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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Southeast Asia Radio

Turning around U.S.-Cambodia Relations with Sophal Ear and Charles Dunst

Greg and Elina talk with Dr. Sophal Ear, associate professor in the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, and Charles Dunst, associate at The Asia Group and adjunct fellow with the CSIS Southeast Asia Program.

Podcast Episode by Gregory B. Poling and Charles Dunst — June 23, 2022

CSIS Southeast Asia Radio

Pariah or Partner? Clarifying the U.S. Approach to Cambodia

Current U.S. policy toward Cambodia—comprising sanctions and sparse engagement—is contradictory and unsustainable. Cambodia sits in a neighborhood too important to ignore. Washington should therefore apply a consistent, constructive, and future-focused Cambodia strategy.

Report by Gregory B. Poling , Charles Dunst , and Simon Tran Hudes — June 14, 2022

Spotlight - Cambodia: May 9, 2022

The Cambodian People's Party's heavy-handed response to the Candlelight Party has betrayed the ruling party’s evident concern about people’s waning patience with Hun Sen and the status quo.

Blog Post by Charles Dunst — May 9, 2022

History, Hun Sen, and Ukraine

One might expect Cambodia to remain neutral on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, given Phnom Penh’s historical ties to Moscow and Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen’s aversion to criticizing other countries’ human rights records. But Hun Sen is full of surprises.

Commentary by Charles Dunst — April 13, 2022

The Costs of Hun Sen’s Doomed Myanmar Policy

Hun Sen’s approach to Myanmar will not bring peace; instead, it will worsen the situation within Myanmar, augment intra-ASEAN tensions, and undermine the grouping’s relationship with the United States, ultimately weakening ASEAN’s claims to regional centrality.

Commentary by Charles Dunst — February 3, 2022

Spotlight - Cambodia: January 20, 2022

Fifteen months after Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi put pen to paper in Phnom Penh, agreeing to the Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the pact finally took effect on January 1, 2022.

Blog Post by Charles Dunst — January 20, 2022

Spotlight - Cambodia: December 9, 2021

On December 2, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen endorsed his 44-year-old son Hun Manet—a deputy commander of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and joint chief of staff—to succeed him.

Blog Post by Charles Dunst — December 9, 2021

What to Expect of Cambodia as ASEAN Chair

Cambodia’ chairmanship of ASEAN began on October 28. Expectations are low. Given its history of obstruction, Cambodian inaction is likely. A stagnant chair will accelerate ASEAN’s decline. In 2022, there will be too many ongoing crises for ASEAN to remain inert.

Commentary by Charles Dunst — November 4, 2021