Australian Senator Slams Cambodia refugee plan

Published on Nov 23, 2014 by Luke Hunt

Australian Greens senator, Sarah Hanson-Young, says she has hardened her opposition to the Abbott government’s resettlement of refugees in Cambodia after touring slums in the riverside capital Phnom Penh, declaring the plan “madness, absolute madness”.Read more from Luke Hunt and Lindsay Murdoch in The Age..

UN Hopes to End Statelessness Must Focus on ASEAN

Published on Nov 9, 2014 by Luke Hunt

The United Nations has set an ambitious target, to end statelessness and the legal limbo that goes with it for at least 10 million people worldwide by 2025. It’s a decision that carries significant ramifications for Southeast Asia, home to hundreds of thousands of people without a country to call home.Read more from Luke Hunt at The Diplomat..

Foundation closes as Somaly Mam vows to continue

Published on Nov 2, 2014 by Luke Hunt

A foundation supporting anti-sex trafficking activist Somaly Mam has closed, but the disgraced Cambodian woman feted at charity events in Australia is trying to claw back credibility and vows to continue her work.Read more from Lindsay Murdoch in The Age. .

Vietnamese Dissident Released, Flies to L.A.

Published on Oct 26, 2014 by Luke Hunt

As Vietnam continues to seek improved ties with the West, Hanoi has released its most prominent blogger Nguyen Van Hai, also known as Dieu Cay, who had been jailed for 12-years for disseminating anti-state propaganda.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

An Unloved Australia Seals Its Cambodian Refugee Deal

Published on Sep 28, 2014 by Luke Hunt

The Australian government tries to bury a much-maligned resettlement deal for asylum seekers.Written by Luke Hunt forThe DiplomatIt was a dreadful omen. As Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison sat down with Cambodia’s Interior Minister Sar Kheng, hapless waiters accidentally dropped trays of champagne. Glasses clanged and smashed to the floor as the pair signed off on the fate of hundreds of refugees.It went from bad to worse as neither minister would talk about the details of the deal or accept questions from dozens of journalists, upsetting a Cambodian press corps understandably concerned about Australia’s plan to send refugees here from Nauru and Papua New Guinea.One Cambodian security guard intervened and told journalists to stop asking questions and be quiet as....