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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Teodoro Baguilat, Jr

Philippines

Teodoro Baguilat, Jr. is a former member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, who served his third term as elected representative of the Lone District of Ifugao Province. He is a longtime member of the Liberal Party and has also served as a municipal mayor and governor of Ifugao. He is a strong advocate for human rights, particularly indigenous people's rights.

Wong Chen

Malaysia

Wong Chen is a Malaysian politician and lawyer who has served Non-executive Chairman of the Malaysia Debt Ventures Berhad (MDV) since May 2023, Chairman of the International Relations and Trade Parliamentary Select Committee from December 2019 to May 2020 and again since May 2023 as well as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Subang since May 2018.

Arlene Brosas

Philippines

Arlene D. Brosas is a Filipina educator, child rights activist, and politician. She is a member of the Philippine House of Representatives for the 19th Congress and was part of the 18th Congress under the Gabriela Women's Party-list group. Previously, as spokesperson of the Anti-Child Pornography Alliance, along with other activists and civil society organizations, she successfully lobbied for the passage of Republic Act 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Law that aims to protect the rights and welfare of Children.

Walden Bello

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.