Subscribe

The Diplomat  |  Author

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
March 24, 2023

Laos Takes Another Step Forward on Controversial Mekong Dam

By Sebastian Strangio
The China-backed Pak Lay hydropower project is just one of nine dams that the Lao government has planned for the Mekong River.

March 24, 2023

China, Philippines Open Bilateral ‘Consultative’ Talks in Manila

By Sebastian Strangio
Chinese officials took the opportunity to voice their opposition to a recent expansion of the U.S. military presence in the Philippine archipelago.
March 23, 2023

Philippines’ Marcos Defends Closer Security Relations With Washington

By Sebastian Strangio
The rapid warming of relations with the U.S. has prompted warnings from Beijing, and domestic political pushback.

March 23, 2023

Indonesian Parliament Passes Emergency Jobs Regulation

By Sebastian Strangio
The regulation, which intends to make Indonesia a more attractive destination for foreign investment, has been staunchly opposed by unions and environmental groups.

March 22, 2023

Cambodia Arrests Opposition Activists for Posts About Country’s King

By Sebastian Strangio
The activists, who are reportedly close to opposition leader Kem Sokha, had criticized the government's treatment of King Norodom Sihamoni.

March 22, 2023

Singapore Court Suspends Death Row Lawyer For Five Years

By Sebastian Strangio
M. Ravi has been barred from practicing law for five years for accusing the attorney-general of being "overzealous" in his prosecution of a death row client.
March 21, 2023

US, Philippines Break Ground on $25 Million Runway Rehabilitation Project

By Sebastian Strangio
The upgrade at Manila's Basa Air Base is part of $82 million in U.S.-funded infrastructure upgrades at military bases included under a 2014 defense pact.

March 21, 2023

Thai PM Dissolves Parliament, Paving Way For May Election

By Sebastian Strangio
The polls will once again see a showdown between the allies of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the country's conservative establishment.

March 20, 2023

UN Participating in Pilot Rohingya Repatriation Project, Despite Safety Concerns

By Sebastian Strangio
A leaked email from the U.N. resident coordinator in Myanmar reveals that U.N. boats were used to transport junta officials to Bangladesh last week.

March 20, 2023

Indonesia’s Jokowi Restores Citizenship to Political Exiles

By Sebastian Strangio
The policy is part of a recent government push to recognize past episodes of human rights abuses committed by the state.

March 17, 2023

Malaysian Official Says EU Regulation ‘Discrimination’ Against Small Farmers

By Sebastian Strangio
The regulation, which could severely limit the country's palm oil exports to European nations, has been strongly opposed by Kuala Lumpur.
March 17, 2023

Indonesia Close to Closing Deal for BrahMos Weapons System: Report

By Sebastian Strangio
A deal would make Indonesia the second Southeast Asian nation after the Philippines to acquire the potent supersonic missile.

Page 1 of 96