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
Page 59 of 169
August 17, 2023

Philippine Foreign Secretary Calls for China to Reduce Tensions in South China Sea

By Sebastian Strangio
Enrique Manalo's comments come at a time of growing tension over Second Thomas Shoal, a Philippine-occupied atoll in the Spratly Islands.
August 16, 2023

Myanmar to Relinquish ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026, Report Claims

By Sebastian Strangio
The country's next chairmanship looms as a possible point of rupture for the Southeast Asian bloc.

August 16, 2023

Thailand’s Move Forward Party Won’t Back Pheu Thai’s PM Bid

By Sebastian Strangio
The decision will make the party more reliant on the support of the military-backed parties whose dominance it has long opposed.

August 15, 2023

Tesla to Invest in Indonesian Battery Manufacturing, Official Says

By Sebastian Strangio
Senior Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan made the announcement after a meeting with Tesla chief Elon Musk in San Francisco on August 2.

August 15, 2023

Domestic Workers in Indonesia Call for Passage of Long-delayed Protection Bill

By Sebastian Strangio
The Domestic Worker Protection Bill was first proposed in 2004, but has been stuck in legislative limbo ever since.
August 14, 2023

Singapore Says It Will Hold Presidential Election on September 1

By Sebastian Strangio
But it remains to be seen how many candidates can meet the city-state's stringent eligibility criteria.

August 14, 2023

China’s FM Wang Pledges Support for New Cambodian Leadership

By Sebastian Strangio
Despite the changes in Phnom Penh, Cambodia-China relations are likely to maintain their current upward trajectory.
August 11, 2023

Malaysia Threatens Prison for Possession of LGBTQ-Themed Swatch Watches

By Sebastian Strangio
The ban comes in the midst of a conservative culture war that has targeted the country's gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community.

August 11, 2023

Cambodia Unveils Youthful New Cabinet Ahead of Power Transition

By Sebastian Strangio
As expected, the line-up of ministers, who will be sworn in along with Prime Minister Hun Manet on August 22, includes many close relations of high-ranking CPP officials.

August 10, 2023

Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party Welcomes New Parties Into Potential Governing Coalition

By Sebastian Strangio
Despite the new recruits, the party faces some difficult choices in reaching the majority that it needs in the House of Representatives.

August 10, 2023

Joint South China Sea Patrols Could Begin in 2023, Philippine Official Says

By Sebastian Strangio
The announcement comes at a time of increased Chinese assertiveness in disputed waters.
August 09, 2023

US President Biden Says He Will Visit Vietnam ‘Shortly’

By Sebastian Strangio
The announcement raises the likelihood that the two countries are getting ready to announce a major upgrade in their diplomatic relationship.

Page 59 of 169