Dan White: 1965-2012

Published on Sep 25, 2012 by Luke Hunt

As a photographer and writer, Dan White could count Afghanistan, Cambodia and East Timor among the many conflicts he covered.The British journalist was always brave but often troubled by the brutalities he witnessed and at times endured first-hand. Nevertheless he stuck to his core values, denouncing all types of violence and emerging in recent years as one of the most affable men in Southeast Asian journalism. Dan, tragically, passed away on September 20, following a brain hemorrhage. He was 47.My initial encounters with Dan, well over a decade ago, were marked by humor and his ability to see the funny side of life even when confronted by deadly threats. His sense of the ridiculous often stood him in good stead.Read....

Oi gioi oi! Rapping in Vietnam

Published on Jun 14, 2012 by Luke Hunt

A foreigner rapping about the annoyances and joys of living in Hanoi might not sound like the hit of the year. But add one common Vietnamese expression, and strangely enough you have something that rivals Vietnam’s top pop stars for online views.The song, “Oi gioi oi” (sounds like oi zoi oi), is by Hanoi Sessions, a group of longtime Hanoi expats, and was released online only a few months ago. It’s racked up over 360,000 views on YouTube, and about as many on the local Yahoo! site and Zing! a local pop-culture site.Read more in The Economist..

Lady Gaga: Threat to Kids?

Published on May 11, 2012 by Luke Hunt

The self-appointed culture police are at it again. Indonesia’s hard-line Muslims are promising to block American singer Lady Gaga from taking to the stage during a scheduled June 3 performance in Jakarta. Among their many complaints are that the pop diva is a danger to children.In threatening to mobilize 30,000 people, the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) also described the hottest artist in contemporary music as vulgar, very dangerous and argued that her sense of dress were threatening to a child’s sense of morality. Read more in The Diplomat from Luke Hunt..

The Call to Poetry

Published on Apr 4, 2012 by Luke Hunt

The recent explosion of Istanbul’s arts scene has put Turkey’s largest metropolis firmly on the cultural compass and poets across the world are hearing the call. In this spirit, American poet Dan Boylan and New Zealand poet Fred Simpson have gathered for a one-night celebration honoring the world’s oldest love poem, which currently has its home in the city’s archaeological museum. Read more about Dan Boylan..

Reach Sambath: 1964-2011

Published on May 16, 2011 by Luke Hunt

As a war correspondent, Reach Sambath was among the bravest. Luke Hunt writes.Throughout the 1990s, Reach Sambath earned his stripes as the journalist ‘who got on the chopper first’ when Cambodia’s warring factions went into battle. Later on, he emerged alongside his most affable compatriots as his country began stitching together a peace. Sambath, sadly, passed away Wednesday after a massive stroke. He was 47 (we think).When I began as bureau chief for Agence France-Presse (AFP) in Cambodia on July 1, 2001, Sambath’s exploits had already lent him an air of superiority. With his great friend Ker Munthit at Associated Press, the pair had formed the formidable local backbone of the international press corps in Cambodia. They survived the Khmer....