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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

April 23, 2015

China to Cambodia: Don’t Mention the War

By Luke Hunt

China marks an important occasion in Cambodia, without mentioning the occasion.

April 17, 2015

Hunt for Rare Indochina Wildlife Yields Results

By Luke Hunt

In a rare win for environmentalists, a new study suggests a remote park is not yet an “empty forest.”

April 10, 2015

Thai Stick and the Surfing Life

By Luke Hunt

A scholarly work on the illicit marijuana trade from Southeast Asia may now be turned into a film.

April 07, 2015

The Plan to Save the Great Barrier Reef

By Luke Hunt

A new plan to protect the natural wonder enjoys rare bipartisan support in Australia.

April 03, 2015

Mahathir’s Laments Put Malaysia Back in the Spotlight

By Luke Hunt

The political paralysis enveloping Malaysia has taken a predictable turn for the worse.

March 27, 2015

Burmese Leaders Outed by Global Witness Over Alleged Land Grabs

By Luke Hunt

A new report reveals the extent of land grabbing in Myanmar, especially along the border with China.

March 23, 2015

One In All In, AIIB Gains Momentum

By Luke Hunt

Even with the South China Sea disputes, ASEAN countries insist they are committed to China’s new development bank.

March 16, 2015

Philippines Peace Deal Again Under Threat

By Luke Hunt

Another round of violence in the south of the country puts a hard-earned peace agreement at risk.

March 10, 2015

China Challenges ASEAN with Land Fills in South China Sea

By Luke Hunt

With ongoing reclamation work, the outlook for the region remains grim.

March 06, 2015

Cambodia: When Clouds Fell

By Luke Hunt

Cambodian politics, tragedy and a victim’s confrontation with Pol Pot’s surviving henchmen.

February 28, 2015

Jokowi’s Inglorious Presidency Already Under Heavy Fire

By Luke Hunt

With his hard line on the death penalty, Indonesia’s president risks damaging his country’s reputation abroad.

February 20, 2015

Cambodia’s Hun Sen Taps Himself for Glory

By Luke Hunt

The prime minister is planning a major memorial in the capital.