Opinion: Thailand’s vote against the war in Ukraine is a step in the right direction

[webfact]

 

By Cod Satrusayang

 

On Wednesday night, Thailand voted with 140 other countries to reprimand Russia for invading Ukraine and demand that Moscow stop the fighting and withdraw its forces.

 

It was a step in the right direction and a correct decision for a country where ‘the right choice’ is not always guaranteed.

 

After all in the days following Russia’s illegal invasion of its neighbours, here were some of the major headlines when it came to Thai-Russia relations.

 

Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/38149/opinion-thailands-vote-against-the-war-in-ukraine-is-a-step-in-the-right-direction/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2022-03-03

 

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[Will B Good]

And in a statement following their vote Thailand purposefully omitted to refer to Russia by name!!!!

[TooMuchTime]

I knew nothing about Ukraine before the war and still barely know anything about them but I will blindly support them because everyone else is.

[Mr Derek]

Thailand, and everyone else, should keep out of it. It's a local spat between a big brother and a little brother - and that's how it will remain unless the rest of the world choose to escalate it. And they certainly do seem keen to escalate it.

 

The situation is akin to Scotland declaring independence and joining a military alliance with foreign powers that poses an existential threat to England. What would England do if sufficiently threatened? Russia has been vilified and threatened (by the expansion of NATO) by the west for years. This is the result. The west's response to this local war is barely sane. Understanding, not knee-jerk outrage, not further provocation, is needed.

[WEBBYB808]

Well which is it?  I just read in the forums yesterday that they are remaining neutral!  So, are they neutral for the locals, and condemning on world stage.  One day its reported one way, and different  the next.

[Henryford]

The vote at the UN means nothing. It won't be followed up by any actual sanctions against Russia.

[ezzra]

If it wasn't for the other 140 countries who were looking on, Thailand would have voted differently 100%...

[2ndhomepattaya]

I think the only person not sane is Putin. This megalomaniac needs to be in an institution not invading neighbours on a fabricated pretext.

All he understands is force and strength and standing up to him.

[HaoleBoy]

13 minutes ago, Mr Derek said:

Thailand, and everyone else, should keep out of it. It's a local spat between a big brother and a little brother - and that's how it will remain unless the rest of the world choose to escalate it. And they certainly do seem keen to escalate it.

 

The situation is akin to Scotland declaring independence and joining a military alliance with foreign powers that poses an existential threat to England. What would England do if sufficiently threatened? Russia has been vilified and threatened (by the expansion of NATO) by the west for years. This is the result. The west's response to this local war is barely sane. Understanding, not knee-jerk outrage, not further provocation, is needed.

An armed invasion of a sovereign country by Russia is no where close to Scotland declaring independence.

Why should Ukraine have to do what Russia says.  They should be allowed to run their country the way they want.  If this means joining NATO to boost their confidence then it should be.

[Dmaxdan]

12 minutes ago, Mr Derek said:

Thailand, and everyone else, should keep out of it. It's a local spat between a big brother and a little brother - and that's how it will remain unless the rest of the world choose to escalate it. And they certainly do seem keen to escalate it.

 

The situation is akin to Scotland declaring independence and joining a military alliance with foreign powers that poses an existential threat to England. What would England do if sufficiently threatened? Russia has been vilified and threatened (by the expansion of NATO) by the west for years. This is the result. The west's response to this local war is barely sane. Understanding, not knee-jerk outrage, not further provocation, is needed.

Clearly you must be are unaware of what is actually unfolding in the Ukraine. Humanitarian laws are being broken pretty much every hour by Putin's Russian's forces. Innocent people are dying in their thousands because of one man's ego trip. This local spat as you call it is one of the most sickening news stories that I have ever witnessed and the world can't just sit back and ignore it. Well maybe apart from Thailand who likes to live in its own bubble...

[Tropicalevo]

34 minutes ago, Mr Derek said:

The situation is akin to Scotland declaring independence and joining a military alliance with foreign powers that poses an existential threat to England.

