Asian academics condemn Trump's interventionism in joint statement

A group of Asian academics and civil society activists has issued a joint statement condemning what they describe as growing US interventionism and the erosion of the international order, citing recent geopolitical developments involving Greenland, Venezuela and Iran.

The statement, released by the civic group Asia Without Borders, was signed by 325 individuals from across Asia, including 260 from South Korea. Among the signatories was Cho Hee-yeon, Seoul's former superintendent of education.

Titled “The Return of Empire, or the Collapse of the Sovereign Order?” the declaration criticized recent US policies under the Trump administration as signaling a broader shift toward unilateralism and the subordination of international law to national interests.

The group said the shift was not merely a change in diplomatic strategy, adding that it “represents a world-historical regression that internally dismantles the normative achievements — sovereignty, law and multilateralism — that modern Western civilization itself constructed through its own experiences of war.”

One of the central issues highlighted is the US interest in acquiring Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. The signatories interpreted remarks suggesting the island could be “purchased” as reflecting an imperial mindset that treats sovereignty and territory as tradable commodities. Such rhetoric, they argued, contradicts the principles of national self-determination and the inviolability of borders enshrined in international law.

Regarding Venezuela, the group condemned US military pressure and efforts aimed at regime change, including the tightening of economic sanctions. While acknowledging internal challenges within Venezuela — such as economic mismanagement, corruption and the weakening of democratic institutions — the statement emphasized that these issues should be resolved by Venezuelans themselves rather than through external intervention.

“Such internal challenges must be addressed by each society’s citizens through their own struggles and democratic processes,” the statement said.

“External great powers have no right to decide these matters through military force, sanctions, or regime change. Once violations of sovereignty are justified by internal deficiencies, no country in the world remains safe.”

The group similarly criticized repeated US threats of military action against Iran, arguing that invoking humanitarian justifications for unilateral force undermines international law when not authorized by the United Nations.

At the same time, the group called attention to human rights concerns within Iran, urging the Iranian government to halt repression and pursue political reforms.

The statement comes amid renewed global debate over US foreign policy and the legacy of the Trump administration, particularly its “America First” doctrine.

The group stressed that the use of force and coercive sanctions without UN authorization should be recognized as violations of international norms, while also calling on US President Donald Trump to abandon any territorial ambitions.

The statement urged the United Nations and the broader international community to play a more active role in safeguarding the global order through mediation and diplomatic engagement.

“Today’s situations surrounding Venezuela, Iran, and Greenland mark a moment in which the normative foundations of the international order are eroding,” the statement said.

“In such a moment, silence is not neutrality; it is, in effect, complicity with historical regression. As Asians, we declare: when sovereignty is subordinated to the logic of power, when international law is reduced to an option, and when ‘humanitarianism’ is used as the language of military intervention, we bear an ethical responsibility to act in solidarity across borders.”