Misuari Costs MNLF Any Goodwill After Zamboanga Debacle

Published on Sep 20, 2013 by Luke Hunt

By storming the Southern Philippine city of Zamboanga, veteran fighters of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) tipped popular perceptions upside down. For more than 15 years MNLF had been seen as a moderate group in a land dubbed as the alphabet soup of insurgents.Read more from Luke Hunt at The Diplomat..

On a Warpath: Turkey’s Dangerous Take on Syria

Published on Sep 14, 2013 by Luke Hunt

This article first appeared in The Edge ReviewBy LUKE HUNT / IstanbulThroughout the Cold War, Turkey played a deft diplomatic hand. With neighbours like the Soviet Union and its recalcitrant regional satellites, Syria, Iraq and Iran, keeping the peace was the mantra underpinning Turkey’s projection of soft power within the politics of the region.It was a common sense policy that earned Ankara a wealth of respect across the Middle East and beyond – until very recently. A combination of nasty domestic differences, unfettered access to oil and gas and a leader’s uncompromising ego is heralding an end to a once peaceful approach.At the center of this policy shift is Turkey’s Prime Minister TayyipErdogan, whose formidable abilities have achieved what many....

Conflict Threatens East Malaysia – Again

Published on Sep 11, 2013 by Luke Hunt

Reports coming out of the Southern Philippines and East Malaysia paint a worrying picture. The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has announced that is has mobilized 4,000 militiamen hidden among the million-plus illegal immigrants in Sabah to defend their own ethnic Tausugs against a Malaysian crackdown on illegal immigrants.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

Thais That Bind

Published on Jul 31, 2013 by Luke Hunt

Nestled on the edge of Chinatown in Australia’s largest city is a vibrant and bustling street lined with pubs advertising live rock bands and row after row of businesses that wouldn’t seem out of place of a Bangkok Street.Read more from Henry Zwartz in the Sunday Bangkok Post..

Time for ASEAN Rethink on Burma

Published on May 10, 2013 by Luke Hunt

The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has long been criticized as a toothless tiger for its inability to deal with controversial and often bloody issues.The Sabah Insurgency launched in March by Philippine-based mercenaries, the Cambodian-Thai dispute over territorial rights at Preah Vihear and overlapping sovereign claims in the South China Seas are among the nastiest and most recent examples.However, ethnic violence launched against Burma’s Rohingya population has repeatedly underscored the absence of a collective moral backbone among ASEAN’s 10 members and unraveled Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s lauded role in promoting democracy and human rights.Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..