Saving the Great Barrier Reef

Published on Jul 3, 2015 by Luke Hunt

Diplomat correspondent Luke Hunt recently covered the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee in Bonn, Germany, and its decision on whether to list the Great Barrier Reef, off of Australia’s northeast coast, as endangered.Listen to the podcast from The Diplomat.

UNESCO's Great Barrier Reef Decision Has Ramifications

Published on Jun 14, 2015 by Luke Hunt

Draft recommendations by UNESCO have notched up a minor victory for the Australian government and efforts to thwart hard­line environmentalists who want the Great Barrier Reef listed as endangered, but any final decision still rests on a final vote to be held in Bonn later this month.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

Myanmar Acquits Journalist’s Killers Amid Muslim Exodus

Published on May 24, 2015 by Luke Hunt

With the world focused on thousands of people left stranded on board rickety fishing boats in waters that divide Southeast Asian countries, Myanmar’s courts turned their attention to the killing of journalist Aung Kyaw Naing, also known as Par Gyi.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

ASEAN’s Refugee Embarrassment

Published on May 17, 2015 by Luke Hunt

The plight of thousands of Rohingya stuck on rickety boats after fleeing their homes in Myanmar is quite possibly the greatest embarrassment ASEAN has ever faced. And the reality is the 10-nation trading bloc is incapable of dealing with the tragedy.Whether it’s Montagnards fleeing Vietnam or Uighurs from China looking for sanctuary, the history of the leaders of ASEAN on this issue has always lived up to the worst of ruthless stereotypes made of “thin skins and thick skulls.”Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

The Asia-Pacific's Rising Terrorist Threat

Published on May 17, 2015 by Luke Hunt

This year was promising to be a particularly brutal one. Islamic militants have increasingly taken their terror campaigns to the streets of major Western cities – Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Charlie Hebdo in Paris, and the Lindt cafe siege in Sydney – with chilling effect.Then, as the traditional “killing season” approaches in Afghanistan and Iraq, further attacks aimed at the Anzac Day parade in Melbourne were foiled, another 17 people were arrested in Malaysia for planning a series of high-profile kidnappings and terror-styled strikes, and two gunmen were shot dead in Texas after opening fire on a cartoon contest featuring right wing politicians and pictures of the Muslim prophet, Mohammad.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

It’s Time ASEAN Took a Good Look at Its Gallows

Published on May 3, 2015 by Luke Hunt

The blowback over Indonesia’s latest decision to execute foreigners – including a four Nigerians,  two Australians, and a Brazilian – will taint the presidency of Joko Widodo and cast a dim light over his factional rival Megawati Sukarnoputri, chair of the ruling PDI-P.The pair are not on good terms, with speculation of a power struggle, and Megawati is prone to reminding Widodo that she is in charge. Hardly a healthy state of affairs for a government bent on handing out execution orders for drug offenses.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

Putting the Great Back into a Reef

Published on Apr 29, 2015 by Luke Hunt

This story first appeared in The Edge ReviewBy LUKE HUNT / Lady Elliot IslandAustralia’s reputation as the Lucky Country blessed by sunshine and idyllic beaches has taken a cyclonic beating over recent years. Massive storm systems over Southeast Queensland hammered the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), devastating coral cover and it has struggled to recover ever since.But scientists also noticed that the reef’s ability to rehabilitate itself was beinghampered by dredging and harmful farming practices with excess nutrients in the water leading to coral bleaching and encouraging the reef’s biggest threat, the coral-eating crown of thorns star fish, to breed in uncontrollable numbers.Then plans for a major expansion of the port facilities at Gladstone to handle increased coal exports upset environmentalists....

Fight to Save the Reef

Published on Apr 19, 2015 by Luke Hunt

In the coming months, the United Nations and the Australian government will square off over whether to list the Great Barrier Reef as endangered. Environmentalists said the unique marine park is threatened by development and needs stronger safeguards. The Australian government insists it is already a responsible caretaker of the landmark.Read and hear more from Luke Hunt at Voice of America .

Hunt for Rare Indochina Wildlife

Published on Apr 19, 2015 by Luke Hunt

Way out on the remote borders that divide Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam sits the Virachey National Park (VNP), one of the last bastions for endangered Indochinese wildlife and the focus of scientific attention for groups like HabitatID.Greg McCann, a field coordinator with HabitatID, said his latest field trip into the region to retrieve photos from a batch of 21 camera traps hidden in the forests had been a success, with his finds countering arguments that the park had been poached into an “empty forest.”Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

Fight to Save The Great Barrier Reef

Published on Apr 12, 2015 by Luke Hunt

In Australian political parlance “robust discussions” often borders on gang war typified by self-interest and an armada of lawyers, politicians, and lobby groups whose inability to find common ground is too often undermined by a win-at-all-costs mentality.In recent years, attitudes to asylum seekers arriving unannounced along the coastline, drastic spending cuts by the ruling conservatives, and even drugs in sport have bought out the worst in a nation that thrives on immigration, government subsidies, and Olympic success.There are, however, exceptions. The Great Barrier Reef is one. The World Heritage Committee has managed to bring stakeholders together in a rare display of unity, with the result that an A$2 billion ($1.5 billion), 10-year plan has been announced to ensure the future....