Three Asian Summits

Published on Jan 6, 2023 by Luke Hunt

A podcast with Brad Murg. Southeast Asia recently played host to an unprecedented group of summits that firmly put the West and its U.S.-led foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific on the front foot.Bradley Murg, distinguished senior research fellow at the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, speaks with The Diplomat’s Luke Hunt about the key takeaways and questions that arose after world leaders converged on Phnom Penh, Bali, and Bangkok.Listen here.

Timor-Leste in ASEAN

Published on Jan 6, 2023 by Luke Hunt

A podcast with Kupa Lopez. Timor-Leste initially applied for membership to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 11 years ago, but since then Dili has been frustrated and disappointed, finding entry into the club of 10 nations a difficult ask.This prompted Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta to remark earlier this year that: “It seems as if to reach ASEAN, you have to fulfill all the criteria to enter heaven. And then the next step is ASEAN.”Membership seemed assured this year after Cambodia assumed the role of ASEAN’s rotating chair, with Prime Minister Hun Sen promising to do all he could to ensure Timor-Leste’s admittance as the bloc’s eleventh member state. That was not to be.Luke Hunt spoke with Kupa Lopes,....

ASEAN Summit Ends

Published on Aug 17, 2022 by Luke Hunt

PHNOM PENH — Foreign ministers from the Association of South East Asian Nations wrapped up their 2022 annual meetings in Phnom Penh with a plea for peace in the South China Sea, warnings for the junta in Myanmar and plans to bolster COVID-19-crushed economies.Foreign ministers and delegates from about 40 countries gathered here for their annual talks with nine of 10 foreign ministers from ASEAN.Read more..

Sri Lankan President Ousted

Published on Jul 26, 2022 by Luke Hunt

The United Nations and the United States have condemned the heavy-handed tactics of the Sri Lankan government after the army and police forcibly dismantled a protest camp of tents and makeshift homes, the focal point of protestors for more than three months.Photo essay by Luke Hunt published by The Diplomat.

ASEAN's Place

Published on May 20, 2022 by Luke Hunt

A podcast with Carl Thayer. Last weekend’s U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit ended with the usual round of handshakes, backslapping and a watered-down joint statement, which again failed to name countries of concern, China and Russia.Carl Thayer, Emeritus Professor at the University of New South Wales at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra, spoke with The Diplomat’s Luke Hunt about the summit and Vietnam, which is in an awkward position due to its reliance on Russian military hardware.He says efforts to maintain a “free and open Indo-Pacific” have been complicated by the Southeast Asian nations and their desire to be seen at the center of the framework, despite their growing and at times intractable differences.There are also issues with raising U.S.-ASEAN....