The ASEAN Refugee and Forced Migration Network aims to bring together advocates, practitioners and researchers to share information, knowledge and learnings on issues surrounding forced migration in the ASEAN region. This platform serves to provide space for discussion and conversations, and it is hoped that this would result in the advancement of the rights of refugees, asylum seekers and other forms of forced migrants in ASEAN.
About Us |
In July 2015, three participants from Asia attended a summer programme on forced migration at the Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford. Over the course of three weeks, they pondered hard on ways to advance the rights and protection of refugees, asylum seekers and other forced migrants in the culturally and politically diverse Southeast Asia region. After putting their minds together, this network was born. Below is their brief background:
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Jerry Lewis Ong
Jerry is a Programme Officer at Save the Children Asia Regional Office. He supports the South East and East Asia region in emergency response and longer-term development projects. Prior to this, he worked with a Singapore government agency and managed the ASEAN portfolio. Jerry had also spent time with UNHCR Malaysia and UNESCO Thailand. He is currently pursuing a M.A. in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration Studies (by distance learning) at the Refugee Law Initiative of the School of Advanced Study, University of London and holds a B.Soc.Sc. in Political Science from the Singapore Management University. |
Seng Pan
Seng Pan is a Kachin ethnic from Northern Shan State in Burma/ Myanmar. She is currently working with UNHCR as an Associate Field Officer/ Head of Field Unit in Bhamo office in Kachin operation as a national staff member. Prior to that, she had worked with local NGO and civil society as well as a part time consultant. Her current interest is how this affects the socio-economic condition in neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Seng Pan has recently been selected as the Asia Foundation Development Fellow for 2015. She holds a M.A. in Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding from the Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA. |
Jeonghyeon Kim
Jeonghyeon Kim is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science with specialisation in Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). During her years at UNL, she has pursued studies related to states' compliance with the international refugee regime. She holds a Masters in Political Science from Northeastern Illinois in Chicago, Illinois and a B.A. in Political Science and Diplomacy from Myongji University in Seoul, South Korea. |