ASEAN states evacuating citizens from Iran, Israel, as some voice concerns over latest conflict
KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA: Southeast Asian countries are gearing up to evacuate their citizens from the latest conflict in the Middle East, even as some step up their condemnation of Israel in support of Iran amid calls for a de-escalation of their confrontation.
Malaysia said on Wednesday (Jun 18) it will evacuate its citizens in Iran by Friday through Turkmenistan. According to government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil, there is a 'small number' of Malaysians comprising students, tourists and embassy personnel in the country.
Indonesia's embassy in Tehran posted on Instagram on Wednesday it would immediately evacuate its citizens who are willing. There are 386 Indonesians in Iran, many of whom are students in the city of Qom.
Evacuation details would be conveyed through the WhatsApp group of Indonesian citizens in Iran and by region, the Indonesian embassy said.
Vietnam facilitated the departure of 18 of its nationals from Iran to Azerbaijan on Monday, 16 of whom arrived back in Vietnam on Wednesday, national news outlet Viet Nam News reported.
In Thailand, the military has aircraft on standby to fly home its citizens from conflict zones in the Middle East, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said. About 40,000 of its citizens are living in Israel and 300 in Iran.
As for the Philippines, which has about 30,000 citizens in Israel and at least 1,180 in Iran, the government is coordinating the evacuation of its people and looking for safe routes out of conflict zones, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Wednesday.
Over 100 Filipinos in Israel have asked to be repatriated and eight have been injured in attacks, its Department of Migrant Workers said.
But Marcos said the government's assessment is that the situation had not yet reached the point of ordering the mandatory repatriation of Filipinos from Israel and Iran, as reported by news portal Inquirer.net.
Israel launched large-scale strikes against Iran last Friday (Jun 13) targeting its nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and Iranian security chiefs to prevent Tehran from building a nuclear bomb.
Iran has, in turn, retaliated with missile strikes that have killed 24 people in Israel.
United States President Donald Trump, whose country is Israel's biggest arms supplier, has declined to say if he has made any decision on whether to join Israel's campaign.
Singapore has, in its Ministry of Foreign Affairs online travel advisory for Iran, said Singaporeans in the country should consider leaving as soon as is practicable. 'Singapore has no diplomatic mission in Iran, which constrains our ability to extend consular assistance in an emergency,' the ministry said.
In its travel advisory for Israel and the Palestinian Territories, the ministry said Singaporeans should avoid all travel to Israel, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Israel has also waged war in Gaza since Hamas militants attacked it on Oct 7, 2023, killing over 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages.
Since Jan 1, Singaporeans visiting Israel have been required to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA-IL) on the Israel Population and Immigration Authority website.
SOME SOUTHEAST ASIAN COUNTRIES CONDEMN ISRAEL'S STRIKES ON IRAN
Leaders in the region have criticised Israel and expressed deep concern over the situation there.
Among the latest to do so was Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Jun 19. He slammed Israel's strikes as actions carried out with 'utter impunity' that constitute a 'blatant violation of international law, further eroding the norms that hold the global order together'.
'We call on those with power and influence to speak plainly and act decisively to restrain further escalation,' Anwar said in his speech at the Asia-Pacific Roundtable, a conference organised by the think tank Institute of Strategic & International Studies Malaysia.
Days ago on Jun 15, Anwar had said Malaysia must stand up for its friends, including Iran, and defended their right to retaliate, following the response on Jun 13 by its foreign ministry in condemning Israel's attacks as 'a flagrant violation of international law including the UN Charter, and posing a serious threat to international peace and security'.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto called for a de-escalation on Monday while in Singapore for a retreat with its Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. "We emphasise the importance of a peaceful resolution through negotiations and call for an immediate ceasefire," he said.
Indonesia stepped up its criticism on Wednesday, with foreign ministry spokesperson Rolliansyah Soemirat saying: 'The position of the Indonesian government is very clear that Indonesia condemns the attacks carried out by Israel.
'This is a violation of the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of Iran and is also a clear violation of international law.'
Rolliansyah also said under no circumstances should nuclear installations be attacked because of the danger to human safety and the environment.
Singapore on Jun 13 said it is deeply concerned about the escalation of tensions in the region and urged all parties to exercise restraint and to de-escalate.
A day after Israel's campaign against Iran, Brunei said it 'strongly condemns' the military strikes.
