Charles Santiago is a Malaysian public servant and a former Member of Malaysian Parliament for Klang from March 2008 to November 2022. Charles also served as the Chairman of the National Water Services Commission, and currently APHR Co-Chairperson.

In this episode, we will talk about the APHR Parliamentary Forum on Human Rights and Democracy in Southeast Asia and Members’ Forum that’s already underway, COP29, and the role of Malaysia’s MPs and Southeast Asian’s MPs in our continued work towards the advancement of human rights across different sectors.

Cynthia Lorraine Silva is Community Media Program Officer from Centre for Independent Journalism, Malaysia, and Maria Chin Abdullah is former member of Parliament of Malaysia and APHR member.

In this episode, Lola Loveita, APHR consultant for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Cynthia Lorraine Silva, and Maria Chin Abdullah will talk about the situation on harmony and multiculturalism in Malaysia and the role of Malaysian MPs and Southeast Asian MPs in promoting these values.

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. As well as being a Board Member of APHR, he is also a founding member of the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB) and serves as President of the Arakan Institute for Peace and Development.

In this episode, U Shwe Maung talks about the Five Point consensus, Myanmar’s current situation, the role of Myanmar’s MPs and Southeast Asian’s MPs.

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 marginalized groups including migrants, workers, and women. She was minister of Womens’ Affairs from 1998 to 2004.

In this episode, Mu Sochua talks about what’s inside the Cambodia’s parliament, Cambodia’s Senate Election, the role of Cambodia’s MPs and Southeast Asian’s MPs.

Arlene Brosas is an educator, child rights activist, and politician. She is also an APHR Board Member and a member of the Gabriela Women’s Party-list. She is also one of the co-authors of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression Equality Bill. 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.
In this episode, Arlene Brosas talks about the current political situation in the Philippines, particularly the practice of “red-tagging”, and of course the role of MPs in this situation.

Kunthida Rungruengkiat is a Thai academic and a politician. She was previously a member of parliament and the deputy leader of the Future Forward Party. Her policy portfolio includes education reform and early childhood education improvement. After the disbandment of the Future Forward Party by the Constitutional Court, she faces a 10 years ban from contesting in any election. She is currently the director of Progressive Movement Foundation.
In this episode, Karina Tehusijarana, APHR Media Manager, and Kunthida Rungruengkiat will talk about the current political situation in Thailand and the role of Thai’s MPs and Southeast Asian’s MPs.

Mercy Chriesty Barends is an Indonesian politician who is the current chair of APHR  and is a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle or PDI-P. She has served as a Member of Indonesia’s House of Representatives since 2014,  where she has been very active on Climate Change issues through her work in The Alliance of Parliamentarian Call for Fossil Free Future, the Global Alliance for Green New Deal, or Air Quality Asia, as well as chairing the House’s Green Economy Caucus. She has recently been reelected to the House in February’s general elections, representing the electoral district of Maluku.

In this episode, we will talk about the democratic situation in Indonesia, APHR’s ongoing advocacy, and of course the role of parliamentarians in this situation.

Kasit Piromya is an APHR Board Member, former Thai career diplomat and former People's Alliance for Democracy ("Yellow Shirts") activist. He also served as  Foreign Minister of Thailand from 2008 to 2011.
In this episode, Karina Tehusijarana, APHR Media Manager, and Kasit Piromya will talk about the future of democracy in Thailand, what’s inside the Thai parliament, the role of Thailand’s MPs and Southeast Asian’s MPs in advancing human rights and democracy in Thailand.

Wong Chen is an APHR Board Member, Malaysian MP and lawyer. He also 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.
In this episode, Karina Tehusijarana, APHR Media Manager, and Wong Chen will talk about the APHR Toolkit for Malaysian Legislative Process, what’s  inside the Malaysia parliament, the role of Malaysia’s MPs and Southeast Asian’s MPs in advancing human rights and democracy in Malaysia.

Cover photo by Choo Choy May

In the third and final episode of APHR’s latest podcast series, Restricting Diversity, Kyaw Min San, an APHR member from Myanmar, introduces us to the world of Blasphemy Laws and some of the experts who are advocating for reforms that bring clarity to laws and policies and protect the most vulnerable. 

This episode features guests from Myanmar and Indonesia with extensive backgrounds working to understand how Blasphemy Laws undermine freedom of religion and belief. Religious minorities and vulnerable groups become targets when laws fail to protect them and their rights. 

APHR welcomes the following guests: Seng, an independent consultant and board member of the South Asia Association of Freedom and Belief Network, and Dr. Zainal Abidin Bagir Abidin Bagir, who teaches at the University Gadjah Mada and is the Director of the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies.