For many, Thailand’s UN vote on Russia still a puzzle

[bradiston]

7 minutes ago, Saanim said:

Interesting would be to know how the high diplomats - when in NYC - will cast their vote, thus expressing the will of their own people at the other side of the world.

E.g. how the Thai minister knows what his people (e.g. in Isaan) feel about the Ukraine conflict? Obviously, they (his people) could not care less, could they? So, his vote was not so bad, expressing the feeling of his people who he represents. (not the feeling of the many enraged expats residing peacefully in his country). 

In other cases, some just cast the vote as they feel it, under the "discussions" with other colleagues and friends, being in NYC, very far from their own people.

However, not everywhere his people are happy with his vote.  Somewhere he gets sacked once he gets back to his people.

Madagascar minister fired for voting against Russia's Ukraine annexation

https://www.reuters.com/world/madagascar-minister-fired-voting-against-russias-ukraine-annexation-2022-10-19/x
  

Link broken

[bradiston]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Most people won't fight for something they don't believe in, and not everyone believes in the west's participation in this conflict. Nothing to do with siding with Putin.

Of course I'd fight for my country ( I was in the military ), but I've seen nothing to convince me that participation in the Ukraine war is anything to do with us. Russia isn't threatening to take us over.

We'd have to start another thread, maybe there's already one, along the lines of "Should the West be involved in the Ukraine war?" to answer those questions.

[Bkk Brian]

1 hour ago, Saanim said:

Interesting would be to know how the high diplomats - when in NYC - will cast their vote, thus expressing the will of their own people at the other side of the world.

E.g. how the Thai minister knows what his people (e.g. in Isaan) feel about the Ukraine conflict? Obviously, they (his people) could not care less, could they? So, his vote was not so bad, expressing the feeling of his people who he represents. (not the feeling of the many enraged expats residing peacefully in his country). 

In other cases, some just cast the vote as they feel it, under the "discussions" with other colleagues and friends, being in NYC, very far from their own people.

However, not everywhere his people are happy with his vote.  Somewhere he gets sacked once he gets back to his people.

Madagascar minister fired for voting against Russia's Ukraine annexation

https://www.reuters.com/world/madagascar-minister-fired-voting-against-russias-ukraine-annexation-2022-10-19/x
  

Russia's leverage lives on in Madagascar?

 

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar — The Russians were hard to miss, they appeared suddenly last year in Madagascar’s traffic-snarled capital, carrying backpacks stuffed with cash and campaign swag decorated with the name of Madagascar’s president.

It was one of Russia’s most overt attempts at election interference to date. Working from their headquarters in a resort hotel, the Russians published their own newspaper in the local language and hired students to write fawning articles about the president to help him win another term. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/11/world/africa/russia-madagascar-election.html 

no paywall source

[Saanim]

2 hours ago, bradiston said:

Link broken

Here it is again (without x at the end):

https://www.reuters.com/world/madagascar-minister-fired-voting-against-russias-ukraine-annexation-2022-10-19/  

[loveushorttime]

The reason for abstaining defies all logic. Just a lame excuse for the government to pussy foot around critisizing Putin. Pathetic.

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, loveushorttime said:

The reason for abstaining defies all logic. Just a lame excuse for the government to pussy foot around critisizing Putin. Pathetic.

Actually the reason is quite logical- Thailand doesn't want to "annoy" either China or the US.

[vandeventer]

On 10/17/2022 at 6:22 AM, RichardColeman said:

Jeez, the world must be full of thick politicians or ignorant ones that cannot see what every single foreigner living here can see - It's about tourism and money - not about having good moral standards or supporting Russia ! If Russia has been say Peru invading Brazil, they would be condemning it to the roof tops

Maybe they should just sit the hell down and talk about it. That's what we have a UN for, make love not war, before it's too late.

[loveushorttime]

On 10/21/2022 at 4:03 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

Actually the reason is quite logical- Thailand doesn't want to "annoy" either China or the US.

I'm sure them abstaining would have annoyed the US. Like Saudi Arabia cutting their oil production which helped Russia.

[Artisi]

On 10/17/2022 at 11:30 AM, ThailandRyan said:

US Proxy war...really? So Putin just rolls on I  takes the Ukraine...what next  Poland, Tajikistan.......any bordering countries it wants?

Well, China won't have to roll into Thailand - the door is wide open and the hands are out waiting for the brown parcels. 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/25/2022 at 11:34 PM, loveushorttime said:

I'm sure them abstaining would have annoyed the US. Like Saudi Arabia cutting their oil production which helped Russia.

IMO China is more important to Thailand than the US.