'These unprovoked actions come as international efforts intensified to achieve a nuclear deal between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, as well as to work towards a permanent solution to the conflict in the Middle East,' it said.
Brunei was also part of a joint statement by Arab and Islamic countries on Monday that condemned Israel's attack on Iran, called for a halt in Israeli hostilities against Iran, and a 'swift return to the path of negotiations'.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson of Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the country was deeply concerned about the current tensions in the Middle East.
Thailand has urged both sides to 'exercise utmost restraint' to prevent further deterioration of the situation and the expansion of conflict, while the Philippines urged a de-escalation 'with the welfare of the people of the Middle East and the Filipinos there in mind'.
IS REGION'S RESPONSE TO IRAN-ISRAEL CONFLICT LESS VOCIFEROUS?
While Southeast Asian countries are not alone in questioning the legal basis of Israel's strikes on Iran, some experts perceive differences in how the region is responding to the Israel-Iran confrontation compared to Israel's war in Gaza.
The Israel-Palestine issue and the Gaza war are more familiar to Southeast Asian countries, and Muslim-majority countries like Indonesia and Malaysia have been consistent in speaking up for the Palestinian cause, said Julia Roknifard, a senior lecturer at Taylor's University School of Law and Governance in Malaysia.
'It is a very familiar issue that has been there for decades and the current (Malaysia) Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has been very outspoken about it since October 2023, when the current escalation started – the motion that drew criticism from Malaysia's Western partners, especially the US,' she told CNA.
In this region, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei do not officially recognise Israel and have no diplomatic relations with it.
While Malaysia speaks about developing relations with Iran, it has more history bonding with Arab nations and its approach to Iran has always been cautious, not the least due to the attempts not to upset the Americans, said Roknifard.
Malaysia's response to Israel's actions against Iran is less vociferous because Iran is a majority Shia country, while Malaysia's Muslims are Sunni, said political analyst and Asia Strategy and Leadership Institute senior adviser on international affairs Oh Ei Sun.
"It is not only Malaysia, but almost everybody else in the Muslim world," he said.
Shia and Sunni are the two main denominations in Islam, although the latter makes up about 90 per cent of all Muslims worldwide.
Malaysia and Indonesia are majority Sunni countries.
In Malaysia, Shia practitioners face restrictions on practising their religion openly as the denomination is considered by the authorities to be 'deviant'.
In Indonesia, Shia practitioners are perceived as deviant by many people and often face persecution in local villages.
More than 90 per cent of Muslims in Iran, on the other hand, are Shia.
Nonetheless, Malaysia's position is clear in the Israel-Iran conflict: That Israel is the aggressor violating international law, said Bunn Nagara, a fellow at the Perak Academy, a think tank and cultural hub based in the state.
"How do you measure (the response)? There is no unit of measurement of the Malaysian response. There is no quantifiable data. There is deep disapproval and opposition and total rejection of the violent attitude (of Israel)," he said.
Over in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, religion is not a factor in its foreign policy, said analysts.
International relations lecturer Teuku Rezasyah said this applies to the Israel-Iran conflict as well as Israel's war against Hamas.
'Indonesia has never mentioned Islam in its statements when condemning wars. The government has also never distinguished between Shia and Sunni Muslims, although the society may have a different view,' added Rezasyah.
Indonesia has a diplomatic relationship with Iran and trade between the two countries grew from US$206.2 million in 2023 to US$217.3 million last year.
Malaysia is Iran's largest trading partner among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, with total trade valued at RM2.6 billion (US$0.57 billion) in 2024, a 24.6 per cent increase from the previous year.
Amid Israel's military campaign, Iran has invited Prabowo to visit the country and urged Indonesia and Islamic countries to boycott Israel's products.
On Tuesday (Jun 17), Iran's ambassador to Indonesia Mohammad Boroujerdi said: 'We hope that Indonesia, as the world's largest Muslim-majority country, continues to support Iran on various international platforms.'
Roknifard believes a diplomatic response is the only viable option, and the likely role of any Southeast Asian nation is only as part of a coalition pressing the UN Security Council (UNSC) to take measures.
'And even the discussion at the UNSC, Israel tends to disregard,' she said.
'Then we come to the question – if what it takes for this conflict to stop (both in Gaza and Iran) is US pressure on Israel, then how can the rest of the world effectively pressure the US into realisation of such a need,' she added.
'Under Trump and his delusional perception of distribution of power in the world, it does not seem possible.'
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