Russia has just started a war of aggression against Ukraine. This is a clear violation of international law and the United Nations Charter, in particular the prohibition to use or threaten to use force, the respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, and the duty of non-interference in internal affairs.
This is also a clear violation of the commitments which Russia herself has undertaken: the Helsinki Final Act and its ten principles; the Paris Charter for a new Europe; the Budapest Memorandum – which, ironically, made Russia one of the guarantors of the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine –and of course, the Minsk Agreements.
The list unfortunately does not stop here and, based on the first military operations, there are, alas, reasons to believe that the most elementary norms of international humanitarian law and conflict law are also being violated by Russian troops.
This war is also a clear violation of all Asean principles as stated in the 1976 Asean Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, which include: mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity and national identity of all nations; the right of every state to lead its national existence free from external interference, subversion and coercion; the non-interference in the internal affairs of one another; the settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful means; and the renunciation of threats or use of force.
What is unfolding before us is a world event of impact to all our countries. One would be wrong to believe, to quote Neville Chamberlain, that this is a conflict “in a faraway land between people of which we know nothing”.
This Russian aggression is not a European war. It is not a regional conflict.
Its import and magnitude make it a matter of concern for all countries. Suffice it to underline the (not so) veiled threat of using nuclear weapons which Vladimir Putin made in his speech.
This Russian aggression obviously sets a dangerous and ominous precedent for any major power with territorial or political claims on smaller powers.
This could of course apply to the Indo-Pacific region, with Asean and Malaysia at its centre, where geopolitical tensions have been rising, and implicit or explicit threats to use force already made.
Imagine what would happen if states started to claim territories based on the history of local populations.
Malaysia is a staunch defender of international law, multilateralism and the UN. It has always exercised its responsibilities very seriously.
Indeed, in 2014, when Crimea was invaded and annexed by Russia, Malaysia, with the vast majority of UN members, voted in favour of the United Nations General Assembly resolution to uphold the sovereignty of Ukraine.
We trust Malaysia will stay the course.
Source: freemalaysiatoday
