Carnival of Chaos

Published on Nov 16, 2024 by Luke Hunt

Foreign relations was never a strong point for Donald Trump and his “America first” policy, and his return to the White House signals a return of China policy to center stage, forcing smaller countries to play a wily game if they are to win his attention.That means a further loss of relevance for multilateralism and trade blocs like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN), with Trump’s first two years in office expected to follow his first term, which was characterized as a “Carnival of Chaos” with decisions enforced in an ad hoc manner by presidential decree.As Keith Richburg, a long-standing East Asian correspondent for The Washington Post, puts it, Trump’s transactional style of negotiating, coupled with a dislike of multilateralism....

New Year Old Problems

Published on Dec 16, 2023 by Luke Hunt

For many Cambodians 2023 was a grinding affair. Dominated by the jailing of dissidents, a one-sided election and a father to son transfer of power, it was a year that entrenched the ruling families while opposition politicians wilted behind bars or in exile.And while most eyes were on politics, the economy stagnated while human traffickers continued to ply their trade, resulting in co-ordinated sanctions imposed on individuals and corporate entities, as the year ended, by the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.“We will not tolerate criminals and repressive regimes trampling on the fundamental rights and freedoms of ordinary people around the world,” UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said as the sanctions were imposed on Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos.Click here....

Hun Sen's Election

Published on Nov 1, 2023 by Luke Hunt

Prime Minister Hun Sen has won Cambodia's general election with absolute authority and will transfer power in a "generational" change of leadership, to his eldest son Hum Manet by the end of August.Additionally the children of cabinet ministers are to be hand the portfolio's of their fathers, an unprecedented if not extremely rare reshuffle in the history of government, ensuring power remains within the ruling families.Here is a list of links to background stories from immediately before and after the July 23, 2023, poll that culminated in that change.Naval Base to Test Hun Manet's Reationship with Washington. The DiplomatCambodia's Fate Mapped-Out. Election wrap from VOACambodia's 'Pantomime' Election wrap from UCA NewsPM Wins Big in 'Rigged' One-Sided Election. Hun Sen wins....

A Cambodian Dynasty

Published on Aug 29, 2023 by Luke Hunt

Cambodian autocrat Hun Sen completed a “generational” transfer of power this morning after the ruling party approved his eldest son Hun Manet as prime minister and a new government was sworn in by the National Assembly.The vote came one month after the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) secured government by winning 120 of the 125 seats at a national election, derided as “rigged” in the West and by human rights groups, following the disqualification of the opposition Candlelight Party.The Diplomat’s Luke Hunt talks with academic Bradley Murg, an affiliate fellow with Pacific Forum, about the implications of Hun Manet’s rise to the top job in a country where the economy is struggling and perceptions matter.Click here to listen..

Out of Myanmar

Published on Aug 2, 2023 by Luke Hunt

Security advisor Ross Milosevic has just returned from Thailand’s northern border regions, where he met a wide range of rebels who have sided with the National Unity Government (NUG) and its armed wing, the People’s Defense Force (PDF), in opposing Myanmar’s military takeover.His arrival coincided with more killings and increased politicking as the junta moved former leader Aung San Suu Kyi out of solitary confinement and then went on a public relations drive, a renewed offensive in justifying the carnage of the last 18 months.He talks with Luke Hunt from The Diplomat. Click here for the podcast..