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Sebastian Strangio

Sebastian Strangio

Foreign Policy

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

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

latest 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

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

Medical clinics serving around 100,000 refugees at camps in western Thailand are dependent on American aid.

latest 9

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

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

The Typhon intermediate-range missile system has been present in the country since join military drills in April 2024.

yesterday 4

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn to Visit China Next Week

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

yesterday 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

China Detains Suspected ‘Major’ Trafficking Suspect With Thai Assistance

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

previous day 30

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Cambodia’s Proposed Atrocity Denial Law Will Stifle Historical Debate

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

previous day 8

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

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

Pop-up marriage booths were set up in Bangkok and other Thai cities to handle the eager backlog of couples.

24.01.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Singapore PM Forms Electoral Boundaries Committee, Paving Way For Election

Lawrence Wong is set to lead the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) into an election for the first time since taking office last May.

23.01.2025 3

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Mekong Nations Pledge to Bolster Anti-scam Efforts in 2025

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

23.01.2025 50

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Trade Resumes After Myanmar Military and Major Rebel Group Agree to Ceasefire

The agreement between the military and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army came after months of Chinese pressure to return to political...

22.01.2025 40

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Malaysia Seeks Gag Order on Ex-PM Najib’s Royal Document Case

The former leader is seeking to convert his current prison sentence, handed down for his involvement in the 1MDB corruption scandal, to house arrest.

22.01.2025 6

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

ASEAN Foreign Ministers Tell Myanmar Junta to Prioritize Peace Over Elections

The bloc says that any election must be "inclusive," but it has limited power to deter the junta from its election plans.

21.01.2025 3

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Prabowo’s Approval Rating Tops 80 Percent After 100 Days in Office

Since taking office in October, the Indonesian president's popularity has been boosted by his tax cuts and free meal program.

21.01.2025 2

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Indonesia’s President Prabowo to Pay State Visit to India Next Week

The planned trip, which follows visits to China and the United States late last year, underscores Prabowo's focus on major power diplomacy over...

17.01.2025 5

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

China’s FM Calls on Southeast Asia to Tackle Online Scamming Scourge

Wang Yi told ASEAN ambassadors that scamming poses “serious threats to the vital interests of citizens from China and other countries.”

17.01.2025 3

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Japan ‘Gravely Concerned’ About South China Sea Tensions, FM Says

Speaking in Manila, Iwaya Takeshi said that his country's partnership with Southeast Asia was "vital for regional peace and stability,”

16.01.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thai Police Issue Arrest Warrant For Cambodian Linked to Former MP’s Killing

Like the other Cambodian national wanted in connection with the murder, Ly Ratanakrasmey, 43, has links to the Cambodian government.

16.01.2025 8

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Philippines Protests Fresh Chinese Deployments at Disputed Shoal

2025 is shaping up as another year of friction and contention in disputed parts of the South China Sea.

15.01.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Vietnam Signs Nuclear Cooperation Deal With Russian Government

Hanoi is restarting its civilian nuclear program nearly a decade after canceling it over cost and safety concerns.

15.01.2025 20

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Myanmar Military Launches Air Strikes on Kachin, Rakhine, Shan States

2025 seems set to continue last year's sharp increase in the number of retaliatory air and artillery attacks on resistance-held territories.

14.01.2025 6

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thai Cabinet Approves Draft Law Legalizing Gambling

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's government says that legal casinos will bolster further the recovery of the country's tourism sector.

14.01.2025 7

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Killer of Ex-Cambodian MP Won’t Reveal Who Ordered Assassination, Thai Police Say

Ekkalak Pheanoi, a former Thai marine, was extradited from Cambodia and questioned by Bangkok police on Saturday.

13.01.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Malaysia’s Anwar Denies Covering Up Document Permitting Ex-Leader’s House Arrest

Najib Razak claims that an unpublished royal order permits him to serve the remainder of his corruption-related sentence at home.

13.01.2025 4

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Japan, Malaysia Pledge to Strengthen Economic, Security Ties

Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru is visiting Malaysia and Indonesia on his first bilateral state visit since taking office.

10.01.2025 7

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Malaysia’s PM Outlines Leadership Ambitions in Energy, Chip Manufacturing

Anwar Ibrahim says that his country's "neutrality and openness for partnership" make it a "natural hub" for high-tech manufacturing.

10.01.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

New iPhone Still Barred From Sale in Indonesia Despite Apple Investment

Jakarta seems determined to use the leverage it enjoys as the world's fourth-largest smartphone market to extract maximum benefits from the U.S. tech...

09.01.2025 5

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Cambodian Police Arrest Primary Suspect in Slaying of Former MP

An ex-Thai marine is believed to be responsible for the killing of Lim Kimya, a former lawmaker for the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party.

09.01.2025 20

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Former Cambodian Opposition MP Gunned Down in Bangkok

A former Cambodian opposition MP was shot dead by a gunman on a motorcycle in Bangkok yesterday in an apparent political assassination, according...

