Hurley Scroggins: 1961-2018

Published on Oct 6, 2018 by Luke Hunt

Hurley Scroggins, journalist and owner of what was the greatest little bar in Phnom Penh, passed away on October 4. Following the closure of Cantina, Michael Hayes, co-founder and former publisher of the Phnom Penh Post, detailed last drinks at a watering hole to be sorely missed, which stands as a fitting tribute to a generous and intelligent man whose wit was boundless, and will also be sorely missed.Adios Cantina. Viva Hurley!By Michael HayesOne of Phnom Penh’s most legendary venues closes tonight.Cantina, the restaurant cum watering hole and brainchild of Hurley Scroggins III, will shut its creaky, iron gate on the riverside late tonight for the last time—probably after midnight–and end a memorable and historic chapter in the life of....

Shah Marai: 1977-2018

Published on May 1, 2018 by Luke Hunt

Shah Marai Faizi, a dedicated family man, a brave and terrific colleague, friend and accomplished war photographer was killed in Kabul, Monday April 30. Twenty-five people, including nine journalists, were killed in the double suicide bombing. ISIS later claimed responsibility. A BBC reported was shot dead on the same day.Marai initially worked as a driver for Agence-France Presse (AFP) during the civil war between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance led by Ahamad Shah Masood. He took photographs part-time, learning from veterans in the AFP office. He became a full time photographer in late 1999.Read more  .

Channthy Kak: 1980-2018

Published on Mar 23, 2018 by Luke Hunt

As lead singer of the Cambodian Space Project and as a solo performer, Kak Channthy mesmerized and arguably did more for the rebirth of the Cambodian music scene than any other performer since peace was established in the country in 1998.She died this week, aged 38, after the tuk-tuk she was traveling in was reportedly struck by a car. News of her death flooded online media with tributes pouring in from across Cambodia and much further afield.Read more..

Kathleen O’Keefe: 1960-2014

Published on Dec 14, 2014 by Luke Hunt

To journalists working across Southeast Asia in the 1990s and 2000s, the name Kathleen O’Keefe was the stuff of legends.In 1992, the Medford native, along with her then-husband Michael Hayes, a Wellesley native, moved to war-ravaged Cambodia to launch one of the bravest free press publishing experiments in recent journalism history: Cambodia’s first, modern independent newspaper — The Phnom Penh Post.Read more from Dan Boylan in the Boston Herald..

John Holloway: 1943-2013

Published on Mar 18, 2013 by Luke Hunt

John Holloway, a former Australian ambassador who worked as a Cambodian government advisor for almost 20 years, died Tuesday at the age of 70 after a long battle with skin cancer and diabetes.In June 1995, Victorian MP Ken Aldred claimed in Parliament that Holloway was a paedophile. The then Secretary to of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Michael Costello told Fran Kelly in a media interview that police had investigated and said there was no evidence to support the allegation. Holloway was arrested in Cambodia and brought back to Australia to face charges, including for having sex with a 14-year-old boy. Holloway denied the charge. A magistrate dismissed child sex abuse charges against Holloway, calling the testimony of....