ABOUT US
Our Mission
ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) was founded in June 2013 with the objective of promoting democracy and human rights across Southeast Asia. Our founding members include many of the region’s most progressive Members of Parliament (MPs), with a proven track record of human rights advocacy work. They include Eva Kusuma Sundari (Indonesia), Charles Chong (Singapore), Walden Bello (the Philippines), Son Chhay (Cambodia), Kraisak Choonhavan (Thailand), Lim Kit Siang (Malaysia), and Charles Santiago (Malaysia).
We are a regional network of current and former parliamentarians who use our unique positions to advance human rights and democracy in Southeast Asia. We seek to help create a region where people can express themselves without fear, live free from all forms of discrimination and violence, and where development takes place with human rights at the forefront.
Our members use their mandate to advocate for human rights inside and outside of parliament, regionally and globally. They work closely with civil society, conduct fact-finding missions, and publish recommendations and opinions on the most important issues affecting the region.
APHR was born out of the recognition that human rights issues in Southeast Asia are interconnected, and from the desire of progressive legislators to work together across borders to promote and protect human rights.
Our Board
Mercy Barends
Indonesia
Chair
Mercy Chriesty Barends is a Member of the House of Representatives in Indonesia for the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) since 2014. She has been very active on Climate Change issues through her work in Parliament, as well as internationally through her work in The Alliance of Parliamentarian Call for Fossil Free Future, the Global Alliance for Green New Deal, or Air Quality Asia. She is currently the Co-Chair of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR).
Maria Angelina Lopes Sarmento
Timor-Leste
Maria Angelina Lopes Sarmento has been a member of the Timor-Leste parliament since 2017, for the Popular Liberation Party (PLP). In 2018, she became the first vice president of the national parliament. Prior to her work as an MP, she was the Secretary General of UNESCO’s National Commission and worked with local NGOs and civil society groups on issues including democracy, human rights, good governance and transparency, and women’s rights.
Charles Santiago
Malaysia
Co-Chair
Charles Santiago is a Malaysian member of parliament for Klang constituency in Selangor, for the Democratic Action Party (DAP). He was first elected to parliament in 2008, and is Chairman of the Select Committee on Human Rights and Constitutional Affairs. Prior to his election he was an economist, and worked for non-governmental organisations, including as chairman of the National Water Services Commission. He is APHR’s chair, and a regular commentator on regional issues.
Mu Sochua
Cambodia
Mu Sochua is a former member of the National Assembly of Cambodia. She served from 2008 until 2017, when the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved. In addition to her work as vice president of the CNRP she has spent decades working as a human rights advocate, particularly for marginalised groups including migrants, workers, and women. She was minister of Womens’ Affairs from 1998 to 2004.
Eva Kusuma Sundari
Indonesia
Eva Sundari is a former member of the House of Representatives in Indonesia, she represented the Indonesian Democratic Struggle Party (PDI-P), and between 2014 and 2019 was a member of parliament’s Commission XI, which focuses on economics, finance and banking. In addition to her work with APHR, she is a member of the International Task Force of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption, and before joining politics was active in advocating for women’s rights.
Tom Villarin
the Philippines
Tom Villarin is a former member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, representing Akbayan Party. Prior to that, he served as Undersecretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government as well as Undersecretary for Constituency Affairs, Office for Political Affairs in Malacañang under President Aquino. He previously worked with NGOs in Mindanao pursuing participatory governance, peace building, and sustainable agriculture.
Kasit Piromya
Thailand
Kasit Piromya is a former Thai foreign minister, diplomat, and member of parliament. He has served as the ambassador to the Soviet Union, Germany, Japan and the United States, among others, before retiring from the diplomatic service and joining politics. He served as Thailand’s Foreign Minister between 2008 and 2011, after which he served as an MP for the Democrat Party. He resigned from politics in 2019.
Charles Chong
Singapore
Charles Chong is a former MP in Singapore from the governing People’s Action Party (PAP), and was Deputy Speaker of the parliament. An MP since 1988, he has served on several Government Parliamentary Committees including Manpower, National Development, Transport, Defence and Foreign Affairs, and Environment and Water Resources. Away from politics, he is trained as an aircraft engineer.
U Shwe Maung
Myanmar
U Shwe Maung is a Rohingya rights activist and former politician, who served as a member of parliament in Myanmar’s House of Representatives from 2011 to 2016, for the Union Solidarity of Development Party (USDP). As well as being a Board Member of APHR, he is also a founding member of the IPPFoRB and serves as President of the Arakan Institute for Peace and Development.
Ex-Officio Board Members
Walden Bello
the Philippines
Walden Bello is a Filipino author, academic and environmentalist who served in the House of Representative of the Philippines between 2009 and 2015. Currently the Adjunct Professor of Sociology at the State University of New York at Binghamton, Dr Bello is co-founder of and currently senior analyst at the Bangkok-based research institute Focus on the Global South and is the author or co-author of 25 books. He received the Right Livelihood Award (also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize) in 2003.
Our Members
APHR membership includes current and former parliamentarians from across Southeast Asia, as well as associate members from Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, Portugal, South Africa, and Taiwan. Currently, APHR does not have members from Brunei Darussalam, Lao PDR and Vietnam.
Over the years, APHR membership has grown exponentially with more than 100 members at present. Most of our members are a mix of both ruling and opposition parties with some members coming from independent parties.
Our members use their mandate to advocate for human rights inside and outside of parliament, regionally and globally. They work closely with civil society, conduct fact-finding missions, and publish recommendations and opinions on the most important human rights issues affecting the region.
APHR Members
Our Supporters
APHR’s work is currently receiving core project support from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Open Societies Foundation (OSF).
We are also receiving support for specific projects from the International Centre on Non-Profit Law (ICNL) and the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB).
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