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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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February 03, 2025

Is China’s DeepSeek Using Smuggled AI Chips From Singapore?

By Sebastian Strangio
The U.S. government is probing whether the Hangzhou-based AI firm has built its disruptive R1 AI model on restricted Nvidia chips.
February 03, 2025

Myanmar’s Military Junta Extends State of Emergency For Seventh Time

By Sebastian Strangio
The six-month extension is intended to buy time for the military's long-promised election, but conditions in the country are not propitious.

January 31, 2025

Boat Carrying More Than 70 Rohingya Lands in Indonesia’s Aceh Region

By Sebastian Strangio
Last year saw a record number of Rohingya refugees set off by sea from the camps in southeastern Bangladesh.

January 31, 2025

Five Thai Hostages Released in Israel-Hamas Prisoner Exchange

By Sebastian Strangio
Thirty-one Thai agricultural workers were abducted by Hamas fighters on October 7, 2023.

January 30, 2025

Trump’s Aid Suspension Wreaks Havoc on Thailand-Myanmar Border

By Sebastian Strangio
Medical clinics serving around 100,000 refugees at camps in western Thailand are dependent on American aid.
January 30, 2025

Thai High-Speed Rail Project Set For Completion in 2030, Government Says

By Sebastian Strangio
The planned high-speed line, which will connect Bangkok to China via Laos, has seen sluggish progress since construction began in 2017.

January 29, 2025

Philippine Troops to Train With US Missile System Next Month, Army Says

By Sebastian Strangio
The Typhon intermediate-range missile system has been present in the country since joint military drills in April 2024.
January 29, 2025

Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn to Visit China Next Week

By Sebastian Strangio
The Thai leader says that the discussions with Xi Jinping will focus on online scamming operations, tourism, and air pollution.

January 28, 2025

China Detains Suspected ‘Major’ Trafficking Suspect With Thai Assistance

By Sebastian Strangio
The suspect was wanted in connection with the high-profile kidnapping of the Chinese actor Wang Xing earlier this month.

January 28, 2025

Cambodia’s Proposed Atrocity Denial Law Will Stifle Historical Debate

By Sebastian Strangio
Under draft legislation announced last week, anyone denying “the truth of the bitter past” could be imprisoned for up to five years.

January 24, 2025

Hundreds of Same-Sex Couples Wed as Thailand’s Marriage Equality Bill Comes Into Effect

By Sebastian Strangio
Pop-up marriage booths were set up in Bangkok and other Thai cities to handle the eager backlog of couples.
January 23, 2025

Mekong Nations Pledge to Bolster Anti-scam Efforts in 2025

By Sebastian Strangio
China says it is leading regional efforts to crack down on online scamming operations and other transnational criminal activities.

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