Khalid told reporters.
Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said that authorities cannot release the picture to the media for the meantime.
"All relevant information is being digested by the relevant intelligence agencies. It is premature to release any information for now."