Southeast Asia's silence on the Russian invasion of Ukraine is deafening

Non-interference, or merely protecting their own interests?

Feb. 25, 2022

Southeast Asia's silence on the Russian invasion of Ukraine is deafening

With jokes of a third World War occurring in our lifetimes, one can't help but shudder after weeks of threats of Russian escalation around Ukraine's borders have finally come to tragic fruition in the form of a full-scale invasion.

If you haven't been living under a rock as of late, you'll have heard by now that Russian forces have invaded Ukraine on all fronts (land, sea, and air), with President Vladimir Putin showing zero remorse.

A woman walks among the destruction left behind by Russian shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine. in IMAGE: The Associated Press / NPR

While the Western world has responded in the form of condemnation and various sanctions, Southeast Asia remains largely silent.

And this silence is incredibly deafening. But why is the region staying mum about this clear violation of international law?

The EU, NATO, Singapore, and Indonesia respond.

European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell called the invasion “among the darkest hours of Europe since the Second World War", which should send shivers down the spine of any leader of a democracy, European or not.

A mother holds her baby as she boards a bus leaving Kyiv. IMAGE: The Associated Press / NPR

"The EU will respond in the strongest possible terms and agree on the harshest package of sanctions we have ever implemented," he continued. "President Putin needs to stop this senseless aggression. We stand with Ukraine."

And what of Southeast Asia, then? It's unfair and factually incorrect to say every nation in this region has remained silent. The only two members of the ASEAN bloc to have responded are Singapore and Indonesia.

According to a spokesperson for Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lion City "strongly condemns any unprovoked invasion of a sovereign country under any pretext."

"We reiterate that the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine must be respected. We hope military actions will cease immediately; and urge a peaceful settlement of the dispute, in accordance with the UN Charter and international law."

Damaged equipment and a totaled car at a military facility outside Mariupol, Ukraine. IMAGE: The Associated Press / NPR

Indonesia took similar strides, with its Foreign Ministry spokesperson saying Jakarta was concerned about “the escalation of the armed conflict in Ukraine."

However, the statement used what many would consider to be the wrong terminology in calling it a 'conflict'. When one country invades another, it violates the latter's sovereignty. It's not a matter of picking sides anymore. In calling this violation a 'conflict', the real intention of the aggressor is underplayed, severely in this case.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo also took to Twitter on February 24, 2022 to call for an end to the war. But no where in his Tweet does he make a direct reference to Russia.

Stop the war. War brings misery to mankind and puts the whole world at risk. — Joko Widodo (@jokowi) February 24, 2022

"Stop the war. War brings misery to mankind and puts the whole world at risk," his Tweet reads.

So if you're looking at technicalities, Singapore has so far been the only nation in Southeast Asia (as of press time) to directly condemn Russia and the invasion.

Non-interference?

Thailand has opted for a more pacifist tone, expressing "deep concern" for what it calls "an escalation of tensions threatening international peace and security."

According to Suriya Chindawongse, Thailand's Permanent Representative to the UN, the Land of Smiles supports "ongoing efforts to find a peaceful settlement to the situation" in the form of dialogue in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law.

In Thailand's neighbor to the south, the Malaysian Prime Minister's Office (PMO) issued a statement expressing sadness about the events taking place in Ukraine, reiterating that the country is working to ensure its citizens are safe.

Kerajaan dukacita dengan perkembangan yang berlaku di Ukraine. Keutamaan Kerajaan pada masa ini ialah memastikan Keluarga Malaysia di Ukraine berada dalam keadaan selamat.https://t.co/e5O9O5MUQC @MalaysiaMFA pic.twitter.com/PfRUxLXklC — Pejabat Perdana Menteri (@MalaysiaPMO) February 24, 2022

"The government is saddened by the developments taking place in Ukraine," the statement reads. "The Government's priority at this time is to ensure that Malaysian families in Ukraine are safe."

The Philippines echoed Malaysia's concerns, wanting to ensure its own citizens in Ukraine are safe and sound.

“Our chief and singular concern is to take out of harm’s way our fellow Filipinos in Ukraine and bringing them to the nearest places of safety by the fastest possible way,” said Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.

Despite widespread condemnation from other powers, one has to wonder why the majority of Southeast Asia has remained relatively tame. But there could be a few reasons behind this silence.

The first, and most obvious of which, is ASEAN's non-interference policy, which dictates that member nations don't interfere in the internal affairs of other nations, including other ASEAN members. However, scholars believe this policy is extremely fragile and susceptible to abuse. But that would require an entirely separate article detailing the hypocrisies of ASEAN's framework.

We can also look at it from an economic point-of-view:

The majority of Southeast Asian nations are still classified as 'developing'. This means they're heavily reliant on external players (beyond the region) to stay afloat and catch up. This involves fostering diplomatic ties, as well as economic ties with countries that are far more powerful.

IMAGE: East Asia Forum

While Russia's trade relations with Southeast Asia aren't something to write home about, it does hold an important status in the regional bloc – it's an ASEAN Dialogue Partner, which entails cooperation on many different fronts, including political, security, economic, and socio-cultural affairs.

Thus, directly condemning a Dialogue Partner would increase tensions in the bloc, despite Russia's far physical proximity from the region. For ASEAN, staying in Russia's good books is (unfortunately) important.

And that could explain why many leaders in this region are staying put with confrontational responses. But of course, everybody has their own interests in mind.