North Korean Leader Wins Indonesian Peace Award

Published on Aug 24, 2015 by Luke Hunt

Judged on performance, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has probably lived up to expectations handed down by his father and his father’s father.He has dealt with his dislikes with a ruthless abandonment. That included the execution of Uncle Jang Song Thaek, who he reportedly once liked and then went on to describe as “despicable human scum.”Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

Vietnam Warns of Coming Economic Bombshell

Published on Aug 24, 2015 by Luke Hunt

Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar are the poorest, least well-run countries within ASEAN. They are also notoriously publicity-shy. Anything negative that needs to be shared is usually served-up amid a flurry of bureaucratic dogma that tends to bury the bad news. The messages are still there, but one needs to pay attention.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

The Trouble with the US Human Trafficking Report

Published on Aug 2, 2015 by Luke Hunt

In a world of statistics and records the human desire to rank anything that moves – whether it’s in sports, war, education, medicine, the weather or crime – is often overwhelming and taken to absurd and unnecessary levels. This was highlighted by the United States this week and the release of its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, which ranks all countries on one of four levels – Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 2 Watchlist and the dreaded Tier 3 – on their ability to combat the scourge.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

Toil and Trouble off China's Southern Coast

Published on Aug 2, 2015 by Luke Hunt

Naval brinkmanship in the South China Sea is taking a backseat to diplomacy, trade and the international courts. For the time being at least, regional governments are holding back and carefully weighing the ramifications of a conflict in the disputed waters.The softly-softly approach was adopted by ASEAN countries in the wake of last year’s nasty military standoff and despite a decision by Beijing to up-the-ante over the winter with a massive land fill exercise on selective reefs, creating an international outcry.Read more from Luke Hunt in Warscapes..

UN backs Australia's Plan to Save the Great Barrier Reef

Published on Jul 22, 2015 by Luke Hunt

Australia has escaped attempts by environmentalists to have its iconic Great Barrier Reef listed as endangered by the United Nations World Heritage Committee after heavy lobbying and the fast-tracking of a 10-year $1.5 billion rescue bid.Read more from Luke Hunt in Bonn, Germany, for The Nikkei Asian Review..