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Sribala Subramanian

Sribala Subramanian

Sribala Subramanian is a New York-based columnist for The Diplomat.

Sribala Subramanian is a New York-based columnist for The Diplomat. She has written about the oil and gas industry in Myanmar, COVID-19 in Singapore, and India’s foreign policy. A former business journalist for Time, Sribala was part of a team that covered Wall Street. She was the lead reporter on the acclaimed Time International cover story on postcolonial literature called “The Empire Writes Back.” Her freelance articles have appeared in The Guardian, Atlas Obscura, and The Third Pole. She was a contributor to the award-winning Women and the Environment special issue from Earth Island Journal.

Sribala studied magazine journalism at Syracuse University and has a Masters in Mass Communication from California State University, Fresno. She graduated from Bangalore University and got her start in journalism at The Indian Express, Bangalore.

Sribala’s most shared story is about the geopolitics of Kashmir’s pink tea.

Posts by Sribala Subramanian
April 17, 2024

Solomon Islands Goes to the Polls 

By Sribala Subramanian
The nation’s pro-China foreign policy is on the ballot.

April 02, 2024

Is Singapore Unfriending Israel?

By Sribala Subramanian
The city-state recently denounced a Facebook post from the Israeli embassy as “unacceptable."
March 18, 2024

Guardrails For the South China Sea

By Sribala Subramanian
A top U.S. diplomat hopes the Senate will ratify a maritime treaty.  

February 13, 2024

‘Cigarette Girl’ Is a Big Streaming Hit in Indonesia 

By Sribala Subramanian
Is kretek nostalgia undercutting the country's campaign to curb tobacco use?

January 11, 2024

Malaysia and Indonesia Are Links in Iran’s Drone Supply Chain

By Sribala Subramanian
Companies based in the two countries are part of an "illicit procurement network" that has been targeted by U.S. sanctions. 

December 07, 2023

Indonesians and Malaysians Keep Gaza in Their Prayers 

By Sribala Subramanian
For Southeast Asia's Muslims, support for Palestine is rooted in national identity.
November 10, 2023

Asia’s Island Nations Need Satellite Internet

By Sribala Subramanian
Is Elon Musk's Starlink the solution?

October 04, 2023

US Defense Ties in Southeast Asia: A Wide-Ranging Buffet

By Sribala Subramanian
The Pentagon's palatable message for Southeast Asia.

September 04, 2023

Homecoming in Thailand 

By Sribala Subramanian
The King’s estranged son visits Bangkok shortly before a dramatic realignment in Thai politics. 

August 09, 2023

Harvest of Duds: What Cluster Munitions in Laos Can Teach Ukraine

By Sribala Subramanian
Unexploded cluster munitions in Laos are a reality check for Ukraine.

July 14, 2023

Malaysia and the Dark Fleet

By Sribala Subramanian
A risky trade in sanctioned crude oil is taking place off the coast of Johor.
June 19, 2023

Dog Fight over the South China Sea?

By Sribala Subramanian
A Chinese action movie may offer a preview of conflicts yet to unfold.

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