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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

November 15, 2018

Thailand’s Politics Heat Up Ahead of Elusive Election

By Luke Hunt

With the new round of hype over potential polls in Thailand has come a focus on parties, players, and who the future prime minister could be.

October 30, 2018

Australia-Indonesia Ties: The Problem of Unnecessary Irritants

By Luke Hunt

The recent controversy about a potential Israel embassy move is exactly the kind of thing the relationship does not need.

October 27, 2018

Facebook’s Myanmar Troubles

By Luke Hunt

Scrutiny of the company’s alleged role in genocide in Myanmar has raised broader questions about social media in Southeast Asia.

October 18, 2018

Will a New Malaysia Kill the Old Death Penalty?

By Luke Hunt

The new government seems to be entertaining the idea.

October 06, 2018

Why Canada’s Revoking of Aung San Suu Kyi’s Honorary Citizenship Matters

By Luke Hunt

The move is just the latest that illustrate her remarkable fall from grace.

October 02, 2018

What’s Next for the Presidency in Vietnam?

By Luke Hunt

The death of a president has raised wider questions about the role in addition to a focus on his legacy.

September 24, 2018

Duterte’s Media War in the Philippines

By Luke Hunt

The lack of justice in the Maguindanao Massacre underscores Duterte's contempt for journalists.

September 21, 2018

What Do Prisoner Releases Mean in Hun Sen’s Cambodia?

By Luke Hunt

A closer look at the significance of the steady stream of prisoners that have been released.

September 13, 2018

How Badly is Indonesia’s Economy Really Doing?

By Luke Hunt

While comparisons to the Asian Financial Crisis may be premature or overly alarming, there are reasons for worry.

August 31, 2018

What the Ricketson Case Says About Justice in Cambodia

By Luke Hunt

A closer look at the outcome of a much-anticipated verdict.

August 18, 2018

Prominent North Vietnamese Communist Defector Dies

By Luke Hunt

A closer look at the wider significance of Colonel Bui Tin’s death.

August 17, 2018

A New Era for Hun Sen’s Cambodia?

By Luke Hunt

The election outcome all but completes the country’s transition to a one-party state.