Misuari Costs MNLF Any Goodwill After Zamboanga Debacle

Published on Sep 20, 2013 by Luke Hunt

By storming the Southern Philippine city of Zamboanga, veteran fighters of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) tipped popular perceptions upside down. For more than 15 years MNLF had been seen as a moderate group in a land dubbed as the alphabet soup of insurgents.Read more from Luke Hunt at The Diplomat..

On a Warpath: Turkey’s Dangerous Take on Syria

Published on Sep 14, 2013 by Luke Hunt

This article first appeared in The Edge ReviewBy LUKE HUNT / IstanbulThroughout the Cold War, Turkey played a deft diplomatic hand. With neighbours like the Soviet Union and its recalcitrant regional satellites, Syria, Iraq and Iran, keeping the peace was the mantra underpinning Turkey’s projection of soft power within the politics of the region.It was a common sense policy that earned Ankara a wealth of respect across the Middle East and beyond – until very recently. A combination of nasty domestic differences, unfettered access to oil and gas and a leader’s uncompromising ego is heralding an end to a once peaceful approach.At the center of this policy shift is Turkey’s Prime Minister TayyipErdogan, whose formidable abilities have achieved what many....

Conflict Threatens East Malaysia – Again

Published on Sep 11, 2013 by Luke Hunt

Reports coming out of the Southern Philippines and East Malaysia paint a worrying picture. The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has announced that is has mobilized 4,000 militiamen hidden among the million-plus illegal immigrants in Sabah to defend their own ethnic Tausugs against a Malaysian crackdown on illegal immigrants.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

Thais That Bind

Published on Jul 31, 2013 by Luke Hunt

Nestled on the edge of Chinatown in Australia’s largest city is a vibrant and bustling street lined with pubs advertising live rock bands and row after row of businesses that wouldn’t seem out of place of a Bangkok Street.Read more from Henry Zwartz in the Sunday Bangkok Post..

Time for ASEAN Rethink on Burma

Published on May 10, 2013 by Luke Hunt

The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has long been criticized as a toothless tiger for its inability to deal with controversial and often bloody issues.The Sabah Insurgency launched in March by Philippine-based mercenaries, the Cambodian-Thai dispute over territorial rights at Preah Vihear and overlapping sovereign claims in the South China Seas are among the nastiest and most recent examples.However, ethnic violence launched against Burma’s Rohingya population has repeatedly underscored the absence of a collective moral backbone among ASEAN’s 10 members and unraveled Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s lauded role in promoting democracy and human rights.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

US Soldier in Found in Vietnam

Published on May 1, 2013 by Luke Hunt

A new documentary called Unclaimed claims to introduce the world to former Army Sergeant John Robertson, lost over Vietnam in 1968 and left behind for over four decades.Read more in The Journal..

Sabah Not Under Control

Published on Mar 16, 2013 by Luke Hunt

Despite official claims that the Sabah situation is now under control, Malaysian forces are apparently still worried about the activities of the members of the Sulu “royal army.”A Sabah-based radio station reported on Friday that Malaysian policemen and soldiers had searched a cemetery in Semporna for a cache of firearms suspected to have been hidden there by the Sulu intruders.Read more from Allan Nawal at the Inquirer..

Ieng Sary Dead, Pressure on ECCC

Published on Mar 15, 2013 by Luke Hunt

The death of prominent Khmer Rouge figure, Ieng Sary, has added further pressure to the UN-backed Cambodian war crimes tribunal to find justice for long-suffering Cambodians, with just two living defendants who have been charged with crimes against humanity.Read more in The Diplomat..

Armed Foreigners Seized in Malaysia

Published on Feb 14, 2013 by Luke Hunt

The security forces hauled up a group of armed foreigners clad in military fatigues for encroaching into the waters off Lahad Datu, Sabah on Tuesday. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said the encroachment was believed to be due to problems occurring in southern Philippines.Read more in The Malaysian Insider..

Philippines & a Chance for Peace

Published on Oct 17, 2012 by Luke Hunt

For the first time in years, a good news story has come out of the southern Philippines. Earlier today the largest Muslim insurgent organization, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), signed a deal with President Benigno Aquino’s government. The “framework agreement” has been hailed as creating a roadmap to end the decades-long war waged by Muslim insurgents.But it potentially could do even more. If successful – a very big if — it will overhaul a dysfunctional system of governance that empowers despotic warlords and permits criminals and extremists to wreak havoc in the Philippines and beyond. It is not only the best chance for peace with the MILF, but also the first time the government has agreed to give genuine....