🇺🇦 Southeast Asia responds

Hello friends!

Just a quick check-in today with how the region has responded to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This part of the world is very much out of my remit (even though I did just place a reservation on Bloodlands at the ACT Library), so unless Southeast Asia becomes more involved somehow it’s unlikely we’ll be touching on it much. 

Much of the coverage to date has been regarding the impressive diplomatic missions to help citizens repatriate, such as Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam here. 

But today we’ll look at what Asean as a bloc has done (as well as a few little tiny updates I personally found interesting). 

Erin Cook

A brief statement from the bloc

Asean Foreign Ministers’ released a statement over the weekend calling for: ‘all relevant parties to exercise maximum restraint and make utmost efforts to pursue dialogues through all channels, including diplomatic means to contain the situation, to de-escalate tensions, and to seek peaceful resolution in accordance with international law, the principles of the United Nations Charter and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.’ It also notes respect for sovereignty etc. 

It’s short but succinct, agreed to by all members in near-record time (as noted here in a Bangkok Post op-ed, although I will flag that I do not know who exactly in Myanmar ticked this off) but fails to mention Russia by name at all. There’s more below on what’s in not-a-name, as seen in Indonesia.    

An economic jolt in the region is expected, with many members vying for investment from both Russia and Ukraine, while tourism operators in icons like Bali and Phuket will be hoping developments don’t deter the return of deep-pocketed Russian visitors. Nikkei Asia has gone deep on the numbers and shows that the economic reality is more entangled than suspected.

🇸🇬 Singapore slaps sanctions

Singapore! The island-state isn’t hedging like its neighbours and has gone straight to sanctions. Announcing sanctions on banking and other financial measures, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told Parliament yesterday: "Singapore intends to act in concert with many other like-minded countries to impose appropriate sanctions and restrictions against Russia.” 

While firm details are yet to be announced, Bloomberg reports how Singapore’s finance sector is responding. 

"If international relations are based on 'might is right', the world will be a dangerous place for small countries like Singapore. This is why Singapore staunchly supports international law and the United Nations Charter, which prohibits acts of aggression against a sovereign state," Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong posted to Facebook yesterday. 

🇲🇲 Junta, the people, out of step again

Myanmar, online and off, responded with pure fury. Firstly, at the injustice of the invasion but also at seeing many of the same empty promises made by world leaders or failures of the United Nations. Still, the immense solidarity with Ukraine appears strongest in those communities also suffering from conflict.

The military junta has, unsurprisingly but still revoltingly, voiced its support for Russia. "No. 1 is that Russia has worked to consolidate its sovereignty. I think this is the right thing to do. No. 2 is to show the world that Russia is a world power," military council spokesman General Zaw Min Tun told Voice of America. His second point is virtually verbatim the ‘multipolar or else’ rhetoric which occasionally crops up in the region from Russia’s visiting talking heads. 

It is another split between the junta and the National Unity Government:

🇮🇩 Indonesia dips a toe in 

Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (better known as Kemlu) released a tepid statement that condemned military action in Ukraine — and forgot to note which nation-state is behind that military. 

ASPI’s David Engel isn’t impressed with that one, calling the statement ‘more than inadequate’ and ‘disingenuous,’ as well as ‘smacking of deliberate myopia.’ The diplomatic restraint showed by Kemlu in this instance, particularly when compared with the response to Australia’s submarine brouhaha last year, is reflective of Indonesia-Russian defence ties and a deepening economic relationship. (I don’t totally agree with this piece, but I do agree strongly with the second-last paragraph on the Australian-Indonesian relationship which is a good reminder for anyone invested in that bilateral.)

Since the statement let-down, Indonesian, along with regional pal and current UN Human Rights Council member Malaysia, voted with the majority of the grouping in favour of an urgent debate on the invasion:

🇻🇳 Vietnam stays hands off

Radio Free Asia has an intriguing non-bylined one on Vietnam’s response. Vietnam has long been Russia’s closest friend in the region, but the invasion is being covered in local media “without much of their usual pro-Russia bias.” While official statements from the government tread the line seen widely in the region social media is another story, according to RFA.