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Luke Hunt

Luke Hunt is a Southeast Asia correspondent for The Diplomat. He has spent three decades working in the region and produces the Beyond the Mekong podcast. He can be followed on Patreon and X – formerly Twitter.

He served as bureau chief for Agence France-Presse in Cambodia and in Afghanistan under Taliban occupation – where he was commended by the United Nations for the “best and most insightful” coverage of the Afghan civil war. Hunt also covered the U.S.-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and the Global War on Terrorism that followed, specializing in Islamic militancy.

Throughout the 2010s, Hunt focused on civil conflict and uprisings from the Middle East to East Asia and as an adjunct professor wrote the course War, Media & International Relations for Pannasastra University in Cambodia. He is the author of the “Punji Trap” and co-author of “Barings Lost” and is the recipient of several awards including the Hong Kong Human Rights Press Awards, Society of Publishers in Asia, and the World Association of Newspapers.

Follow him on X at @lukeanthonyhunt.

Posts by Luke Hunt

October 26, 2022

Challenging Malaysia’s Moral Authority on Myanmar

By Luke Hunt

Deportations of Myanmar asylum seekers and the failure to act on Rohingya death camps are disheartening.

October 12, 2022

Two Decades After the Bali Bombings, A Peace Park

By Luke Hunt

The attack testified to the horrifying vision of the now-defunct Jemaah Islamiyah, which aimed to establish an Islamic Caliphate in Southeast Asia.

October 10, 2022

Opposition Politician Found Guilty of Defaming Cambodian Ruling Party

By Luke Hunt

Son Chhay of the Candlelight Party has been ordered to pay $750,000 for questioning the fairness of this year's commune election.

September 28, 2022

Why Should ASEAN or Anyone Else Negotiate with the Tatmadaw?

By Luke Hunt

There is a growing consensus that the world should engage directly with the opposition National Unity Government.

September 22, 2022

Khmer Rouge Tribunal Upholds Genocide Conviction

By Luke Hunt

The ECCC delivers its final verdict with closure on the horizon.

September 14, 2022

ASEAN Urged to Intervene Over Human Trafficking

By Luke Hunt

Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar have been cited as key trafficking destinations by victims' groups.

September 09, 2022

Getting Into ASEAN is ‘Harder Than Getting Into Heaven’

By Luke Hunt

A conversation with Kupa Lopes, Timor-Leste's ambassador to Cambodia.

August 26, 2022

A 50-Year Legacy: Remembering Tim Page

By Luke Hunt

Tim Page, a photographer and journalistic war horse who made his name covering the wars in Indochina, died this week at the age of 78.

August 16, 2022

Taiwan Frets for ‘Thousands’ Trafficked Into Cambodia

By Luke Hunt

Taiwan joins the chorus of regional countries expressing concerns about human trafficking in Cambodia, where reports are rife of enslavement, beatings, torture, and being resold.

August 08, 2022

ASEAN (Minus Myanmar) Gets Its Act Together

By Luke Hunt

Myanmar's military junta was put on notice as ASEAN held its line against China and Russia.

August 04, 2022

Timor-Leste Denied Entry to ASEAN – For Now

By Luke Hunt

Dili has been told that membership could happen next year.

July 26, 2022

Sri Lanka’s New President Cracks Down on Protests as Challenges Mount

By Luke Hunt

Ranil Wickremesinghe's use of troops to dismantle protest camps in Colombo sends out a chilling message.