Charles Dunst

Adjunct Fellow (Non-resident), Southeast Asia Program
Charles Dunst

Charles Dunst is an associate with The Asia Group's research & analytics practice, analyzing political and economic developments across the Indo-Pacific. He is also a contributing editor of American Purpose, Francis Fukuyama's new magazine. Mr. Dunst regularly publishes in the media and has written opinion articles for outlets like the New York Times, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, Foreign Policy, and the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2018 and 2019, he was a foreign correspondent in Cambodia, reporting for the New York Times, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, and the Los Angeles Times on topics including U.S. deportations to Cambodia and Vietnam, China's growing influence in the region, and Myanmar's foreign policy. Mr. Dunst holds an MSc with distinction in international relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BA with honors in world politics from Hamilton College.

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Spotlight - Cambodia: March 9, 2023

On March 3, the Phnom Penh municipal court ended Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha’s three-year trial by convicting him of treason—and sentencing him to 27 years in prison.

Blog Post by Charles Dunst — March 9, 2023

Spotlight - Cambodia: February 15, 2023

The Cambodian prime minister’s decision to shutter VOD carries short-term, reputational downsides, but Hun Sen nonetheless clearly believes that closing the outlet will help his family in the long-term.

Blog Post by Charles Dunst — February 15, 2023

What's Next for Cambodia's Princeling?

U.S. and allied officials would be wise to begin considering how a Cambodian leadership transition would play out, as well as what Cambodia with Hun Manet, and eventually without Hun Sen, will look like.

Commentary by Charles Dunst — January 13, 2023

Spotlight - Cambodia: October 11, 2022

Western policymakers should thus not assume that a Hun Manet-led Cambodia will be much friendlier to them than Hun Sen’s Cambodia has been

Blog Post by Charles Dunst — October 11, 2022

Hun Sen, Marcos, and the Anatomy of an American Smile

There’s an old adage among U.S. diplomats about how to handle a necessary meeting with a strongman: “Shake their hand, but don’t smile, especially if there are cameras.” U.S. leaders have taken this lesson to heart in Southeast Asia.

Commentary by Charles Dunst — August 18, 2022