08.01.2025 30

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Indonesia Officially Becomes First Southeast Asian Member of BRICS

On Monday, Brazil’s government announced that Indonesia has been admitted as a full member of the BRICS bloc of developing economies, after...

08.01.2025 4

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Nearly 6,000 Prisoners Released in Myanmar Independence Day Amnesty

Myanmar’s military junta released nearly 6,000 prisoners, including foreigners and political prisoners, to mark the country’s Independence Day...

07.01.2025 7

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Court Grants Ex-Malaysian PM Najib Appeal in House Arrest Ruling

Malaysia’s jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak is one step closer to serving the remainder of his corruption sentence under house arrest,...

07.01.2025 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Indonesia’s Constitutional Court Voids Threshold for Presidential Nominations

Indonesia’s Constitutional Court ruled yesterday that a law setting a minimum threshold of votes for political parties to nominate a presidential...

03.01.2025 9

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Myanmar Military Junta Enacts Repressive New Cybersecurity Bill

Myanmar’s military junta has passed its long-threatened Cybersecurity Law, which aims to tighten its control over vital arteries of communication...

03.01.2025 3

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Indonesia Scales Back Planned VAT Hike, Will Apply Only to Luxury Goods

Indonesia has diluted a planned hike in the country’s value added tax (VAT) due to growing public discontent, just hours before the increase came...

02.01.2025 2

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Malaysian Police Arrest Satirical Artist Over Caricatures of Sabah Governor

Malaysian authorities have released on bail a graphic designer and activist after questioning him under the Sedition Act for posting satirical...

02.01.2025 3

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

No Evidence Thai Banks Facilitated Myanmar Arms Purchases, Government Says

Thailand’s central bank and anti-money laundering agency say they have found no evidence to support claims from a recent U.N. report that Thai...

31.12.2024 3

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Ethnic Rebel Group Announces Seizure of Key Town in Western Myanmar

An ethnic Rakhine armed group has claimed the seizure of another township in Rakhine State in western Myanmar, vowing to safeguard Chinese...

31.12.2024 2

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Philippines Defends Plan to Acquire Typhon Missile System From US

The Philippines has defended its decision to acquire a U.S. intermediate-range missile system if it feels the need to do so, after the Chinese...

30.12.2024 5

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Cambodia Imprisons Leading Opposition Figure For ‘Incitement’

A leading Cambodian opposition politician has been sentenced to two years in prison and banned from politics for life after being convicted of the...

30.12.2024 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thai Activist Sentenced to Additional Prison Time For Defaming Monarchy

A Thai court yesterday sentenced the human rights lawyer and political activist Arnon Nampa to an additional two years and eight months in prison...

20.12.2024 4

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thailand Hosts ‘Informal Consultation’ on Myanmar Conflict

Thailand yesterday hosted the first of two days of meetings aimed at breaking the political deadlock in war-torn Myanmar. Yesterday’s “informal...

20.12.2024 5

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

US Repatriates 2 Malaysian Nationals From Guantanamo Bay

Two Malaysians who pleaded guilty for their roles in the 2002 Bali bombings have been repatriated from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay,...

19.12.2024 6

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Myanmar Rebel Group Claims Recapture of Former Headquarters on Thai Border

An ethnic rebel group has recaptured its former headquarters close to Thailand’s borders, almost three decades after it was driven out by the...

18.12.2024 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Myanmar to Release Detained Thai Fishermen Next Month, Officials Say

A Myanmar court has jailed four Thai fishermen for up to six years for illegally fishing in its waters, but has suspended their sentences and is...

18.12.2024 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thailand Confirms Details of ‘Informal’ Myanmar Meetings

The Thai government has confirmed more details about the meetings that it will host this week on the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, at least one of...

17.12.2024 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Malaysia’s Anwar Appoints Former Thai PM as Advisor on ASEAN Affairs

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has appointed former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as an “informal adviser” during...

17.12.2024 20

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

UK Officially Joins Trans-Pacific Trade Agreement

The United Kingdom has officially become the 12th member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a...

16.12.2024 10

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

‘Bali Nine’ Drug Convicts Return to Australia After Indonesia Deal

The remaining five members of the Bali Nine drug trafficking ring have returned to Australia after nearly two decades in prison in Indonesia, under...

16.12.2024 7

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Myanmar Remains World’s Leading Source of Illegal Opium Cultivation

Myanmar remained the world’s top producer of opium in 2024 despite a marginal drop in poppy cultivation, the United Nations said in a new report,...

13.12.2024 30

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio

Thai Government Approves Measures to Reduce Household Debt

Thailand’s cabinet has approved a range of debt relief measures aimed at reducing the nation’s alarmingly high levels of household debt, the...

12.12.2024 6

The Diplomat

Sebastian Strangio