Cambodian Rebels Jailed for 20 Years

Published on Mar 2, 2021 by Luke Hunt

Phnom Penh Municipal Court has sentenced former opposition leader Sam Rainsy to 25 years in prison and deprived him of the right to vote or stand as a candidate in upcoming elections for plotting to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen.The court also sentenced two senior figures from the dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), Mu Sochua and Eng Chhay Eang, in absentia to 22 years behind bars.Sentences of 20 years were also handed down to other officials. They include Sam Rainsy’s spouse Tioulong Saumura and former CNRP senior officials Men Sothavarin, Ou Chanrith, Ho Vann, Long Ry and Nuth Romduol.They were charged following Sam Rainsy’s 2019 promise to return to Cambodia from self-imposed exile in France, lead....

Death of a Commandant

Published on Sep 19, 2020 by Luke Hunt

Cambodians greeted the death of Khmer Rouge commandant Kaing Guek Eav – also known as Duch – with a mix of happiness, sorrow and relief, as this country continues to move on from its tragic past.Duch died on September 2, while serving a life sentence at the Kandal Provincial Correctional Center for crimes against humanity and the deaths of more than 16,000 people in Cambodia’s notorious Killing Fields between 1975 and 1979.His conviction was one of three obtained at a United Nations-backed court, which found the former math teacher and born again Christian had ruthlessly lorded over prisoners he deemed fit for extermination at S-21, a prison converted from a high school at Tuol Sleng in the capital city of....

Wrap: Cambodia's Genocide

Published on Aug 27, 2019 by Luke Hunt

PHNOM PENH — Nuon Chea, a Cambodian politician and a chief ideologue as part of the notorious Khmer Rouge, dies Sunday at age 93 after a brief stay in a Phnom Penh hotel for what was reportedly a toe ulcer. His death once again brought to the fore the legacy of one of the leading members of a sobering period in Cambodian history.Read more The DiplomatPHNOM PENH — The Khmer Rouge war crimes trial has gripped the public conscience for more than 13 years, with gruesome evidence and horrific tales from one of the great atrocities of the 20th century reaching its zenith with genocide convictions against Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan late last year.But the final acts of the....

A Podcast with Lina Ferawaty

Published on Jul 14, 2019 by Luke Hunt

For almost 17 years, the survivors of the Bali bombings that hit Indonesia in 2002 – which heralded the rise of terrorism in a post September-11 environment in Southeast Asia – have had it tough. Carrying injuries that require constant medical care, they are often stigmatized even today. To help overcome their many issues, survivors want a peace park established on one of the bomb sites, opposite a memorial dedicated to those who died. Listen here. .

Sri Lanka's Easter Bombings

Published on May 5, 2019 by Luke Hunt

Luke Hunt examines Islamic militancy in the wake of the 2019 Easter bombings in Colombo, Sri Lanka, which claimed 269 lives. The story was initially published by La Croix and UCA News before syndication. Ever since the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (IS) emerged as a ruthless, rampaging force to be reckoned with more than five years ago, the question that has haunted intelligence circles has been: If home is an option for foreign jihadists, what will they do if they return?IS has claimed responsibility for the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka that left more than *250 people dead and hundreds more wounded, confirming what many had feared.IS, al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, and affiliates such as Jemaah....