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....
Click for full post
Australian Friends Dead in Laos
Published on Jan 10, 2013 by Luke Hunt
They were happy knockabout workers on boats in the Northern Territory. Both have been found dead within four days of each other in Laos, a popular destination for backpackers, where they had gone for a holiday before Christmas.Read more from Lindsay Murdoch in the Sydney Morning Herald..
Deadly Thais Saving Face
Published on Dec 6, 2012 by Luke Hunt
In early 2012, Luke Hunt travelled across the Muslim dominated provinces of southern Thailand and northwest to Krabi, meeting up with the British photographer and author Dan White. We rode on to the picturesque beachside town of Ao Nang, bought our tickets and boarded a boat to the popular tourist beach, Railay.Along the way we happened upon a simple scam. A return boat ticket was purchased but when we decided to head home the captain refused to recognize the return leg saying it was a fake. All the tourists were told to buy new tickets and urged to complain to the vendor in Ao Nang.Problem: The vendor, working in cahoots with the boat captains, had gone home. Several hundred tourists....
Click for full post : 3 - min read.
A King's Final Journey
Published on Nov 5, 2012 by Luke Hunt
Half of the country’s population is expected to make the pilgrimage to Phnom Penh to pay their respects to King Father Norodom Sihanouk, demonstrating their reverence for him as well as their unease about what his absence will mean for the country’s future. Luke Hunt Reports for the Bangkok PostFor weeks, Cambodians have filed into the capital, ending a pilgrimage which for most is a once in a lifetime event. The streets along the riverside are jammed with traffic while in the parks outside the Royal Palace children dressed in white with black ribbons play and pray with their parents.From a distance the palace gates - adorned by portraits of the late King Father Norodom Sihanouk _ appear like an....
Click for full post : 7 - min read.
Vietnam's Urban Poor
Published on Oct 24, 2012 by Luke Hunt
Vietnam has the highest urbanization rate in Southeast Asia. Just a decade ago, only 24% of its population lived in cities, with 65% of the labor force employed in rural agriculture. Today, already more than 30 million people live in urban areas, accounting for approximately 34% of Vietnam’s total population.The country is witnessing a rapid proliferation of urban areas, with the number of towns or cities at 755 and rising.Planners estimate that Vietnam’s cities will be home to more than 46 million people by the year 2020. The largest of these cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, are the growth engines of the country, supported by a relatively low urban unemployment rate of 4.6%.Read more from Taufik Indrakesuma &....
