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Sebastian Strangio

Sebastian Strangio

Foreign Policy

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Indonesia-US Trade Agreement at Risk of Collapse, Report Claims

The Trump administration accuses Jakarta of "backtracking" on agreements to eliminate non-tariff barriers on U.S. goods.

latest 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Anwar Speaks to Leaders of Thailand, Cambodia as Border Conflict Rages

Compared to the fighting in July, there is a greater chance that the current conflict will be more protracted.

latest 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Chinese Court Orders Malaysia Airlines to Pay Compensation Over Missing Flight MH370

Chinese Court Orders Malaysia Airlines to Pay Compensation Over Missing Flight MH370

With the search for MH370 set to resume on December 30, China has approved its first compensation claim involving the doomed aircraft.

previous day 2

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Malaysia’s PM Calls for Calm After Conflict Reignites Between Thailand and Cambodia

Malaysia’s PM Calls for Calm After Conflict Reignites Between Thailand and Cambodia

A high-ranking Thai military official has announced that the army plans to "render Cambodia militarily ineffective for a long time."

previous day 6

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thai and Cambodian Troops Again Clash Along Disputed Border

Thai and Cambodian Troops Again Clash Along Disputed Border

The two governments have accused the other of responsibility for a string of incidents that threaten to ignite another full-scale border conflict.

monday 7

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Singaporean Court Upholds Opposition Leader’s Conviction for Lying to Parliament

Pritam Singh of the Workers' Party told the press that he was "disappointed" with the decision but accepted it "fully and without reservation."

05.12.2025 50

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Indonesia Promises Action on Deforestation as Sumatra Flooding Toll Rises

Environmentalists say that the flash floods and landslides in Sumatra have been worsened by years of logging linked to mining operations.

05.12.2025 20

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thailand Seizes $300M in Assets as Scam Crackdown Deepens

Bangkok appears determined to clamp down on Cambodia-based scam syndicates, but allegations of high-level Thai involvement continue to dog Prime...

04.12.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Myanmar Opium Cultivation Jumps to Highest Level Since 2015: UN

The country's conflict is also having a countervailing impact on average poppy yields, which “sharply decreased” in 2025.

04.12.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Death Toll From Southeast Asia Storms Nears 800 as Recovery Efforts Continue

Death Toll From Southeast Asia Storms Nears 800 as Recovery Efforts Continue

At least 176 people have been killed in Thailand and three in Malaysia, while the death toll in Indonesia has climbed above 600.

02.12.2025 3

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thailand Extradites Prominent Montagnard Rights Activist to Vietnam

Thailand Extradites Prominent Montagnard Rights Activist to Vietnam

The extradition of Y Quynh Bdap, 33, is a sign of a growing crackdown on Vietnamese refugees and asylum seekers in Thailand, rights groups say.

02.12.2025 4

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

ICC Slaps Down Appeal Seeking Former Philippine President’s Release

ICC Slaps Down Appeal Seeking Former Philippine President’s Release

Lawyers tried to argue that Rodrigo Duterte's illness and advanced age created “compelling humanitarian grounds” for his interim release to a...

01.12.2025 30

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim Suffers Setback in Sabah State Election

Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim Suffers Setback in Sabah State Election

The state poll was dominated by Sabah-based parties, reflecting growing disenchantment in the federal government and a growing desire for regional...

01.12.2025 2

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Authorities Struggle to Respond to Devastating Floods in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia

The deluges and flash floods of the past week have capped off an unusually destructive wet season in Southeast Asia.

28.11.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Belarusian President Lukashenko Begins First Official Visit to Myanmar

Belarusian President Lukashenko Begins First Official Visit to Myanmar

As they have grown more alienated from the West, relations between the two repressive governments have blossomed.

28.11.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Myanmar Junta Amnesties More Than 3,000 Political Prisoners in Advance of Election

Myanmar Junta Amnesties More Than 3,000 Political Prisoners in Advance of Election

The pardons are designed to ensure maximum support for the upcoming election, which has been widely criticized as a sham process designed to support...

27.11.2025 3

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Singapore Orders Tech Firms to Prevent Spoofing of Government Agencies

The Singapore Police Force says that it has detected an increase in the impersonation of agency names and the "gov.sg" SMS sender ID on major...

27.11.2025 4

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Trump Administration Ends Deportation Protections for Myanmar Immigrants

Trump Administration Ends Deportation Protections for Myanmar Immigrants

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security justified the decision on the grounds that the country has "made notable progress in governance and...

25.11.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Unregulated Mining Boom Pouring Toxins Into Southeast Asian Rivers: Report

According to the Washington-based Stimson Center, the past decade has seem a spike in unregulated mining activity in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia.

25.11.2025 5

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

No Cover-up in Soccer Documents Forgery Probe, Malaysia’s PM Anwar Says

The Football Association of Malaysia has been accused of using fraudulent documents to induct seven foreign-born players onto the national soccer...

24.11.2025 7

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Chairman of Indonesia’s Largest Islamic Group Rejects Calls to Resign

Chairman of Indonesia’s Largest Islamic Group Rejects Calls to Resign

Yahya Cholil Staquf, the chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, is accused of inviting a pro-Israeli speaker to appear at an internal event in August.

24.11.2025 8

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Inside China’s Rare Earth Empire: The Hidden Costs in Myanmar

Welcome to the dirty side of rare earths, which ironically are key to the “clean energy” transition.

22.11.2025 40

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Ex-Philippine Mayor Sentenced to Life in Prison For Involvement in Cyberscams

Alice Guo is accused of faking Philippine nationality in order to win election in Bamban, a small agricultural town north of the capital Manila.

