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..

Ramos-Horta Dumped

Published on Mar 19, 2012 by Luke Hunt

Nobel Laureate Jose Ramos-Horta has been dumped as President of Timor-Leste, with the battle for the post now likely to be fought in an April 21 run-off between Francisco “Lu Olo” Guterres of the left-leaning Fretilin party, and Taur Matan Ruak, the former chief of the nation’s armed forces.Preliminary results from Saturday’s ballot show a tight contest between Lu Olo and Ruak, who had polled well after winning the support of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao and his National Congress for the Reconstruction of East Timor party (CNRT). Read more in The Diplomat..

Cambodia Evictions Unchecked

Published on Jan 23, 2012 by Luke Hunt

In fast-developing Phnom Penh, land is at a premium, and it’s the poor who pay the price for high-end development.It is not a new story. Around 250,000 Cambodians were evicted from their homes between 2005 and 2009, according to local human-rights groups.Read more from Faine Greenwood at Global Post..

Malaysian Sideshow

Published on Dec 10, 2011 by Luke Hunt

While there is that motion picture-like air of a “coming to a polling booth near you, the nation’s next blockbuster – the 13th General Election” – in the rapidly changing Malaysian state of Sabah, the people remain unmoved and cynical.“It may be a new election but like some movies the plot never changes … in Sabah it will be the same old story,” volunteered a middle aged man, on his way to drop his family of four off at a cineplex in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital, to watch the latest offering.Like him, the nagging question on most locals’ minds as they prepare to countdown to elect a new government and Parliament anytime between now and 2013 – will the....

Feedback & Other Hate Mail

Published on Dec 9, 2011 by Luke Hunt

As part of an occasional series AsiaWATCH is publishing links to the more controversial articles of late and the sometimes terse response they elicited.AsiaWATCH won kudos for this piece on the Eurozone debt crisis as it spirals from one embattled bond market to the next.It said; It is becoming clear we are likely heading into a double dip global recession. Whilst economic fundamentals of the United States may in fact be improving, investor pessimism is quickly spreading across the globe.Headlined: Khmer Rouge: Vietnam Did It! The Diplomat’s Luke Hunt scored another lawyer of scorn from those opposed to the Khmer Rouge Tribnal currently underway in Phnom Penh.He wrote: Old hatreds die hard, and nowhere has this been more evident than....