This should not come as a surprise. The army appointed regime is rudderless, cowardly, and lacking anything in the way of ethics, morality or a perception of truth or honor. They have shown this repeatedly. It is all about money and power. The welfare of people are never to get in the way of that pursuit. 

 

We have come to expect only abhorrence, from them. 

This government needs to hang its head in shame. We should not forget how this government came to power in the first place by abstaining this could do severe damage to tourism as there are 1,000s of people around the globe who oppose the Russian invasion and will take a dislike to those countries who appear to remain friendly with the Russian regime it appears Thailand is one of those friendly countries .

On 4/9/2022 at 1:07 AM, impulse said:

It's all Kabuki Theater with no upside for Thailand to vote, either way. 

 

They did the smart thing.

Indeed. The correct realpolitik decision for a non-world power. I'm sure their thought process paralleled that of Singapore, who also abstained. Keeping good company, I would say.

On 4/9/2022 at 8:27 AM, ThailandRyan said:

Your lost in your beliefs it appears.  You must also believe the Black lives matter drivel, and if so tell me how the embezzled millions of dollars in donations and purchased houses for members that they claim are campuses....thats hypocrisy.

An article by Noam Chomsky in the New Statesman of 8 April 2022 mentions that, in return for Gorbachev’s agreeing to allow a unified Germany to rejoin Nato, Baker and Bush Sr undertook explicitly and unambiguously that “the US would ensure that there would be no move one inch to the east”. They later ratted on their promise and Russia now has NATO on nearly all of its borders to the west. Ie the US have provoked this war.

 

48 minutes ago, flossie35 said:

An article by Noam Chomsky in the New Statesman of 8 April 2022 mentions that, in return for Gorbachev’s agreeing to allow a unified Germany to rejoin Nato, Baker and Bush Sr undertook explicitly and unambiguously that “the US would ensure that there would be no move one inch to the east”. They later ratted on their promise and Russia now has NATO on nearly all of its borders to the west. Ie the US have provoked this war.

 

That was probably before Russia invaded Crimea and Ukraine in 2014 in the first invasion of a sovereign nation in Europe since WW2. It takes two to keep an agreement. Russia also ridiculed US assessments that it was about to invade Ukraine this year. Russia has abrogated any moral high ground as far as accusing other nations of breaking agreements.

23 hours ago, crazykopite said:

This government needs to hang its head in shame. We should not forget how this government came to power in the first place by abstaining this could do severe damage to tourism as there are 1,000s of people around the globe who oppose the Russian invasion and will take a dislike to those countries who appear to remain friendly with the Russian regime it appears Thailand is one of those friendly countries .

Vote of ASEAN 10. 

Support :      Myanmar,  Philippines 

Object  :       Vietnam,  Laos 

Abstain :      Thailand,  Singapore,  Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Cambodia 

 

 

You wrote  "by abstaining this could do severe damage to tourism".

Do you think tourists will choose Myanmar or Philippines and ditch the other 8 ASEAN countries ?   

or tourist will avoid South East Asia at all  ?

 

I have written on this forum that such factor is very, very low priority in tourist decision. 

If you intend to sell fear,  at least make some sense please. 

 

On 4/9/2022 at 12:10 AM, Enoon said:

A statement made by a Trump appointee, replaced in early 2021.

 

October 14th 2021:

 

"Today, I can announce that the United States was elected to serve on the UN Human Rights Council for the next term, beginning in 2022."

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

 

https://www.state.gov/election-of-the-united-states-to-the-un-human-rights-council-hrc/

 

 

However the US continues to oppose the ICC and/or cooperation with investigations of events in Afghanistan.

3 hours ago, flossie35 said:

An article by Noam Chomsky in the New Statesman of 8 April 2022 mentions that, in return for Gorbachev’s agreeing to allow a unified Germany to rejoin Nato, Baker and Bush Sr undertook explicitly and unambiguously that “the US would ensure that there would be no move one inch to the east”. They later ratted on their promise and Russia now has NATO on nearly all of its borders to the west. Ie the US have provoked this war.

 

Pure propaganda.

 

 “The topic of ‘NATO expansion’ was not discussed at all, and it wasn’t brought up in those years. … Another issue we brought up was discussed: making sure that NATO’s military structures would not advance and that additional armed forces would not be deployed on the territory of the then-GDR after German reunification. Baker’s statement was made in that context… Everything that could have been and needed to be done to solidify that political obligation was done. And fulfilled.”

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2014)

On 4/11/2022 at 10:28 AM, Salerno said:

Pure propaganda.

 

 “The topic of ‘NATO expansion’ was not discussed at all, and it wasn’t brought up in those years. … Another issue we brought up was discussed: making sure that NATO’s military structures would not advance and that additional armed forces would not be deployed on the territory of the then-GDR after German reunification. Baker’s statement was made in that context… Everything that could have been and needed to be done to solidify that political obligation was done. And fulfilled.”

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2014)

Gorbachev is talking about something else. The promise I mentioned is quite well-known.

YouTube have a discussion between Chomsky and some one else which you might find illuminating. (I haven't seen it yet.) There was also a report on facebook yesterday by a Swiss gentleman, formerly a senior NATO official, which you might look at.

I've watched them all, it's propaganda, taking what Baker said in negotions re Germany reunification and extrapulating it to encompass NATO and the whole of Europe. Show me any treaty, memorandam, official announcement to be the case otherwise - not just someone saying it was agreed.

 

NATO has, and always will have, an open door policy. Soverign nations have a right to decide what organisations they wish to be members of.