Six months after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went missing, relatives of the victims, desperate for any hint of what happened, say Chinese authorities have become openly hostile toward them.

In interviews, several relatives described how they had been detained and physically abused by police — seemingly in retaliation for publicly pressing Chinese and Malaysia Airlines authorities for information about the hunt for the plane.

"In the beginning, Beijing police were protecting us, but their attitude has completely changed," said 38-year-old Cheng Liping, whose husband was on the flight. "I can't fathom why they're doing this."