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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

September 07, 2017

Myanmar's Rohingya Crisis Escalates

By Luke Hunt

Life for the group is looking grimmer by the day.

September 01, 2017

What Does Hun Sen’s Big Tax Hunt Mean for Cambodia?

By Luke Hunt

The premier’s moves are proving to be destructive for the media and business in the Southeast Asian state.

August 29, 2017

China-Thailand Rail Project: New Movement, Old Problems?

By Luke Hunt

Despite the enthusiasm of some, challenges still remain.

August 16, 2017

What’s Behind the New Cambodia-Laos Border Crisis?

By Luke Hunt

A closer look at an episode in the context of Hun Sen’s wider domestic and foreign policy.

August 09, 2017

A More Taxing Time for Cambodia’s Civil Society?

By Luke Hunt

The tax woes of a major English-language newspaper is yet another sign of the government’s growing intolerance of its critics as polls near.

August 09, 2017

Cambodia: Past, Present, and Future

By Luke Hunt

A conversation with Rob Carmichael.

August 03, 2017

Indonesia New North Natuna Sea: A Response to an Old China Problem

By Luke Hunt

A recent name change is rooted in deeper disagreements between Jakarta and Beijing related to the South China Sea.

July 21, 2017

Why Thailand’s Big Trafficking Trial Is Just a Small Victory

By Luke Hunt

Though recent convictions indicate that progress can be made, the struggle for the Southeast Asian state is a long one.

July 14, 2017

Hong Kong's Voice of Discontent

By Luke Hunt

Economic realities shake China's 20-year hold on an old colony.

July 12, 2017

Cambodia Remembers Murdered Government Critic as Elections Loom

By Luke Hunt

Tributes for Kem Ley flow a year after his assassination.

July 07, 2017

Why Vietnam’s Motorbike Ban Makes No Sense

By Luke Hunt

Hanoi’s proposed measure is unlikely to solve the city’s congestion problems.

June 30, 2017

Why 1997 Was Asia’s Perfect Storm

By Luke Hunt

1997 was a defining year for Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and beyond.