KUALA LUMPUR – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has evoked bitter memories of the downed Malaysia Airlines (MAS) aircraft by a Russian BUK missile.
In condemning the invasion of the former Soviet country, Malaysia’s permanent representative to the United Nations Syed Mohamad Hasrin Aidid said Russia’s move had ignited memories of the 298 lives lost eight years ago in the aircraft tragedy.
Speaking at the emergency special session of the UN General Assembly yesterday, Syed Mohamad said Malaysia will continue joint efforts with partners to seek justice and accountability in accordance with the rule of law and in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2166 (2014).
In July 2014, MH17 was struck by a BUK missile as it flew over eastern Ukraine en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam. There were 43 Malaysian passengers and crew members among the victims.
In his speech, Syed Mohamad said Malaysia expresses serious concern over the escalation of military conflict in Ukraine and regrets the inability of the Security Council to exercise its primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security.
While understanding the legitimate security concerns of all parties, Malaysia called on all quarters to abide and respect the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states, as enshrined in the UN Charter and international law, and violation of the principle was unacceptable.
“At this critical juncture, we call on all parties to exercise restraint, take concrete steps to de-escalate and pursue dialogue to resolve the conflict peacefully.
“Malaysia, therefore, welcomes the direct talks between Ukraine and Russia in Belarus on February 28, 2022.
“We hope that the talks will continue and bring about a speedy resolution to the conflict to prevent further loss of lives and devastation,” he said.
In addition, Malaysia also called on all parties to refrain from taking unilateral actions that may aggravate tensions and have far-reaching regional and global consequences, as well as for all nuclear weapon states to adhere to their joint statement of January 3, 2022 on preventing nuclear war and avoiding arms races.
Malaysia urges nuclear weapon states to pursue action towards de-alerting and risk reduction, and to implement their commitments and obligations related to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
Therefore, he said Malaysia reiterates its commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes, guided by the principles enshrined in the UN Charter and international law in the interest of maintaining regional and international peace and security, as well as promoting greater prosperity.
“In this connection, Malaysia will vote in favour of the draft resolution which is now before the Assembly.”
The draft resolution at the UN General Assembly is to condemn Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine, which will be put to test later this week.
Last Friday, the UN Security Council met to vote on a draft resolution that deplored Russia’s “aggression” against Ukraine and demanded the immediate withdrawal of its troops.
However, Russia vetoed this resolution using its rights as a permanent member of the Security Council.
This had then triggered an emergency meeting of the General Assembly, which started on Monday to debate the pressing matter.
According to a report by Reuters, the 193-member assembly had signed on as co-sponsors of a draft resolution by Tuesday evening ahead of a vote today. – The Vibes, March 2, 2022
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