The Diplomat | Author
David Hutt
David Hutt has been Southeast Asia columnist at The Diplomat since 2016, writing weekly about Southeast Asian politics.
David Hutt has been Southeast Asia columnist at The Diplomat since 2016, writing weekly about Southeast Asian politics. He was formerly based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He also writes for Foreign Policy, Asia Times, Nikkei Asian Review, South China Morning Post, and other international publications. He was previously a reporter at Southeast Asia Globe magazine and the editor of Focus Asean magazine. He was president of the Overseas Press Club of Cambodia between 2018 and 2019, and is a visiting fellow at Future Forum, a Phnom Penh-based think tank. He can be followed on Twitter @davidhuttjourno
January 22, 2021
Post-Pandemic Southeast Asia Faces a Crisis of Authoritarianism
By David Hutt
History tells us that people rebel not when things are worst, but when hopes of improvements are disappointed.
January 18, 2021
In Laos, Reform Hopes Peter Out Into Business as Usual
By David Hutt
The Lao communist party's newly selected General Secretary Thongloun Sisoulith once promised change. Now he sits atop a closed and sclerotic system.
January 08, 2021
Can We Trust the Cambodia Microfinance Association?
By David Hutt
The CMA is an awkward amalgam of industry lobby group and regulatory watchdog.
December 21, 2020
How Much Should We Worry About Laos’ Debt?
By David Hutt
Laos has several options for dealing with its debt crisis, and none of them are palatable.
December 14, 2020
Cambodia’s COVID-19 Vaccine Boondoggle
By David Hutt
The tycoon-funded vaccine drive demonstrates the durability of the patronage state that Hun Sen has built since the 1980s. It also reveals its weaknesses.
December 04, 2020
Who Cares About Kaavan?
By David Hutt
A feel-good story about an elephant has distracted attention from the dire state of the environment in Cambodia.
November 27, 2020
Could an Unlikely Alliance Unseat Cambodia’s PM?
By David Hutt
Rumors have long swirled of an alliance between opposition leader Sam Rainsy and Interior Minister Sar Kheng.
November 23, 2020
In Southeast Asia, Press Freedom Takes a Turn for the Orwellian
By David Hutt
Increasingly, journalists are being prosecuted not for publishing falsehoods – but for the potential consequences of their reporting.
November 12, 2020
Next Philippine Election Looms as an Institutional Stress Test
By David Hutt
Joe Biden's defeat of Donald Trump has shown the resilience of U.S. political institutions. Will the same be true of the Philippines?
November 03, 2020
Are Southeast Asia’s Anti-China Nationalists Democrats?
By David Hutt
Taking anti-China positions is easy for politicians in opposition. Things get more complicated once they take office.
October 23, 2020
The Beginning of the End of Kem Sokha’s Ordeal in Cambodia?
By David Hutt
In recent weeks, Prime Minister Hun Sen has softened his stance toward his main political rival. As usual, there is more than meets the eye.
October 15, 2020
No Taxation Without Climate Action
By David Hutt
As they grapple with COVID-19, Southeast Asian nations should not lose sight of the challenges posed by climate change.
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