https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Uk...1&pub_date=20220302190000&seq_num=14&si=44594
Prayuth shrugs off request from 25 ambassadors to condemn Russia
Thailand uses ASEAN statement as political cover to stay neutral on Ukraine war
Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has insisted on remaining neutral over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. © Reuters
MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writerMarch 2, 2022 18:36 JST
BANGKOK -- Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has brushed aside a request from 25 ambassadors in Bangkok asking his government to take a stand against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"We should maintain balance at this point," the prime minister told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
With the exception of Singapore, which has forcefully denounced the invasion, much of Southeast Asia has responded with little more than cautious expressions of concern. Thailand came under pressure to change that on Monday, when the envoys visited Thani Thongpakdi, the permanent secretary for foreign affairs.
The ambassadors represented a long list of nations: the U.S., U.K., Japan, Canada, Norway, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Hungary, Belgium, Czech, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Denmark as well as the European Union. Together, they urged Thailand, as a member of the United Nations, to speak up for the rules-based international order and denounce the invasion as a violation of the U.N. charter.
The kingdom has stuck to neutrality since the invasion began last Thursday. The Thai foreign ministry expressed deep concern over the escalating tensions while supporting a peaceful settlement through dialogue. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Saturday published a statement with a similar tone.
In rebuffing the ambassadors' request, Prayuth used the bloc's statement as cover. "It's a regional matter now," he said, arguing that countries should avoid trumpeting their own stance once ASEAN has clarified its position.
According to local reports, Prayuth also mentioned the kingdom's long-standing relationship with Russia as a reason for staying neutral. This year is the 125th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between what was once the Kingdom of Siam and Imperial Russia.
On Monday, Evgeny Tomikhin, the Russian ambassador to Thailand, paid a courtesy call on Phuket Vice Gov. Pichet Panapong. Officials of the southern island and diplomats from Russia discussed the prospects for celebrating and furthering relations this year.
The meeting, likely scheduled before the attack on Ukraine, was roundly criticized online as careless and untimely.
Russia is an important economic partner for Thailand, especially as a source of tourists. In normal times, Russians come to the kingdom in large numbers, hopping on charter flights to destinations like Phuket. In January, they were the top visitors to Thailand by nationality, accounting for 17.7% of all foreign arrivals amid a gradual reopening from COVID-19.
The Russian tourism market looks even more crucial now, with another key source of visitors, China, slow to ease its own curbs on overseas travel.
But Thailand's reluctance to speak out has put it at odds with Western partners like the U.S. Thailand's silence can also be seen as part of a pattern. Prayuth's dovish stance on the military takeover in Myanmar 13 months ago is one reason ASEAN has struggled to present a united front in its own neighborhood. The situation, in fact, has called ASEAN's own raison d'etre into question.
Prayuth shrugs off request from 25 ambassadors to condemn Russia
Thailand uses ASEAN statement as political cover to stay neutral on Ukraine war
Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has insisted on remaining neutral over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. © Reuters
MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writerMarch 2, 2022 18:36 JST
BANGKOK -- Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has brushed aside a request from 25 ambassadors in Bangkok asking his government to take a stand against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"We should maintain balance at this point," the prime minister told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
With the exception of Singapore, which has forcefully denounced the invasion, much of Southeast Asia has responded with little more than cautious expressions of concern. Thailand came under pressure to change that on Monday, when the envoys visited Thani Thongpakdi, the permanent secretary for foreign affairs.
The ambassadors represented a long list of nations: the U.S., U.K., Japan, Canada, Norway, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Hungary, Belgium, Czech, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Denmark as well as the European Union. Together, they urged Thailand, as a member of the United Nations, to speak up for the rules-based international order and denounce the invasion as a violation of the U.N. charter.
The kingdom has stuck to neutrality since the invasion began last Thursday. The Thai foreign ministry expressed deep concern over the escalating tensions while supporting a peaceful settlement through dialogue. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Saturday published a statement with a similar tone.
In rebuffing the ambassadors' request, Prayuth used the bloc's statement as cover. "It's a regional matter now," he said, arguing that countries should avoid trumpeting their own stance once ASEAN has clarified its position.
According to local reports, Prayuth also mentioned the kingdom's long-standing relationship with Russia as a reason for staying neutral. This year is the 125th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between what was once the Kingdom of Siam and Imperial Russia.
On Monday, Evgeny Tomikhin, the Russian ambassador to Thailand, paid a courtesy call on Phuket Vice Gov. Pichet Panapong. Officials of the southern island and diplomats from Russia discussed the prospects for celebrating and furthering relations this year.
The meeting, likely scheduled before the attack on Ukraine, was roundly criticized online as careless and untimely.
Russia is an important economic partner for Thailand, especially as a source of tourists. In normal times, Russians come to the kingdom in large numbers, hopping on charter flights to destinations like Phuket. In January, they were the top visitors to Thailand by nationality, accounting for 17.7% of all foreign arrivals amid a gradual reopening from COVID-19.
The Russian tourism market looks even more crucial now, with another key source of visitors, China, slow to ease its own curbs on overseas travel.
But Thailand's reluctance to speak out has put it at odds with Western partners like the U.S. Thailand's silence can also be seen as part of a pattern. Prayuth's dovish stance on the military takeover in Myanmar 13 months ago is one reason ASEAN has struggled to present a united front in its own neighborhood. The situation, in fact, has called ASEAN's own raison d'etre into question.
