Asian scholars condemn US foreign policy as threat to sovereignty

U.S. President Donald Trump / Reuters-Yonhap

A coalition of Asian intellectuals and civil society activists issued a sharp rebuke of U.S. foreign policy, warning that recent actions signal a dangerous erosion of international law and national sovereignty.

The group Asia Without Borders, in a statement Tuesday, said recent developments under the Trump administration — including the military intervention in Venezuela, remarks about Greenland as a purchasable territory and military actions involving Iran — reflect a broader shift toward power-driven geopolitics.

The statement was signed by 325 participants, including 260 from Korea and 65 from other Asian countries. The signatures were collected between Feb. 16 and April 6.

The group said these actions are not isolated but are part of a wider regression that places national interest above international norms and multilateral cooperation.

The coalition warned that such trends risk normalizing what it described as the “commodification of sovereignty” and the “militarization of humanitarianism,” raising concerns that these concepts could reshape global political behavior.

At the same time, the group said its criticism of U.S. actions does not amount to support for the governments of Venezuela or Iran. It said internal challenges in those countries, including weakened democratic institutions and restrictions on civil society, remain serious issues.

However, it said those issues should be addressed domestically rather than through external military intervention or sanctions imposed by major powers.

The group called for an immediate halt to U.S. military threats and unilateral intervention efforts and recognition that the use of force without United Nations authorization violates international law. It also urged U.S. President Donald Trump to abandon any territorial ambitions toward Greenland.

It further called on the U.N. and the broader international community to take a more active role in safeguarding the global sovereign order, while calling on Venezuela and Iran to pursue reforms to strengthen democracy, human rights and civil liberties.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.