Malaysia: Stop the war in Ukraine! Give peace a chance!

First published at Think Left.

The memorandum has been handed over to the Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia and the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Kuala Lumpur on 15th March 2023.

Joint memorandum: Stop the war in Ukraine! Give peace a chance!

We, the undersigned organisations, are deeply concerned over the prolonging of the war in Ukraine.

The illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine since 24 February 2022, has already resulted in the deaths of at least tens of thousands, while millions have been displaced. The war in Ukraine has had negative impacts on international food supplies worldwide and worsened the energy crisis in Europe and countries all over the world. It has however, greatly benefited the armaments industry in the US and EU. The war is at risk of escalating into a catastrophic nuclear war if no action is taken to seek peaceful solutions.

War is never the answer to complex geopolitical questions; instead, it will fuel more conflicts. The world, which has already facing multiple crises, cannot afford another prolonged war and the threat of nuclear calamity. The war needs to be stopped in order to preserve humanity.

Even though the Russian war in Ukraine is thousands of miles from Malaysia, but as peace-loving citizens of the world, we condemn this war that has brought much death, grief and the complete destruction of a sovereign nation. The war has only benefitted the military industry and related multinational corporations.

Hence, we, concerned organisations and citizens from Malaysia, call upon all responsible governments to take necessary actions to put an end to this war. We call for an immediate ceasefire and peace negotiations. We also call for the deployment of UN peacekeeping force consisting of troops from non-NATO countries to enforce the ceasefire.

To the Russian government, we urge:

• Immediate ceasefire and stop all offensive military attacks;
• Engagement in peace negotiations based on mutual respect to resolve the conflict;
• Respect for the sovereignty of Ukraine and Ukrainian people’s democratic right to self-determination.

To the European Union, we urge:

– Recognition that there are parties within the NATO Alliance that would like this war to continue for geopolitical and commercial reasons, and a principled rejection of such a position;

• The use of diplomacy to push for peace negotiation to end the war in Ukraine;
• Avoiding aggressive actions that will lead to escalation of the conflict.

We also express our solidarity with the Ukrainian people and all others who have suffered in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Endorsed by:

1. Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)
2. Aliran
3. Alliance Of River Three
4. Gabungan Marhaen
5. Health Equity Initiatives
6. In Between Cultura
7. Jaringan Pekerja Kontrak Kerajaan (JPKK)
8. Malaysian Dravidian Association
9. National Union of Workers in Hospital Support and Allied Services (NUWHSAS)
10. Pemuda Sosialis PSM
11. Persatuan Kebajikan Tamilaal Naam Sungai Siput
12. People Like Us Support Ourselves (PLUsos)
13. Pusat KOMAS
14. Sustainable Development Network Malaysia (SUSDEN Malaysia)