Uigher Muslim With Flight Training On Board The Malaysian Airliner Being Investigated
A Uighur Muslim from China on board Malaysia Flight 370 is being investigated. Law enforcement officers are now reportedly reviewing the backgrounds of all passengers on the Malaysian Boeing 777. The Chinese Muslim allegedly completed flight training in 2006. The Uighur group has been accused of waging jihad bomb attacks at railway stations in China, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
The Uighurs ethnic minority Muslim group reportedly stems from the northwestern Chinese province of Xinjiang. Since 1949 the group had been battling for independence after being brought under Chinese control. The Uighur Muslims have claimed that they are oppressed by the government and continually face widespread discrimination and restrictions on their religious freedom. Uighurs comprise about 45 percent of Xinjiang.
Earlier this week the group was blamed for a terrorism attack on a train station in China. Approximately 100 people were killed during violent exchanges between Chinese security agents and the Uighur Muslims.
A report in the Harian Metro newspaper stated that an unnamed source involved with the Malaysian airliner investigation said that the Uighur Muslim is not a suspect in the missing plane case, but his background is being investigated. The same unnamed source said that the Chinese national has a PHD (discipline not shared) from A British university and is a frequent lecturer at a university in Turkey. The Uighur Muslim’s flight training was reportedly conducted in Sweden. Information about the extent of his skills has not yet been released.
Malaysian officials stated during a press conference yesterday that a review of military radar records revealed that MH 370may have shown signs of turning around, and then crossed over the country and then flew over the Strait of Malacca. This is a busy shipping lane west of the county.
Air traffic controllers maintain that no distress call was uttered from the cockpit of the Malaysian airliner. An unnamed pilot to newspaper reporters in Malaysia that he heard a “mumbled” transmission of some type from Flight 370 before it disappeared. A second unnamed pilot flying over the South China Sea when the Boeing 777 seemingly vanished in thin air also claims to have heard a mumbled transmission from the Malaysian airliner. The plane captain further contends that he was asked to attempt to reach the Flight 370 pilot on an emergency frequency in order to ascertain their position.
The South China Sea pilot told local reporters that he thinks he may have been speaking with the Flight 370 co-pilot but the communication was full of both mumbling and interference.
[Image Via: Fullist]
