Welcome Address:                                 

Dr. J.R. Nereus O. Acosta

Dr. J.R. Nereus Acosta is the current Secretary General of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats and the former Secretary General of the Liberal Party of the Philippines. He was a third term representative of Bukidnon province in Northern Mindanao to the House of Representatives, and was the principal author of the groundbreaking Clean Air Act that has become a model of environmental legislation in Asia. Dr. Acosta recently served as Chairman of the Committee on Ecology and Vice-Chairman of the Committees on Science and Technology, Human Rights, and Foreign Relations of the House of Representatives. He has represented the Philippines in numerous international forums, including the United Nations Special Assembly on HIV/AIDS and the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development, where he now serves as the Deputy Secretary General.

An academic and civil society stalwart, he earned his PhD in Political Science from the University of Hawaii as an East West Center Scholar. He received his MA in Public Affairs (International Relations and Political Studies concentration) from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and attended the special courses on Leaders in Development Program, June 1999 and Environmental Economics, May 2002 at the Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University. In 2004 he was awarded the prestigious World Fellows Program of Yale University.

Ms. Consuelo Katrina A. Lopa

Consuelo Katrina 'Corinna' Lopa is the regional coordinator of South East Asian Committee for Advocacy (SEACA), a Manila-based regional resource organization that focuses on capacity building for pro-poor advocacy in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, the Thai-Burma border, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam, and promotes civil society engagement with governments and inter-governmental bodies at the local, national, regional, and global levels.

Mr. Hubertus von Welck

Mr. Hubertus von Welck is the Regional Director for East and Southeast Asia of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation based in Bangkok, Thailand. From 1998 to 2005 he was the FNF Regional Director for South Asia based in Delhi, India. He has worked in the FNF head office in Germany as Head of the Human Resources, Assistant to the Deputy Chairman and Head of the International Affairs Program. He has also worked as FNF Project Director in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and Program Officer of the Africa Project. He received his Master in Public Administration at the University of Konstanz, Germany.

Keynote Address:

Ambassador Kasit Piromya

Ambassador Kasit Piromya is the Director of International Affairs of the Democrat Party of Thailand and advisor to the party leader, Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva. He was the former Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the United States of America from 2004 to 2005.   He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in the School of Foreign Service in Georgetown University in 1968 and a Diploma in International Relations at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands in 1971. His previous postings as Thai Ambassador include the following countries: Russian Federation, People’s Republic of Mongolia, Republic of Papua New Guinea, Federation Republic of Germany, and Japan.

Session I - Understanding the larger Context: Overview of labour migration in Southeast Asia

Chair:

Ms. Carla Nathan

Ms. Carla June Nathan is the current executive director of Center for
Indonesian Migrant Workers, an NGO based in Jakarta, Indonesia. CIMW is a
member of MFA and Ms. Nathan is a former member of the MFA Executive
Committee. CIMW is involved in research, advocacy and networking for
migrants human rights. CIMW also actively engaged in capacity building and
providing services for migrants and families such as migrants training and
reintegration.

Speakers:

Ms. Thetis Mangahas

Ms. Alcestis Abrera-Mangahas is the Chief Technical Adviser and Programme Manager of the International Labour Organization Mekong Sub-Regional Project to Combat Trafficking in Children and Women, ILO-IPEC's largest technical cooperation project on trafficking in the Asian Region, and funded primarily through donations by the UK and Japanese Governments. She is based in Bangkok and manages ILO’s human trafficking and migration cross-border and country program working closely with government ministries, employers’ and workers’ organizations, women’s federations and youth unions. Previously, Thetis served as the Senior Forced Labour and Trafficking Specialist at ILO headquarters in Geneva and as Regional Adviser of the ILO's South-East Asian child labour programme.

Ms. Lorena Macabuag

Currently the project coordinator of Migrant Forum in Asia handling the MFA’s task force on Health and Gender and the Feminization of Migration.  Ms. Macabuag has been working with the MFA network for the past five years.

