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Sebastian Strangio

Sebastian Strangio

Foreign Policy

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Indonesia’s President Says New Capital On Track, Despite Resignations

Joko Widodo said yesterday that the new city is on schedule to host this year's Independence Day celebrations on August 17.

latest 0

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Myanmar Junta Launches Crackdown on Gold, Currency Traders

The massive gap between the black market and official rates for the kyat has created lucrative opportunities for arbitrage.

latest 0

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Philippines Accuses China of Seizing Air-Dropped Supplies in South China Sea

The country's military chief claims that the incident saw Chinese boats come within five meters of the Philippine outpost at Second Thomas Shoal.

yesterday 9

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

US Defense Secretary Austin Visits Cambodia for Talks With New Leadership

The secretary of defense said that he had "substantive conversations" with Prime Minister Hun Manet and other Cambodian officials.

yesterday 1

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Junta Airstrike Hits Wedding in Myanmar’s North, Dozens Feared Dead

As the military junta loses ground, it has come to rely more heavily on air strikes to wreak vengeance on resistance-held areas.

previous day 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Top Officials in Charge of Indonesia’s New Capital Project Step Down

The resignations of Bambang Susantono and his deputy have raised questions about the future of the multibillion-dollar Nusantara project.

previous day 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Tin Oo, Former General and Founder of Myanmar’s NLD, Dies at 97

Perhaps more than any other living figure, Tin Oo encapsulated the various facets of his country’s twentieth-century political dramatically.

monday 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Indonesia Ready to Send Peacekeepers to Gaza, Prabowo Says

Addressing the Shangri-La Dialogue defense forum in Singapore, the president-elect also called for the U.S. and China to exercise restraint as...

monday 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Cambodia to Break Ground on Contentious Canal Project in August

In a speech yesterday, Prime Minister Hun Manet said that his government would not afford to "wait for anybody," and would fund the $1.7 billion...

monday 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Indonesian Court Ruling Again Makes Controversial Tweak to Election Rules

The Supreme Court ruling will pave the way for President Joko Widodo's youngest son to run in the Jakarta gubernatorial election on November 27.

31.05.2024 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thai Cabinet Formally Approves Bid For BRICS Membership

Bangkok says that membership would help boost the country's global economic and political profile.

30.05.2024 30

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Malaysia Unveils Plans to Become Next Global Chip Hub

Anwar Ibrahim has pitched Malaysia to foreign chipmakers as "the most neutral and non-aligned location for semiconductor production."

29.05.2024 20

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Philippines Vows to Protect Filipino Fishermen Amid Chinese Fishing Ban

The annual ban comes at a time of growing tension between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea.

29.05.2024 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Former Thai PM Thaksin to be Charged With Royal Defamation

The pact between Thaksin's camp and the royalist establishment, which allowed the former leader to return from self-exile last year, may be starting...

29.05.2024 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Asian Synthetic Drug Production Continued to Grow in 2023, UN Says

Last year saw East and Southeast Asian governments seize 190 tons of methamphetamine, the largest amount ever recorded in a single year.

28.05.2024 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Two More Thai Activists Sentenced to Prison on Lese-Majeste Charges

Both were granted bail pending an appeal, following the recent death of a monarchy-reform activist in custody.

28.05.2024 30

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

UN Details ‘Disturbing’ New Atrocities Against Myanmar’s Rohingya

The U.N.'s human rights office says that tens of thousands have been forcibly displaced in what one expert described as a "hate-driven unnatural...

27.05.2024 30

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

US Defense Secretary Austin to Visit Cambodia Next Week

Lloyd Austin's visit is a sign that Washington is seeking to re-engage the new look leadership in Phnom Penh, in a bid to draw the country out of...

27.05.2024 20

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Is Myanmar’s Junta About to Revive a Controversial Dam Project?

According to a media report, the military has formed a new committee for the Myitsone hydropower project, which was suspended in 2011.

24.05.2024 60

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thai PM Avoids Suspension As Constitutional Court Accepts Ethics Complaint

Military-appointed senators are seeking Srettha Thavisin's removal from office after he appointed a minister with a past conviction for bribery.

24.05.2024 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Philippine Commander Denies ‘Deal’ Over South China Sea Shoal

A Senate Committee is investigating the Chinese Embassy’s alleged recording of a phone call between Carlos and a Chinese military attaché in...

23.05.2024 30

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Philippine Lawmakers Pass Bill Legalizing Divorce

The Absolute Divorce Bill is the product of years of work on the part of representatives seeking to amend the country's notoriously restrictive...

23.05.2024 60

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Vietnam Arrests Second Labor Activist In a Month, Rights Group Claims

Vu Minh Tien, a prominent member of the state-controlled confederation of trade unions, was working to bring Vietnamese labor law into line with...

22.05.2024 40

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Musk to ‘Consider’ Opening Battery Plant in Indonesia, Senior Official Says

A Tesla investment would be a significant vote of confidence in Jakarta's ambition of becoming an EV production powerhouse.

21.05.2024 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Philippines Calls for International Probe Into Environmental Damage at Disputed Shoal

The Philippine Coast Guard claims that Chinese fishermen hunting giant clams have caused significant damage to the reefs at Scarborough Shoal.

