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David Hutt

David Hutt

The Diplomat

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Singapore Should Intervene in the Region’s Online Scam Industry

The Singaporean government wants to intervene in the bank accounts of its own citizens but not in the scam industries of its neighbors.

13.01.2025 10

The Diplomat

David Hutt

Who’s Afraid of a ‘Cambodia Spring’?

It’s disappointing when a journalist’s general knowledge extends a decade at most. A few weeks ago, a reporter from the Phnom Penh Post suggested...

20.12.2024 6

The Diplomat

David Hutt

Where Are Southeast Asia’s ‘Cosmopolitan’ Leaders?

In anticipation of Prabowo Subianto’s inauguration in October, an opinion piece appeared in Nikkei Asia claiming that he would be one of...

16.12.2024 7

The Diplomat

David Hutt

Cyberscamming is Southeast Asia’s Incurable Disease

Perhaps my memory is failing, but was there a time when Southeast Asia was so threatened by organized crime yet so helpless to respond? The region...

10.12.2024 20

The Diplomat

David Hutt

In Singapore, the Hangman’s Noose is Growing Threadbare

If the Singaporean police’s website is anything to go by, there was one murder in the city-state in November – or, at least, one person was...

04.12.2024 10

The Diplomat

David Hutt

Laos Needs a Transparent and Thorough Investigation Into Methanol Deaths

The death of six foreigners in Vang Vieng threatens to undermine the government's desperate attempts to revive its tourism sector.

26.11.2024 4

The Diplomat

David Hutt

In Not Prosecuting Duterte, Marcos Shows Political and Moral Cowardice

The Philippine president is relying on international law in the South China Sea. He should also pursue accountability for victims of his...

15.11.2024 1

The Diplomat

David Hutt

Will a New Golf Course Near Hanoi Cement Trump-Vietnam Relations?

Last month, the Trump Organization agreed to build a $1.5 billion course in Hung Yen, the home province of Communist Party chief To Lam.

09.11.2024 3

The Diplomat

David Hutt

Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s Mini-Mahathir, Isn’t ‘Father of the Nation’

The Malaysian leader's response to recent developments in the 1MDB corruption scandal was tone-deaf and dismissive.

04.11.2024 10

The Diplomat

David Hutt

What’s Happened to Cambodia’s Thinking Class?

A recent article in the government-aligned Khmer Times reflects the etiolated state of public discourse in the country.

24.10.2024 30

The Diplomat

David Hutt

Thai Progressives Have Written a New Script For Political Opposition

The People's Party is less focused on personalities and party-building than on slowly shifting the perceptions of the Thai electorate.

15.10.2024 3

The Diplomat

David Hutt

Anwar Ibrahim in Russia: Opportunism or Hatred of the West?

The Malaysian leader's apparent embrace of Russia reflects a growing cynicism about the current U.S.-backed global order.

09.10.2024 3

The Diplomat

David Hutt

What’s Wrong With Calling Hun Sen ‘Despicable’?

In clamping down so hard on the speech of its citizens, the Cambodian government reveals the depth of its insecurities.

03.10.2024 1

The Diplomat

David Hutt

Laos and Cambodia Don’t Include Scam Industries in Their GDP Data. Should They?

As strange as it sounds, it is not unusual for nations to include criminal activities in their official economic reports.

27.09.2024 2

The Diplomat

David Hutt

A Novel Solution to Southeast Asia’s Coming Demographic Crisis

The region's governments need to start thinking more creatively about how to address their aging populations.

16.09.2024 4

The Diplomat

David Hutt

Cambodia’s Autocratic Regime Really Doesn’t Want You Criticizing It Overseas

In its attempt to woo Western governments, Prime Minister Hun Manet's government has sought to choke off critical commentary among overseas...

10.09.2024 3

The Diplomat

David Hutt

Pope Francis Must Talk About Sexual Abuse Allegations in Timor-Leste

The deeply Catholic country is struggling to come to terms with historic cases of child rape by Catholic clergy.

04.09.2024 2

The Diplomat

David Hutt

After China, Vietnam’s New Leader To Lam Is Off To America

To Lam is expected to travel next month to New York for the U.N. General Assembly, a trip that could also include meetings with President Joe Biden...

29.08.2024 1

The Diplomat

David Hutt

The Eighteenth Brumaire of To Lam

The newly appointed Communist Party chief has the potential to become a dictator.

23.08.2024 2

The Diplomat

David Hutt

Why Should I Mourn the Death of Nguyen Phu Trong?

Absent in many eulogies for the late Communist Party chief was any recognition of the scores of government critics whose lives were ruined during...

19.08.2024 1

The Diplomat

David Hutt

How Dense Are Thailand’s Reactionaries?

In quashing one political threat, the country's conservative establishment may have created an even bigger one.

12.08.2024 4

The Diplomat

David Hutt

Some Reasons Not To Be Panicked About A Thai Demographic Collapse

Thailand’s working-age population could decline from around a fifth by 2050, but things are not as grim as they look.

29.07.2024 5

The Diplomat

David Hutt

Who Cares If Malaysia and Thailand Join BRICS?

As it expands, the grouping has become increasingly incapable of articulating a coherent political, security, or economic vision.

26.07.2024 7

The Diplomat

David Hutt