Migrant Forum in Asia is a regional membership network of non-government organizations (NGOs), associations and trade unions of migrant workers and individual advocates in Asia and the Pacific that are committed to protect and promote the rights and welfare of migrant workers. It acts as a facilitator of regional communication and coordination between migrant-member organizations and advocates with its Secretariat based in Manila, Philippines.

Ms. Irena Vojackova-Sollorano

Ms. Irena Vojackova-Sollorano is the Representative for Southeast Asia at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Office in Thailand. She is also presently active as co-chair of the UN Thematic Group on International Migration in the UNESCAP Region and Member of the Board of Founders of the Central European Forum on Migration Research, Warsaw, Poland.

She was previously assigned as Chief of Mission & Regional Representative at the IOM Vienna, Austria and has also worked in IOM’s offices in Geneva, Switzerland and Manila, Philippines. In 2003, she received the IOM Director Generals Award for developing IOM presence in Central Europe. She holds a Masters degree in History, Political Science, International Law from the University of Vienna, Austria.

Session II - Addressing Challenges: Sending and Receiving Country Policies on Migration

Chair:

Ms. Debbie Stothard

Debbie Stothard is the coordinator of the regional rights network, Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-BURMA), a network of activists, NGOs, academics, and politicians who support human rights, democracy, and peace in Burma. She is also known for her advocacy, media, and campaign work in support of regional human rights causes.

Speakers:

Atty. Christopher Lomibao

Atty. Christopher Lomibao is the Committee Secretary of the Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs of the Philippine House of Representatives. He has previously been Supervising Legislative Staff Officer II of the Committees on Constitutional Amendments and Basic Education & Culture.

His expertise in the field of migration comes from seminars such as: Promoting and Fulfilling the Human Rights of Migrants, National Manpower Summit—Generating the Rights of Workers, International Conference on Remittances and Forum with Legislators on the OFW Agenda. He also has a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of the Philippines.

Mr. Navuth Ya

Mr. Navuth Ya is the Executive Director of CARAM-Cambodia, a migrant advocacy group established in 2000. In 2002, he was named the National Co-ordinator for Victim Assistance, tasked with implementing the regional victim assistance project of Handicap International.

Mr. Emil Kirjas

Mr. Emil Kirjas is the Secretary General of Liberal International and former president of the International Federation of Liberal Youth. Originally from the Republic of Macedonia, he took his MSc in Geopolitics, Territory and Security at King’s College London. He has previously been State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Macedonia, Head of the Office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Skopje and Directorate of Youth and Sport of the Council of Europe.

Session III - Addressing Challenges: Role of Parliamentarians and Best Practices in Bilateral Agreements

Chair:

Dr. Rajiva Wijesinha

Dr. Wijesinha is the former President of the Liberal Party of Sri Lanka and current Secretary General of the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process. He received his Ph.D. from Oxford University in the United Kingdom. He has authored several books – both fiction and non-fiction – and his works have been translated into several languages. He is also a consultant for the Ministry of Education in Sri Lanka.

Speakers:

Mr. Wahyu Susilo

Mr. Susilo is the Founder of Migrant Care and Head of Advocacy Division of the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development. He has also served as a policy analyst for both organizations. He is a member of GCAP.

Hon. Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, MP

Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, a lawyer by profession, is the Director of Women’s Legal Aid Bureau, Work Group Coordinator of Indonesia’s NGO Forum on Women and Secretary General of Indonesian Women Coalition for Justice and Democracy. She is also a Board member of women of Law & Development International and a member of the National Commission on Violence Against Women, People Consultative Assembly and governing board of good governance partnership—UNDP.

Dr. Buranaj Smutharaks

Dr. Buranaj Smutharaks is Deputy Spokesman of the Democrat Party and was a former Member of Parliament of the Kingdom of Thailand. He was Secretary and Senior Policy Advisor to former Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai. He graduated from the Chulalongkorn University Medical School and received his two MA degrees in Public Health and Health Policy and Management at Harvard University, USA.