21.05.2024 40

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Vietnam’s National Assembly Approves New Chair, President Expected Soon

The Vietnamese legislature is also expected to approve the elevation of To Lam, the powerful public security minister, to the presidency.

20.05.2024 40

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Arakan Army Takes Key Town in Western Myanmar, While Denying Rohingya Attacks

Rights groups have accused the Arakan Army of displacing tens of thousands of Rohingya civilians during its seizure of the town of Buthidaung.

20.05.2024 30

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Vietnam Removes Another Top Leader as Political Blood-Letting Continues

Truong Thi Mai, the permanent member of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat, is the third top leader to step down in the past two months.

17.05.2024 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

ASEAN Envoy Travels to Myanmar, Meets Military Junta Chief

Alounkeo Kittikhoun and Min Aung Hlaing discussed Myanmar's representation within ASEAN and the bloc’s provision of humanitarian aid to the country.

17.05.2024 20

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thai Monarchy Reform Activist Dies in Custody After Months-Long Hunger Strike

The death of Netiporn “Bung” Sanesangkhom has drawn attention to the Thai government's cruel use of pretrial detention to silence peaceful critics...

15.05.2024 20

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim Meets Hamas Delegation in Qatar

The meeting came just days after a U.S. Treasury delegation visited Malaysia to express its concerns that the Palestinian group was raising funds...

15.05.2024 20

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

End of An Era in Singapore as PM Lee Prepares to Hand Over Power

Tomorrow, Lawrence Wong will become the city-state's fourth prime minister. He faces a host of challenges on both the domestic and international...

14.05.2024 50

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Patrick Winn on the Narco-Economy of Myanmar’s Wa State

“Without heroin and meth, the state probably wouldn’t exist, and the Wa would be one more indigenous people preyed upon by Myanmar’s military...

14.05.2024 60

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Philippines to Take Steps to Prevent Chinese Reclamation in South China Sea

Over the weekend, Manila accused Beijing of attempting to create an "artificial island" at Sabina Shoal, an unoccupied reef 75 nautical miles from...

14.05.2024 20

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thailand Cuts Off Internet, Mobile Phone Connections to Myanmar Scam Hub

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission says that connections supplying Shwe Kokko, a hub of online fraud in Myanmar's Kayin...

13.05.2024 40

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Russia’s Putin to Visit Vietnam This Month, Reports Claim

The Russian leader could include a stop in Hanoi on his state visit to China later this month.

13.05.2024 50

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Malaysia Will Not Recognize Unilateral Sanctions on Iran, Official Says

The U.S. Treasury Department has expressed its concerns over Iran using Malaysian entities to finance allied militant groups, including Hamas.

10.05.2024 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

China, Cambodia to Kick Off Extensive Military Exercises Next Week

The Golden Dragon exercise, which has been held regularly since 2016, reflects the increasingly intimate defense ties between Beijing and Phnom Penh.

10.05.2024 30

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Chinese Deployment to Ream Naval Base Not Permanent, Cambodia Says

Two Chinese navy corvettes have been moored at the base's new China-built pier since December.

09.05.2024 30

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Philippines to Probe Recording of Alleged South China Sea Agreement

The recording, released this week by the Chinese embassy in Manila, purports to lay out a "new model" for managing tensions at Second Thomas Shoal in...

09.05.2024 50

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Amazon Web Services Announces $9 Billion Cloud Investment in Singapore

The investment will augment Amazon's cloud infrastructure in Singapore, and reinforce the city-state’s status as one of the world’s major data...

08.05.2024 20

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Former Thai PM Thaksin Holds Talks With Opponents of Myanmar Junta

The former leader met officials from the opposition National Unity Government and a number of ethnic armed groups during recent trips to northern...

08.05.2024 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Philippines Won’t Use Water Cannons in Maritime Standoff With China, Marcos Says

The past year has seen a string of confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels in contested parts of the South China Sea.

07.05.2024 60

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Ethnic Resistance Group Claims Capture of Hundreds of Soldiers in Western Myanmar

The Arakan Army claims that it has overrun the 15th Military Operations Command headquarters in northern Rakhine State.

07.05.2024 30

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Vietnam Arrests Another Senior Figure in Anti-Corruption Drive

The anti-graft campaign continues to intensify as the Communist Party begins preparations for its next Congress in early 2026.

06.05.2024 50

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Media Watchdog Paints Grim Picture of Southeast Asian Media Freedoms

Of the 11 nations of the region, just two ranked in the top half of the Reporters Without Borders (RSF)'s World Press Freedom Index.

06.05.2024 30

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Vietnam’s Parliament Accepts Chair’s Resignation, Announces Interim Replacement

Recent resignations have left two of Vietnam's top leadership positions, and five of the 18 seats on the Communist Party's Politburo, vacant.

03.05.2024 30

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Myanmar Junta Bans Men From Overseas Work in Bid to Stymie Draft Dodgers

The enforcement of the People’s Military Service Law has prompted thousands of young people to flee the country.

03.05.2024 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Microsoft CEO Announces AI Investments in Indonesia, Thailand

Satya Nadella has pledged to expand the infrastructure needed to support the firm's AI services in the fast-growing region.

02.05.2024 50

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Philippines Again Accuses China of Inflaming Maritime Tensions

Earlier this week, two Philippine vessels were damaged in the latest confrontation with China Coast Guard patrol boats in the contested South China...

02.05.2024 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

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