Southeast Asia step up as defenders of intl' law in Venezuela while Europe holds back

The US operation to seize and transfer Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, to the American mainland has been met with widespread disapproval across Southeast Asia, including from close US partners. Governments in the region have long underscored noninterference in sovereign affairs and adherence to international law as cornerstones of regional stability and peace.

While Washington’s traditional allies in Europe have reacted far more cautiously to this extraordinary development, an article by Foreign Policy highlights the notably strong and unified responses from Southeast Asian states.

Malaysia has emerged as the most vocal critic of the United States, echoing its outspoken stance on Palestine. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called for the immediate release of Maduro and his wife. In a social media post published over the weekend of the escalating tensions in Caracas, Ibrahim warned that “whatever may be the reasons, the forcible removal of a sitting head of government through external action sets a dangerous precedent. It erodes fundamental restraints on the use of power between states and weakens the legal framework that underpins international order.”

Singapore and Indonesia issued statements that were only slightly more restrained. Singapore said it was “gravely concerned” by the US action and stressed the importance of international law in protecting the sovereignty of states, “especially small states.” The emphasis reflects Singapore’s long-standing sensitivity to its own vulnerability as a small nation. Indonesia also expressed “grave concern” over actions that “risk setting a dangerous precedent in international relations,” a response shaped by the country’s deep-rooted anxieties over foreign interference. President Prabowo Subianto has frequently attributed domestic unrest to vaguely defined external forces, a narrative that resonates in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.

Vietnam offered more implicit criticism. A spokesperson for its foreign ministry urged “all relevant parties to respect international law … including the principle of respect for national sovereignty.” Although Vietnam has fostered closer relations with the United States over recent decades, the article notes that historical experience makes Hanoi particularly wary of unilateral US interventions in the affairs of other states.

US treaty allies Thailand and the Philippines also voiced concern following Maduro's capture, with both underscoring the importance of international law. Thailand called for the “protection of civilians and respecting the will of the Venezuelan people.” The Philippines adopted the most measured tone, “acknowledging the United States’ underlying security considerations” while also emphasizing the principle of “noninterference in the domestic affairs of sovereign states.”

At the same time, Foreign Policy observes that both countries face a delicate balancing act. The Philippines depends heavily on US backing to counter Chinese incursions into its territorial waters, while simultaneously invoking international law to challenge Beijing’s claims. Thailand, for its part, may be wary of provoking US President Donald Trump into reengaging in its sensitive dispute with Cambodia—potentially to Bangkok’s disadvantage.

“The postwar arc of Southeast Asia can be crudely simplified as going from the Cold War’s great charnel house, its conflicts inflated by great-power interference, to a region defined by broad economic growth and relative peace,” the article’s author notes.

The developments in Caracas have laid bare a dilemma confronting governments worldwide: how to welcome the removal of an authoritarian leader without endorsing actions that many legal experts argue violate international linaw.

As European leaders continue to struggle to articulate a coherent response, Southeast Asian governments have remained more firmly anchored to their longstanding principles. The article points in particular to the first principle of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, which affirms “respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity and national identity” of all member states.

By Nazrin Sadigova