Edward Snowden has Left Hong Kong

Published on Jun 24, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden has left Hong Kong for an unspecified third country “through a lawful and normal channel”, the Hong Kong government has announced. Read more in The Diplomat. . .

Southeast Asia: The Next Crisis?

Published on Jun 24, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — The region’s overheated economy faces a period of adjustment – and for some countries the correction could prove very painful. Southeast Asia, so long a byway of the world economy, has become a well-worn path for foreign investors seeking refuge from the continuing after-effects of the global financial crisis. They have come because the region has been surging ahead over the last few years, even as the West slumped, China readjusted and India stuttered. Read more from Trefor Moss in The Diplomat. .

Edward Snowden: Latest in a Long Line

Published on Jun 19, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Across East Asia lie dozens of haunts favored by spooks, spivs and journalists – drinking holes known for their discreet bartenders and shady customers who like to trade information. At the height of the Cold War the Continental Hotel in Saigon was perhaps the best known. Others, like the Crown Royal in Bangkok are still a venue for the shadowy world of secrets and intrigue while in Hong Kong the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) has long been associated with Chinese–Western brinkmanship. Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat. .

Vietnam PM Survives, Barely

Published on Jun 14, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has survived another assault on his leadership but his grip on power is far from solid with a majority of the National Assembly unimpressed with the state of the nation’s economy, corruption and dubious ties between business and government. Read more from Luke Hunt in the latest issue of the The Edge Review. .

More North Koreans Hiding in Laos

Published on Jun 12, 2013 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Shortly after the International Coalition to stop crimes in North Korea (ICNK)confirmed that Laos had handed back nine defectors, South Korean diplomatic sources made it known it was holding another 20 North Koreans seeking asylum in its embassy in Vientiane. Read more from Luke Hunt at The Diplomat. .