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Sebastian Strangio

Sebastian Strangio

Sebastian Strangio is Southeast Asia editor at The Diplomat. 

In 2008, he began his career as a reporter at The Phnom Penh Post in Cambodia, and has since traveled and reported extensively across the 10 nations of ASEAN. Sebastian’s writing has appeared in leading publications including Foreign Affairs, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and The New York Times, The Diplomat, and Nikkei Asian Review, among many others. He is the author of “Hun Sen’s Cambodia” (Yale, 2014), a path-breaking examination of Cambodia since the fall of the Khmer Rouge, and “In the Dragon’s Shadow: Southeast Asia in the Chinese Century (Yale, 2020). 

Alongside his journalistic work, Sebastian has also consulted for a wide variety of economic risk firms and non-government organizations, and is quoted frequently in the international media on political developments in Southeast Asia. Sebastian holds a B.A. and Master’s degree in international politics from The University of Melbourne. He currently lives in Adelaide.

You can get in touch with Sebastian via Twitter, Facebook, or email.

Posts by Sebastian Strangio
April 19, 2024

ASEAN Calls Again for End to Myanmar Violence As Conflicts Flare

By Sebastian Strangio
Foreign ministers from the Southeast Asian bloc have spoken out following the fall of Myawaddy on the Thai border.

April 19, 2024

US, Philippines to Kick Off ‘Expansive’ Balikatan Exercise

By Sebastian Strangio
The year's exercise, the 39th iteration since 1991, will be the first to take place outside the Philippines territorial waters.
April 18, 2024

Myanmar Military Releases Over 3,000 Prisoners in Thingyan Amnesty

By Sebastian Strangio
Among those released was Dr. Hkalam Samson, a prominent Kachin Christian leader, and three members of the National League for Democracy.

April 18, 2024

Apple Considering Opening a Factory in Indonesia, CEO Says

By Sebastian Strangio
Tim Cook said that the giant tech firm would "look at" options in Indonesia, as it continues to reduce its heavy reliance on Chinese supply chains.

April 17, 2024

Who Is Lawrence Wong, Singapore’s Next Prime Minister?

By Sebastian Strangio
The deputy prime minister will take over from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong next month.

April 17, 2024

Myanmar Junta Moves Aung San Suu Kyi to House Arrest

By Sebastian Strangio
A junta spokesperson said that the 78-year-old leader was relocated due to the intense heat in Myanmar's central plain.
April 12, 2024

$1.7 Billion Cambodian Canal Project Draws Increasing Scrutiny

By Sebastian Strangio
The China-backed Techo Funan Canal, which will connect the Mekong River to the country’s coast, has given rise to environmental and security concerns.

April 12, 2024

Vietnamese Court Sentences Property Tycoon to Death in Giant Fraud Case

By Sebastian Strangio
Truong My Lan was found guilty of embezzling an astonishing $12.54 billion from Saigon Commercial Bank in the decade to 2022.

April 11, 2024

Philippine President Denies Secret Agreement On South China Sea

By Sebastian Strangio
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says that he is "horrified" by the prospect that his predecessor brokered a "gentleman's agreement" with Beijing over the maritime disputes.

April 11, 2024

Ethnic Karen Rebels Complete Capture of Strategic Myanmar Border Crossing

By Sebastian Strangio
The fall of Myawaddy, a major hub of overland trade between Myanmar and Thailand, could have significant ramifications for the course of the country's conflict.

April 10, 2024

Malaysia Orders Meta, TikTok to Formulate Plan for ‘Harmful’ Content

By Sebastian Strangio
With right-wing rhetoric proliferating online, the Anwar government has been forced to walk a fine line between free speech and censorship.
April 10, 2024

Thailand Ready to Accept 100,000 Refugees, Foreign Minister Says

By Sebastian Strangio
The impending fall of the border town of Myawaddy to ethnic Karen rebels has raised fears of junta air attacks that could drive thousands of civilians into Thailand.

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