Quite scary the amount of misinformation about RAs. So to clarify guys here is the story.
Previous to the DHL/Sibair midair collision, ICAO defined the response to a RA as 'should' be followed. Grammatically the word 'should' is NOT a command and therefore many states and individual operators technically allowed crews to ignore an RA if they percieved a 'better' solution. However the DHL/Sibair accident showed the vulnerability of this procedure. Namely that there are 3, count them 3, parties involved. The 2 aircraft and the ATC controller, and unless all 3 act in in the same manner, then disaster is possible. (In the DHL/Sibair incident the Sibair was told by ATC to descend just prior to the RA and they continued to do so despite the RA because they viewed the ATC controller as a 'superior', and in Russian culture it is common to act in accordance with a superior's instruction above all else!)
Therefore after the crash investigation had highlighted this procedural failure, ICAO changed the wording for an RA to, 'SHALL' follow RAs, in 2004. 'Shall' is a command word and therefore now there is no 'judgement' involved in whether you decide to follow an RA or not. You simply have no choice, and you unilaterily have too.
Yes, I know there are still arguments against this blanket command, (A TCAS alert in a LHR hold in 2004 had a domino effect on several aircraft, illustrated its short comings) and RA stands for Resolution 'Advisory'. Advisory not being a command word, but many bodies are trying to change this to 'Resolution Action'. Still, at present it is preceeded with 'Shall' which is the key command action.
With regard to incidents of non compliance to RA's, these were previous to these grammatical changes when it wasn't a 100% command function.
Anyone, still thinking that they can ignore any RA, has to be 100% sure that not compliance is the safest action! But how as an individual can you know this when you do not know catagorically who is the other parties involved (the other aircraft is not always the closest or the one insight) and what they are doing!!! Its not just your license at risk, its all the lives behind you! Only TCAS has the complete picture.
Hope this clarifies the situation!