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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
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August 23, 2024

As Protests Rage, Indonesian Parliament Delays Controversial Election Law Changes

By Sebastian Strangio
Earlier this week, a legislative committee drafted changes to an election law that would have reversed two important Constitutional Court rulings.
August 22, 2024

Lao, Chinese Officials Detain 771 in Raid on Golden Triangle Gambling Hub

By Sebastian Strangio
Vientiane has ordered all unauthorized "call centers" to vacate the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone by August 25.

August 22, 2024

Protests Loom After Indonesian Parliament ‘Subverts’ Court’s Election Law Ruling

By Sebastian Strangio
Anger has erupted over lawmakers' bid to override two Constitutional Court rulings that could have a significant impact on regional elections later in the year.

August 21, 2024

Philippines’ Marcos Pledges to ‘Expose’ Those Responsible for Fugitive Mayor’s Escape

By Sebastian Strangio
Alice Guo, a disgraced small-town mayor under investigation for her links to Chinese organized crime groups, reportedly fled the country last month.

August 21, 2024

India, Malaysia Pledge to Deepen Economic and Security Ties

By Sebastian Strangio
Since Anwar Ibrahim took office in 2022, “there has been a new momentum and energy in our partnership," Indian PM Narendra Modi said yesterday.
August 20, 2024

Indonesia and Australia to Sign Ambitious New Defense Agreement

By Sebastian Strangio
The pact, which will include provisions for reciprocal access, marks a maturation of the bilateral security relationship between Jakarta and Canberra.

August 20, 2024

Alexander Vuving on the Political Legacies of Nguyen Phu Trong

By Sebastian Strangio
The late party chief "left behind a party-state that governs mostly by control and coercion rather than consensus and legitimacy."
August 20, 2024

China, Philippines Trade Accusations After Latest South China Sea Collision

By Sebastian Strangio
The clash suggests that Beijing's pressure campaign, previously focused on Second Thomas Shoal, is moving to other parts of the Spratly Islands.

August 19, 2024

At Least 20 Arrested in Cambodia for Protests Against Economic Pact

By Sebastian Strangio
Protesters claim that the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) treaty has led the country to cede territory and control over natural resources to Vietnam.

August 19, 2024

Thailand’s Paetongtarn Shinawatra Sworn in as Prime Minister

By Sebastian Strangio
The biggest challenge facing the young leader is the perception that she will serve as a mere proxy for her father Thaksin Shinawatra.

August 16, 2024

Paetongtarn Shinawatra Selected as Thailand’s Next Prime Minister

By Sebastian Strangio
The 37-year-old will become the youngest PM in Thailand's history, and the third member of her family to lead the country.
August 16, 2024

Vietnamese Court Sentences Prominent Political Activist to Five Years Prison

By Sebastian Strangio
Nguyen Chi Tuyen, aka Anh Chi, has become the latest dissenter to be persecuted for criticizing the Communist Party online.

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