You probably could not have made a worse, inaccurate comparison.

There is zero similarity.

If you had said that Scotland invaded England and indiscriminately bombed civilian targets, murdering innocent women and children, then there could be a similarity.

 

37 minutes ago, Mr Derek said:

It's a local spat between a big brother and a little brother

Again - inaccurate.

Guess which country is next on the madman's list.

Mind you, the brave Ukrainians may take out enough of his army to slow him down.

[jerrymahoney]

26 minutes ago, 2ndhomepattaya said:

I think the only person not sane is Putin. This megalomaniac needs to be in an institution not invading neighbours on a fabricated pretext.

All he understands is force and strength and standing up to him.

My favorite comment on all this so far -- courtesy Maureen Dowd in her NY Times Opinion piece -- comes from Nikita Khrushchev's grand-daughter:

 

As for Putin’s Napoleonic megalomania, perhaps the Russia expert Nina Khrushcheva summed him up best in a Vanity Fair podcast:

 

“He’s a small man of five-six saying he’s five-seven.”

 

 

 

 

[Cake Monster]

40 minutes ago, ezzra said:

If it wasn't for the other 140 countries who were looking on, Thailand would have voted differently 100%...

One wonders if the stance will change if asked to impose sanctions on Russia by the US, EU, and their allies over this very tragic affair.

[internationalism]

Yes, it is. 
yet it comes from the government rooted in 2014 and 2006 military coups, which murdered 90 its own citizens in 2010. 
and spends many percent of GDP on military hardware from the usa, russia and ukraine to subjugate its own population with a threat of using live rounds on the streets and at student campuses, as their predecessors did in 1976 at thammasat university and so many other mass murders. 
thai forces are responsible for 10 500 extrajustic killings since rhe beginning of rhe Cold War (not counting 2500 thaksins war on drugs)

Edited March 3, 2022 by internationalism

[Staxer]

So Mr Derek thinks it is a local spat! Try telling that to the parents of the children that Putin murdered!

[chilly07]

4 hours ago, Mr Derek said:

Thailand, and everyone else, should keep out of it. It's a local spat between a big brother and a little brother - and that's how it will remain unless the rest of the world choose to escalate it. And they certainly do seem keen to escalate it.

 

The situation is akin to Scotland declaring independence and joining a military alliance with foreign powers that poses an existential threat to England. What would England do if sufficiently threatened? Russia has been vilified and threatened (by the expansion of NATO) by the west for years. This is the result. The west's response to this local war is barely sane. Understanding, not knee-jerk outrage, not further provocation, is needed.

Understanding war mongers is not possible. A desire to kill others is madness pure and simple

[Paul Henry]

Mr Derek please answer this question I pose. China is big brother, so is USA so its ok for them to invade their neighbours even when they are soverign nations. So most of east asia can be overrun by China and the USA can take over Mexico and Central America with no repercussions. Your logic defies reason.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 hours ago, Henryford said:

The vote at the UN means nothing. It won't be followed up by any actual sanctions against Russia.

 

And the only reason for that is, Russia and China have permanent member veto votes on the U.N. Security Council.

 

In the wake of the invasion, there is considerable scrutiny being given to finding a way to remove Russia from the Security Council, though the U.N. provisions and Russia/China's veto power probably make that unlikely.

 

At any rate, LOTS of serious sanctions are being applied by the E.U., US and others outside of the U.N.

 

 

[onthedarkside]

A misinformation post regarding Ukraine and several ensuing replies have been removed.

