Thailand abstains in UN vote against Russia over Ukraine war

The Nation/Asia News Network

BANGKOK — Thailand abstained from voting as the UN General Assembly called on Russia to make reparations to Ukraine over the war there.

The General Assembly on Monday adopted the resolution after ambassadors met to resume their emergency special session devoted to the conflict.

The resolution, supported by 94 of the assembly’s 193 members, said Russia, which invaded its neighbour in February, “must bear the legal consequences of all of its internationally wrongful acts, including making reparation for injuries, including any damage, caused by such acts”.

Thailand was among 73 countries which abstained from voting, while 14 nations voted against the resolution.

The Asean countries which voted for the resolution were Myanmar, The Philippines and Singapore. Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia and Vietnam joined Thailand in abstaining.

In presenting the resolution, Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya insisted Russia must be held accountable for its violation of international law.

“Seventy-seven years ago, the Soviet Union demanded and received reparations, calling it a moral right of a country that had suffered war and occupation,” he said.

“Today, Russia, which claims to be the successor of the 20th century’s tyranny, is doing everything it can to avoid paying the price for its own war and occupation, trying to escape accountability for the crimes it is committing.”

Kyslytsya pointed out that Russia also supported the creation of the UN Compensation Commission, established in 1991 after Iraq’s invasion and occupation of Kuwait.

The commission completed its mandate in February, he reported, having paid out more than US$52 billion (1.84 trillion baht) in reparations to the victims.

The ambassador outlined the impact of the Russian war on his country, including bombings targeting residential buildings and infrastructure, the demolition of nearly half of the power grid and utilities, massive displacement and atrocities such as murder, rape, torture and forced deportations.

“This proposal is not about Russia alone. It will work for the benefit of all those who are being threatened now or might be threatened later by use of force,” he said.

Speaking before the vote, Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya characterised the draft resolution as “a classic example of a narrow group of states acting not on the basis of international law but rather trying to consecrate something that is illegal”.

He said countries backing the resolution were attempting to position the General Assembly as a judicial body, which it is not.

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