Wrap: Australia to Join Asean?

Published on Sep 5, 2019 by Luke Hunt

For years, the idea of Australia joining ASEAN has been circulated within some circles, with varying degrees of seriousness and oftentimes without due regard for how the idea would actually match up with political realities.Though the idea remains unlikely to take off anytime soon for various reasons, the larger point is that it remains unclear what it would actually achieve for Australia in the first place.Read moreThe prospect of Australia joining ASEAN was pushed before the re-election of the Morrison government, a foreign policy initiative which will gain momentum, but analysts are warning the prime minister should think twice.Read more.

A Podcast with Academic Greg Barton

Published on Jul 21, 2019 by Luke Hunt

The security environment in Southeast Asia has witnessed rapid change since the end of the Cold War, with various manifestations of this including the broadening of the notion of security to include climate change and sustainable development, the rise of more assertive China amid uncertainty about the U.S. regional role, and a mix of promise and peril in terms of the role of religion in politics.To discuss these issues and more, Luke Hunt recently spoke to Greg Barton, a research professor at Monash University where he works on a range of issues affecting Southeast Asia including religion and counterterrorism, in addition to continuing to pursue his longstanding research on Indonesia. They talked about these issues as well as the broader....

A Podcast with Indonesian Analyst Keith Loveard

Published on Jun 2, 2019 by Luke Hunt

Keith Loveard is a risk analyst covering Indonesia and the broader Southeast Asian region. He began his career as a journalist at the Sydney Daily Telegraphin 1968 and held senior positions at Australian Associated Press and ABC Radio News before joining the Hong Kong-based Asiaweek magazine in 1990 as its Jakarta correspondent. He spoke with Luke Hunt. Listen here. .

A Podcast with Jakarta-Based Correspondent John McBeth

Published on May 5, 2019 by Luke Hunt

Veteran New Zealand journalist John McBeth has covered Southeast Asia for half a century – that included coups, a genocide and the downfall of dictators – for publications like the once revered and feared Far East Economic Review. He spoke with Luke Hunt of The Diplomat. Listen here. .

Wap: Jokowi Wins Indonesia Election

Published on Apr 17, 2019 by Luke Hunt

JAKARTA — President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, facing Gen. Prabowo Subianto in a rematch, performed as expected winning  a second term at general elections on April 17.Full coverage from Luke Hunt and Voice of America (VoA).Indonesia Charts Two Soft Courses to Contain ChinaEconomic Focus Ahead for Indonesia in Jokowi’s Coming Second TermSandiaga Emerges From Defeat in Indonesian Election as Presidential MaterialIndonesians Vote Amid Tight SecurityIndonesia Readies for Presidential VoteIslam Underlines Indonesian Election But that Doesn’t Make it a ThreatIndonesia’s Jokowi Favored for Re-election.

Wrap: 2019 Thai Elections

Published on Apr 3, 2019 by Luke Hunt

Thais went to the polls on March 24. Here are the latest updates with the military asserting its power over the legislative system. Published by Voice of America and written by Luke Hunt Prayut’s Quest for Legitimacy Found Wanting Thai Military-Backed Party in Lead in Thai Elections Political Rocks Stars Turn Up Heat Ahead of Thai Elections Thais Braced for Vote, Marking ‘Return to Democracy’ Democratic Hopes in ASEAN Hinge on Thailand, Analysts Say .

The Latest

Published on Feb 3, 2019 by Luke Hunt

Stories and Podcasts from Bomborra.PODCAST: Remembering Heng Samrin and Cambodia’s Rebirth. Luke Hunt speaks with veteran journalist Peter Starr about the career of one of the twentieth century’s greatest guerrilla commanders.In another leap backwards, China jails its lawyersNo word from Vietnam over detention of pro-democracy activistsJokowi’s Failed Bashir Gamble Reveals the Danger of Playing the Religion Card in Indonesia ASEAN: economic community can step up. The 10-members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are facing a difficult year. Slower growth, higher interest rates and a trade war between China and the United States are expected to undermine stability in the financial markets.Recent WeeksPODCAST: Inside Thailand’s Miracle Cave Rescue. A conversation with one of the key witnesses to an....

A Chinese Takeaway

Published on Oct 3, 2018 by Luke Hunt

Rarely have Beijing and its minions been seen in such a dreadful light. The arrival of mainland Chinese in Cambodia as developers, financiers, restaurateurs, boiler room operators, gamblers, construction workers and tourists is sorely testing the patience of locals in Cambodia. This story was originally published by La Croix after syndication by UCA News.by LUKE HUNT / Phnom PenhEven Cambodia's government-compliant press is picking up the baton. 'Chinese behaving badly' is the stuff of daily headlines, particularly in the southern port town of Sihanoukville where Beijing's state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are investing heavily.Pristine beaches and rainforests are being carved up by big business, driving up property prices that locals can ill afford, amid stories of Cambodians being denied access to their....

Wrap: Convicted Spy James Ricketson Pardoned

Published on Oct 2, 2018 by Luke Hunt

Australian filmmaker James Ricketson has returned to Australia after his six-year sentence for spying — following a trial sharply criticized by human rights groups and politicians — was pardoned by Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni. But he says he still loves Cambodia and will return as soon as possible. His guilty verdict in a long running espionage trialwas troubling on several fronts with respect to how justice is meted out in Cambodia. Read more. James Ricketson Pardoned, Returns to Australia James Ricketson: The ‘Spy’ Who Loved Cambodia, And Paid For It What the Ricketson Case Says About Justice in Cambodia Australian Filmmaker Found Guilty Of Espionage in Cambodia .

Wrap: Cambodia Elections 2018

Published on Aug 29, 2018 by Luke Hunt

Arguably the real story of Cambodia’s 2018 election was that Prime Minister Hun Sen has effectively pulled the bamboo curtain down on a quarter century of multiparty democracy in the Southeast Asian state. Read more:A New Era for Hun Sen’s Cambodia?Election Result Entrenches Cambodia As A One-Party StateWhat’s at Stake in Cambodia’s One-Sided Election?A Hun Sen Poll Victory Is As Certain As Death And TaxesChinese Spies ‘Target Cambodian Election Committee’.