Hon. Son Chhay, MP

Hon. Son Chhay has been a Member of Parliament representing Siem Reap province in Cambodia since 1993. He is currently chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Media of the National Assembly. Previously he served as Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Works, Transport, Telecommunications, Post, Industry, Energy, Mines, and Commerce and Secretary of the Committee on Education, Culture, Tourism, and Religious Affairs.  He is a member of the Sam Rainsy Party and is actively involved in promoting democracy, human rights, equal opportunity, and good governance. Son Chhay is also an Executive Member of the Global Network for Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) and a founding member of the Coalition for Transparency Cambodia, as well as a member of the executive committee of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in mathematical science from Flinders University and his diploma in education from Adelaide University in Australia.  He also completed a course in business management at TAFE College in Australia.  He has been working tirelessly to reach his goal of seeing an ASEAN network of MPs to work effectively on the issues of corruption, democracy, human rights, social justice and eradication of poverty

Session IV - Finding Convergences: Regional Responses on Migration

Chair:

Mr. Maung Maung

U Maung Maung is the Secretary General of the National Council of the Union of Burma and the Federation of Trade Unions Burma (FTUB). He received the George Meany-Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award in 2001 for bringing attention to the plight of Burmese workers.

He helped form the FTUB and mobilized exiled workers to come together to protect basic worker rights while acting to restore democracy in Burma. The FTUB is based in Bangkok and has been the effective voice for over 1.5 million Burmese migrant workers in Thailand and organized underground unions within Burma.

Speakers:

Mr. Hashim Lobe

Hashim Lobe is currently the Director of Trade Union Development Activities and Information (Migrant issues) of the Union Network International Asia pacific Regional Office (UNI APRO). His areas of responsibility include conducting trade union training and education program, writing project proposals, project implementation and also in the management and evaluation of projects. Currently he is based in the UNI Global Union Asia Pacific Regional office in Singapore which is also the regional office of the UN Global Union Asia Pacific.

Sinapan Samydorai

Mr. Sinapan Samydorai is the convener of the Task Force on ASEAN Migrant workers which was founded on 2006 and presently the president of Think Centre based in Singapore.

Ms. Lorena Macabuag

Currently the project coordinator of Migrant Forum in Asia handling the MFA’s task force on Health and Gender and the Feminization of Migration.  Ms. Macabuag has been working with the MFA network for the past five years.

Hon. Martin C.M. Lee, QC., SC.                

Martin C.M. Lee (Lee Chu Ming) is the founding Chairman (1994 - 2002) of the Democratic Party, which is one of the largest and most popular political parties in Hong Kong.  Prior to the founding of the Democratic Party in October 1994, Mr. Lee was Chairman of the United Democrats of Hong Kong - Hong Kong's first political party – which won the first-ever democratic elections to the territory's Legislative Council in 1991.  Since its incorporation in 1994, the Democratic Party has done well in every set of elections held in Hong Kong and has received wide public support for its stance that Hong Kong must develop democratic institutions and preserve freedom, human rights and the rule of law if the territory is to continue to prosper as part of China.

Session V - Forging Commitments: Creating Action-Based Programs and Initiatives

Chair:                                   

Hon. Sukhumbhand Paribatra, MP

M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribatra served as Deputy Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand during the administration of Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai.  He is an Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. Between 1987 and 1993 he served as Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies. He has also been as Advisor to the House of Representatives Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs (1986-1988),(1989-1991), Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister General Catichai Choonhavan (1988-1989), Advisor to the House of Representatives Standing Committee for House Affairs (1989-1991). Since 1992, he has been Chairman of the Ministry of Commerce’s Advisory Committee of International Commerce. Since 1986 he has been the Chairman of the Chumbhot-Pantip Foundation. From 2002-2004, he served as Chairperson of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats.