Indiana Jane and the Looted Temples of Koh Ker

Published on Jun 8, 2014 by Luke Hunt

Cambodia has begun to see the return of national treasures looted during its Civil WarWritten by Luke Hunt for The Diplomat.In what has been a long time coming, three 1,000-year-old statues looted in the 1970s were sent back to Cambodia this week after U.S. authorities used their collective clout and had them returned from auction houses Sotheby’s and Christie’s, and the Norton Simon Museum in California.Critical to their return was Tess Davis, a U.S. art lawyer and affiliate researcher at the University of Glasgow, who stressed Cambodia had only won the first in a series of battles, in what could prove to be a protracted war over the return of looted art.“The kingdom has taken on the art market, an....

AEC Delays a Victory for Human Trafficking

Published on May 24, 2014 by Luke Hunt

There is mounting suspicion that the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will miss their deadline to institute a single market as promised by the end of 2015.That would result in several major setbacks, especially for authorities combatting human trafficking and dealing with labor migration.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

Malaysian Press Selective in Reporting Obama’s Remarks

Published on May 1, 2014 by Luke Hunt

Speaking at a joint press conference in Kuala Lumpur, United States President Barack Obama made  all the right moves, speaking openly about issues ranging from the fate of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 to trade, regional security and hostility against non-Muslims.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat. .

Brunei Delays Launch of Sharia Law

Published on Apr 24, 2014 by Luke Hunt

The tiny oil-rich sultanate of Brunei has announced that it will delay the introduction of Sharia law “due to unavoidable circumstances”; however, officials were giving assurances that harsh Islamic penalties would still be implemented in the very near future.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

Vietnam Frees Some Dissidents Amid TPP Trade Talks

Published on Apr 16, 2014 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Bowing to mounting international political pressure, and a cash-starved economy, Vietnam has announced the release of several dissidents ahead of negotiations with the United States over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..