Canberra/The Hague/Kiev, July 17 (IANS): Memorial services were held in Australia, Malaysia, The Netherlands and Ukraine on Friday to mark the first anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 allegedly by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, media reports said.
The aircraft, on its way to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam, was shot down on July 17, 2014, in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. All 298 passengers and crew on board were killed.
According to a BBC report, locals from Grabove village -- closest to the crash site in Ukraine -- held a ceremony. A memorial stone was unveiled ahead of the service. The capital city of Kiev also held a service.
In the Dutch city of Nieuwegein, the names of all the country's 193 victims were read aloud by their family members.
Australia held its memorial service for the 38 citizens it lost. The service was held in Parliament House in Canberra. A plaque with the names of the victims was unveiled in the gardens -- it was set in soil brought back from Ukraine by an Australian police officer.
Speaking inside the Great Hall, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Australians owed it to the dead to bring the guilty to justice.
"Their passing leaves a void that can never be filled and a pain that still throbs," he said.
In Malaysia, a memorial service was held in Kuala Lumpur on July 11 because the anniversary of the disaster comes at the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which is traditionally a holiday. Each victim was named and then honoured with a moment of silence.
Earlier on Friday, a new footage emerged reportedly showing pro-Russian rebels at the crash site after they realised they had shot down a commercial airliner.
The 17-minute video exclusively obtained by News Corp Australia shows the Ukrainian insurgents arriving at the site after believing they had shot down a government fighter jet.
The new footage was shot by the rebels themselves on a camcorder.
Speaking in both Russian and Ukrainian, they sieve through the personal belongings of the dead passengers, toss numerous other bags and make a piled collection of phones and other goods.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected calls by Britain, Australia, the Netherlands, Malaysia and Ukraine to establish a UN tribunal to prosecute suspects.
The Kremlin said in a statement that Putin had "explained Russia's position regarding the premature and counter-productive initiatives of several countries, including the Netherlands, on the establishment of an international tribunal".
It also criticised what it said was politicised media coverage of the disaster.
A final report on the cause of the crash is due to be released in October by the Dutch Safety Board. The Netherlands is leading the criminal investigation and is being assisted by Belgium, Australia and Ukraine.