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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
March 21, 2025

Philippine Govt Condemns Senator For Saying He Won’t Surrender to ICC

By Sebastian Strangio
As chief of the Philippine National Police, Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa implemented ex-President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly "war on drugs."

March 20, 2025

Indonesian Parliament Passes Law Expanding Military’s Role in Government

By Sebastian Strangio
Civil society groups say that the changes are a throwback to the repressive New Order period, when the military dominated civilian affairs.
March 20, 2025

Philippines Wants to Expand ‘Squad’ Grouping to Include India, South Korea

By Sebastian Strangio
The informal grouping, established last May, is intended to counter China's assertive behavior in the South China Sea.

March 19, 2025

Japan to Pay First Visit to Cambodian Naval Base Funded by China

By Sebastian Strangio
Phnom Penh is eager to demonstrate that Ream Naval Base will be open to foreign navies, though Western suspicions are likely to persist.

March 19, 2025

Indonesian Finance Minister Denies Resignation Rumors After Market Plunge

By Sebastian Strangio
The Jakarta Stock Exchange Composite Index plunged more than 7 percent, forcing it to suspend trading for the first time since 2020.

March 18, 2025

Cambodia’s Hun Sen, Myanmar Junta Celebrate Closure of US-Funded Media Outlets

By Sebastian Strangio
The U.S.-funded broadcasters Radio Free Asia and Voice of America have long been a thorn in the side of the region's repressive governments.
March 18, 2025

Cambodia Willing to Use Force to Defend Sovereignty Over Temple, PM Says

By Sebastian Strangio
The disagreement bears a close similarity to the dispute over Preah Vihear temple, which led to armed clashes during 2008-2011.

March 17, 2025

US Imposes Visa Restrictions on Thai Officials Over Uyghur Deportation

By Sebastian Strangio
The Thai authorities deported 40 Uyghur asylum seekers to China in a secretive operation in late February.

March 17, 2025

Former Philippine President Duterte Appears at First ICC Hearing Since Extradition

By Sebastian Strangio
The ex-leader's defense attorney told the court that his arrest on March 11 was tantamount to an "abduction."

March 14, 2025

Myanmar’s Economy Shrank 2 Percent in Year to March, Report Says

By Sebastian Strangio
With the civil war showing no sign of ending, the country's economic prospects will remain "bleak" in 2025-26.

March 14, 2025

Detained Philippine Ex-President Admits ‘Responsibility’ For Anti-drug Campaign

By Sebastian Strangio
Rodrigo Duterte is set to appear before the International Criminal Court for the first time today, following his extradition to The Hague earlier this week.
March 13, 2025

Pressure Builds on Philippines to Rejoin International Criminal Court

By Sebastian Strangio
Rodrigo Duterte, who was this week arrested and extradited to the ICC, withdrew Manila from the court's founding statute in 2019.

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