 

[watchdog2]

amazing to read so many ill-informed comments by foreigners living in Thailand.    the murikan empire has been on the wrong side ever since the breakup of the USSR.    first saying it would not move eastward to threaten the newly freed Russians, then back-tracking and taking every opportunity to threaten and demonize Russia and its leadership.    reached a crescendo when buffoon Trump defeated that miserable woman, initiating the blame Russia nonsense which continued to grow during the period of the trump presidency.    since then, the narrative has evolved to "Russia bad, empire good."   the Russians in ukraine have been treated as second class citizens ever since the empire-promoted 2014 "revolution," when a legitimate and basically neutral ukraine president was deposed in a coup.    the Russians in ukraine then made a play for self-determination, which, IMHO, should be a basic human right.    however, the ukraine authorities sent their military to smash those Russians living in the Donbass eastern part of the country (BTW, some of those ukrainian solders still identify with the nazi ss galicia division).   with the mass of ukie army massing on the edge of the Russian enclave and threatening wider death and destruction and with the empire and its puppets pouring as much fuel on the fire as possible, the Russian president finally said "enough" - basically emulating former president Kennedy's actions in preventing the USSR from weaponizing cuba.   V. Putin did not want this war but the empire apparently did.  now the world is dealing with a mess created essentially by the bullying, hypocritical, and would-be world dominating empire elites.    bottom line is, if you don't kowtow to the empire, you are the enemy.....      

[connda]

So what's next.  Will Russian expats be forced to sign a loyalty oath condemning all thing Russia?  Why not.  Europe is now doing that.  Once people jump on that train is will be time for cultural cleansing.  That's a dangerous road to travel, but the precedent is now being set globally.  It will suck to be a average Russian citizen. 

[Joseph98765]

one of this..and all over

[Isaan sailor]

Any country that invades another country—for whatever reason—deserves the worldwide disdain and sanctions that come with it.

[Mac Mickmanus]

Just now, Isaan sailor said:

Any country that invades another country—for whatever reason—deserves the worldwide disdain and sanctions that come with it.

What sanctions did the USA get for invading Iraq ?

[connda]

22 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

Any country that invades another country—for whatever reason—deserves the worldwide disdain and sanctions that come with it.

Shhhh.  The US invaded Syria and is embedded in Northern Syria and US troops are siphoning Syrian oil out of the ground and selling on the black market through Turkey.  But!  <crickets>
  Shhhh.   Iraq.  Afghanistan. Libya.  Yugoslavia.  Not a peep about international sanctions when US/NATO are those doing the invading.  Not a peep.

Geo-political relativism. ????

[RocketDog]

7 hours ago, TooMuchTime said:

I knew nothing about Ukraine before the war and still barely know anything about them but I will blindly support them because everyone else is.

You made the right decision.

[Nojohndoe]

2 hours ago, watchdog2 said:

amazing to read so many ill-informed comments by foreigners living in Thailand.    the murikan empire has been on the wrong side ever since the breakup of the USSR.    first saying it would not move eastward to threaten the newly freed Russians, then back-tracking and taking every opportunity to threaten and demonize Russia and its leadership.    reached a crescendo when buffoon Trump defeated that miserable woman, initiating the blame Russia nonsense which continued to grow during the period of the trump presidency.    since then, the narrative has evolved to "Russia bad, empire good."   the Russians in ukraine have been treated as second class citizens ever since the empire-promoted 2014 "revolution," when a legitimate and basically neutral ukraine president was deposed in a coup.    the Russians in ukraine then made a play for self-determination, which, IMHO, should be a basic human right.    however, the ukraine authorities sent their military to smash those Russians living in the Donbass eastern part of the country (BTW, some of those ukrainian solders still identify with the nazi ss galicia division).   with the mass of ukie army massing on the edge of the Russian enclave and threatening wider death and destruction and with the empire and its puppets pouring as much fuel on the fire as possible, the Russian president finally said "enough" - basically emulating former president Kennedy's actions in preventing the USSR from weaponizing cuba.   V. Putin did not want this war but the empire apparently did.  now the world is dealing with a mess created essentially by the bullying, hypocritical, and would-be world dominating empire elites.    bottom line is, if you don't kowtow to the empire, you are the enemy.....      

In essence that is how it is ! The sad and sick aspect is that yet another population falls victim to the  script of power players. Populist propaganda that glosses over and  obscure the determining factors that in one way or other has led led to this situation that has evoked so much more emotional reactivity than that over the death and  destruction imposed on multiple other nations. Outright lies and false imagery to support the illusion the Ukraine was/is a "democratic" nation. The truth is Zelensky has defended his position to remain by using the very same tactics Putin is accused of !

Even the  public  illusion that the NATO nations  are now shocked and just coming to terms  etc etc is  pathetic when the reality is that since  many months ago when Russia started to move  military assets to the border of Ukraine so did they!

Putin has no intent to listen to Zelensky ! He wants  a signed sealed and delivered assurance that the US led NATO Alliance  will not now or ever co-ordinate  any further military advantage of military power directly on to it's (Russia's) borders on any front including the Ukraine.

It is actually just that simple.

So it leaves the question Putin has been asking  until he lost patience " Why not?"

If is so many try to  suggest that  if Putin is obliged in that demand what will stop him ? Again an easy answer. His demand is met with a reciprocal  assurance, in writing, signed sealed and delivered, that existing territories that desire independence are entitled to do so so long as consensus is established and acknowledged. Most  would be unaware there are  many such  territories outside of the Ukraine separatist regions.

Now the UK is leading (Maybe  by the nose? ) other countries to petition the IWC(C) over allegations of war crimes  by Russia.  Please  note that the USA is not a participant because it has long declined to  sign into such an organization and thus considers itself immune to any such jurisdiction..

The perception being fed wholesale to the world that this issue is a simple twitch in the mind of Putin  need reassess their comprehension of the greater complicated reality involved in corporate dictate  and geopolitical monopolies.

 

 

[KhaoYai]

9 hours ago, Mr Derek said:

Thailand, and everyone else, should keep out of it. It's a local spat between a big brother and a little brother - and that's how it will remain unless the rest of the world choose to escalate it. And they certainly do seem keen to escalate it.

 

The situation is akin to Scotland declaring independence and joining a military alliance with foreign powers that poses an existential threat to England. What would England do if sufficiently threatened? Russia has been vilified and threatened (by the expansion of NATO) by the west for years. This is the result. The west's response to this local war is barely sane. Understanding, not knee-jerk outrage, not further provocation, is needed.

Wong on all counts. Keep out of it? Where might you be now if the UK and its allies had not taken on Germany when it invaded Poland?  Ukraine is a sovereign nation and has a right to choose its destiny and alliances.  If you believe Putin's rubbish about being threatened by having a Nato member on his border - you need to do a little geography, he has 2 already! 3 if you class Belarus as really being Russia.

 

What Putin really wants is the Ukraine firmly back in his control but he'll disguise that by installing a puppet government and calling it an independent country (as per Belarus).  If he gains control of Ukraine, he will have then in effect have 4 Nato members on his border.

 

No, its not about Nato - he just simply wants it back under Russia's control and has said as much.

 

So in your book this is just big brother fighting with little brother and nobody should help the little one? What if big brother murders his sibling? Thousands have died already and its likely that hundreds of thousands more will die - because of what?  The savage, land grabbing actions of a mentally ill despot that rules his people by controlling them and feeding them 'news' that suits his purposes?  And you think nobody should help?  Should Ukraine's people be forced to live the life and face the same constraints that ordinary Russians do? Be fed with total lies and contrived versions of the truth? Fantasies that the rest of the world hates Russia? I think Ukraine made it quite clear in 1991 and again in 2013/14 that they want to be part of Europe and they have every right to do that - because they are!  They are quite happy to live side by side with Russia and each go about its own business - they jusy don't want to be part of it.

 

You need to read up on the historical context.

 

Putin is a murderer and should be punished - hopefully he will be.

 

Likening this to a dispute between England and Scotland is quite frankly, ridiculous.

[RichardColeman]

Plain and simply a tactical decision based on tourism - Russian tourists would be less than all the other countries still wanting to come to thailand put together that voted against russia

[Tarteso]

Thailand’s vote against the war in Ukraine is a step in the right direction
 

What about…Do face with yours killing Neighbor ?