22.11.2025 5

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

US Congressional Panel Proposes Taiwanese Role in Funding Philippine Base Upgrades

The suggestion by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission is unlikely to go down well in Beijing – or Manila.

21.11.2025 20

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

FIFA to Investigate Malaysian Football Body Over Document Forgery Scandal

FIFA to Investigate Malaysian Football Body Over Document Forgery Scandal

The global sporting body alleges that seven foreign-born players used false documents to gain entry to the Malaysian national soccer team.

20.11.2025 20

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Myanmar Junta Announces Raids on Second Major Online Scamming Hub

The crackdown at Shwe Kokko marks an extension of the junta's anti-scam campaign, but there are reasons to be skeptical.

20.11.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thai Attorney-General to Appeal Thaksin Lese-Majeste Acquittal

The former prime minister, currently serving a one-year prison sentence, remains under legal pressure from the country's conservative establishment.

18.11.2025 40

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Philippines Hoping to Conclude South China Sea Code of Conduct in 2026

It remains to be seen whether ASEAN and China can finalize the long-awaited agreement by the previously agreed deadline of July 2026.

18.11.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thailand Says US Trade Talks Still on Track, Despite Suspension of Cambodia Peace Deal

The outcome exposes the limits of using economic pressure to bring about a resolution of the border dispute between the two nations.

17.11.2025 4

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Hundreds of Thousands Rally Against Corruption in the Philippines

The simmering public anger over corruption linked to flood control projects threatens to engulf the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

17.11.2025 4

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thailand’s King Vajiralongkorn Arrives in Beijing For Historic Visit

The five-day visit is the first by a sitting Thai monarch since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bangkok and Beijing in 1975.

15.11.2025 5

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Malaysian PM Anwar Attempts to Get Thailand-Cambodia Border Deal Back on Track

The ASEAN chair says that the two nations' prime ministers "reaffirmed their commitment to pursuing a peaceful resolution."

14.11.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thailand-Cambodia Peace Deal on the Brink After Clash in Disputed Border Settlement

The incident, which Cambodia says left one civilian dead, comes two days after a Thai soldier was reportedly injured by a landmine explosion at the...

13.11.2025 3

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Australia and Indonesia to Sign ‘Watershed’ Defense Treaty in January

The agreement marks a high-point in the bilateral relationship, but stops short of marking a significant strategic reorientation on the part of...

13.11.2025 6

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Modi and the Mullahs: India’s Embrace of the Taliban

Why is New Delhi’s approach to the Islamist fundamentalist group is so different this time around?

12.11.2025 30

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Eve Warburton on Indonesian President Prabowo’s First Year in Office

The former general is building on what his predecessor Joko Widodo left behind, furthering the country's "gradual illiberal slide."

12.11.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thailand Suspends Peace Deal With Cambodia After Landmine Explosion

The blast threatens to derail the Joint Declaration that was signed under the eye of U.S. President Donald Trump at last month's ASEAN Summit.

11.11.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Indonesia Officially Names Former President Suharto as National Hero

The ex-leader's elevation to the national pantheon has prompted outraged reactions from historians and civil society groups.

11.11.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Indonesia Plans to Begin Redenomination of Rupiah by 2027

The proposal by the Ministry of Finance would remove three zeroes from the country's currency.

10.11.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thai Police Issue Arrest Warrant for Cambodian Tycoon Ly Yong Phat

The 67-year-old senator, a long-time ally of Cambodia's ruling Hun family, has been accused of laundering money generated by cyber-scam centers.

10.11.2025 3

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Indonesian Activists Protest Plans to Grant Former President Suharto ‘Hero’ Status

The proposal to recognize the authoritarian former leader is a sign of the historical revisionism that has gained momentum under President Prabowo...

07.11.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Singapore Introduces Mandatory Caning For Scamming Offenses

The move is the government's latest attempt to combat a spike in financial fraud that has cost Singaporeans around $2.8 billion since 2020.

06.11.2025 2

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thailand Announces Plans to Trace ‘Gray Money’ Transactions Linked to Scams, Crime

The government suspects that suspicious financial flows may be contributing to the unusual strength of the baht, which is weighing on the Thai...

06.11.2025 2

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Philippines, Canada Sign Visiting Forces Agreement Amid South China Sea Tensions

The agreement is the fifth that Manila has signed, after similar deals with the United States, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.

04.11.2025 3

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Philippine, UAE Have Applied for CPTPP Membership, Report Claims

The 12-nation trade pact is attracting prospective members eager to preserve the current global multilateral trading regime.

04.11.2025 4

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

US, Vietnam Discuss Deeper Defense Cooperation, Possible Arms Sales

During meetings in Hanoi, visiting U.S. War Secretary Pete Hegseth said that closer military ties would "benefit both of our countries.”

03.11.2025 9

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Singapore Police Seize $115M in Assets Tied to Cambodia’s Prince Group

The U.S. government has accused the conglomerate and its chairman, Chen Zhi, of running a network of forced-labor scam centers.

03.11.2025 4

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

BBC Journalist Barred From Leaving Vietnam, Broadcaster Says

The news came as Communist Party chief To Lam departed for London, where he is expected to announce a major diplomatic upgrade with the United...

31.10.2025 4

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Myanmar Rebel Group Agrees to Ceasefire With Military Ahead of Junta Election

Under Chinese pressure, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army has agreed to withdraw from two towns, including the ruby-mining center of Mogok in...

30.10.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

ASEAN Foreign Ministers Voice ‘Concern’ About Ongoing Myanmar Conflict

The bloc will reportedly not send observers to the military-administered elections planned for December, but is likely to accept the new status quo...

28.10.2025 5

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio