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The Diplomat | Author

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

June 03, 2020

Indonesia Records Its First Honor Killing

By Luke Hunt

A schoolgirl was reportedly hacked to death after admitting to dating

May 26, 2020

Survey Finds Overwhelming Support for Closing Illegal Wildlife Markets

By Luke Hunt

Reshaping East Asian opinion for a post-coronavirus world.

May 20, 2020

NGOs and Scientists Urge Moratorium on Deep Sea Mining in the Pacific

By Luke Hunt

Mining for battery metals seen as a threat to Pacific Island nations.

May 15, 2020

The Mayaguez: Honoring the Fallen and Remembering the Survivors

By Luke Hunt

U.S. soldiers who fought the last battle in Indochina deserve their place in military history.

May 06, 2020

Outgoing UN Envoy Hopes Myanmar’s Suu Kyi Can Change

By Luke Hunt

Explosions heard in Rakhine villages as military searches door-to-door.

May 05, 2020

Missionaries, Wars, and Rebuilding in Southeast Asia

By Luke Hunt

A conversation with Michael Parer, a former cleric who bucked the Catholic system.

April 27, 2020

4 ASEAN States Abusing COVID-19 Emergency Powers

By Luke Hunt

UN warnings unheeded amid arrests, death threats, and muzzling the press.

April 09, 2020

Rising Coronavirus Fears in Cambodia as Hun Sen Nixes New Year Festivities

By Luke Hunt

The premier has canceled next week’s Khmer New Year celebrations amid worries about the virus.

March 18, 2020

Of Film and Adventure in Mainland Southeast Asia

By Luke Hunt

A conversation with travel writer, journalist, and Hollywood filmmaker Nick Ray

March 13, 2020

Cambodia’s Courts Under the Microscope With Australian Missionary Trial

By Luke Hunt

The case is yet another test for the justice system in the Southeast Asian state.

March 06, 2020

A Life Covering Corruption, Conflict, and Contemporary Politics in Southeast Asia

By Luke Hunt

A conversation with Australian foreign correspondent Craig Skehan and his decades in Southeast Asia.

February 20, 2020

Why the EU’s New Cambodia Wrist Slap Won’t Weaken Hun Sen’s Iron Grip

By Luke Hunt

Though the move is not entirely insignificant, it pales in comparison to the other challenges the government faces and is working to address.