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David Hutt

David Hutt is a journalist and commentator. He is a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS), and a columnist at The Diplomat and Radio Free Asia.

David Hutt is a journalist and commentator. He is a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS), a columnist at The Diplomat and Radio Free Asia, a contributor to the Economist Intelligence Unit and DW, and an associate editor at Contemporary Southeast Asia. He also writes the Watching Europe In Southeast Asia newsletter.

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 was president of the Overseas Press Club of Cambodia between 2018 and 2019. He can be followed on Twitter @davidhuttjourno.

Posts by David Hutt

December 03, 2021

Cambodia’s Political Succession Could Get Messy

By David Hutt

Hun Sen made it official: he is positioning his eldest son as his successor. Is the CPP ready for a generational change?

November 19, 2021

Will Domestic Politics Upend Cambodia’s ASEAN Chairmanship?

By David Hutt

The deteriorating rights situation in Cambodia will be a major distraction from ASEAN’s agenda.

November 12, 2021

Did COVID-19 Strengthen Authoritarianism in Southeast Asia?

By David Hutt

There doesn’t appear to be any clear correlation between how a government handled the pandemic and the waning of political freedom.

November 04, 2021

China Isn’t the Only Reason for Cambodia’s Vaccination Success

By David Hutt

More than good relations with China, Cambodia’s vaccination success comes down to effective and responsive government actions in a moment of crisis.

October 22, 2021

Does It Matter If Myanmar’s Junta Leader Is Banned From the ASEAN Summit?

By David Hutt

Despite uninviting Min Aung Hlaing from the summit, it remains unclear whether the Southeast Asian bloc has a longer-term plan.

October 07, 2021

Is ASEAN at Fault for Rising Indo-Pacific Tensions?

By David Hutt

Through its dithering and lack of unity, the bloc has opened a space for further interference from outside powers.

September 30, 2021

Could Evergrande’s Contagion Wreck Cambodia’s Property Sector?

By David Hutt

Over the past decade, the country's property market has become heavily reliant on inward flows of Chinese investment.

July 12, 2021

The Regional Absence in Mainland Southeast Asia’s COVID-19 Strategy

By David Hutt

Despite their local vaccination efforts, the nations of the region won't be safe until the entire region achieves herd immunity.

July 06, 2021

Do Cambodia’s Human Rights Groups Ignore Ethnic Vietnamese?

By David Hutt

After decades of depredations, both real and imagined, Vietnam remains the main bogeyman of Cambodian nationalism.

June 28, 2021

Will Vaccination Be Hun Sen’s Legacy?

By David Hutt

Cambodia's successful COVID-19 vaccine rollout has given the country's leader a golden chance to bow out of politics. Will he take it?

June 11, 2021

In Cambodia, the End of COVID-19 Will Heighten the Economic Contradictions

By David Hutt

Corruption and inequality are set to rise as the country emerges from the pandemic.

April 22, 2021

Cambodia COVID-19 Drive Rests on Elite Charity Networks

By David Hutt

The Cambodian government is presenting COVID-19 relief packages as a gift from the wealthy and well-connected.