Get To Know Us
Our dedicated team is the driving force behind ILGA Asia’s mission to promote equality and support LGBTIQ+ communities across Asia.
Comprised of passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds, our team works passionately to advocate for human rights, eliminate discrimination, and empower our communities.
Board Members: Coming Soon
MORE INFO

Chitsanupong “Best” Nithiwana

(she/her)
Executive Board Co-Chair
MORE INFO

Dr. Charbel Maydaa

(they/them)
EXECUTIVE BOARD CO-CHAIR AND WEST ASIA REPRESENTATIVE
MORE INFO

Sean Sih-Cheng Du

(he/him)
EAST ASIA REPRESENTATIVE
MORE INFO

Phong Vuong

(he/him)
SOUTHEAST ASIA REPRESENTATIVE
MORE INFO

Candy Yun

(she/her)
BISEXUAL REPRESENTATIVE
MORE INFO

Jennifer Lu

(she/her)
EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER
MORE INFO

Esan Regmi

(he/him)
INTERSEX REPRESENTATIVE
Click here
Click here
Click here
Click here
Click here
Click here
Click here

Our Team

MORE INFO

Henry Koh

(they/them)
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MORE INFO

Khine Su Win

(she/her)
STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
MORE INFO

Pukar Bista

(he/him)
MONITORING & EVALUATION OFFICER
MORE INFO

Thae Su Su Thwe

(she/her)
FINANCE MANAGER CONSULTANT
MORE INFO

Bilguun Batjargal

(he/him)
CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR
MORE INFO

Keiko Carasig

(he/she/they)
COMMUNICATION OFFICER - DESIGN
MORE INFO

Nadine Kamila Hassan

(she/her)
SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
MORE INFO

Shambawi Paudel

(she/they)
Research Associate
MORE INFO

Omair Paul

(he/him)
Program Manager
Click here
Click here
Click here
Click here
Click here
Click here
Click here
Join Our Membership!

Be part of our network fighting for LGBTIQ+ equality across Asia. Advocate for human rights, connect with activists, access resources, and contribute to global change. Join today!

JOIN US

Address

ILGA Foundation
7th Floor, Office Room 07-128
88 The PARQ Building, Ratchadaphisek Rd, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Contact Us

[email protected]
+62 999 888 555

Chitsanupong "Best" Nithiwana

(she/her)
EXECUTIVE BOARD CO-CHAIR

Founder and executive director of Young Pride Club, Chitsanupong “Best” Nithiwana (she/her) is a human rights defender for the rights of LGBTIQ+ youth and gender equality in Thailand. Absolutely dedicated to her career path, she started out as a public information assistant consultant at the UN headquarters. She supported the digital campaign of Youth Peace Security to gain the meaningful participation of women and youth in peace processes worldwide. In 2018, she became the first transgender participant in the US Exchange programme, YSEALI Academic Fellows.

An outspoken advocate for the LGBTIQ+ community, she now runs her own community in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Young Pride Club, which is a safe learning community for young people interested in gender equality and the LGBTIQ+ community. Established in 2018, the community provides on-the-ground activities and online content to develop leadership and participation in gender equality advocacy. Young Pride Club was also a main organizer of the Chiang Mai Pride 2019-2022 and the 2022 Youth Pride Thailand, the country’s first pride organized by LGBTIQ+ youth for LGBTIQ+ youth. In 2022, it reached over 40,000 followers and developed 50 young leaders across the country.

Recently, Best also became an APCOM Hero Award Honouree (Community Hero) under the theme “Unity & Diversity ” in recognition of her inspiring work.

Dr. Charbel Maydaa

(they/them)
EXECUTIVE BOARD CO-CHAIR AND WEST ASIA REPRESENTATIVE
Dr. Charbel Maydaa is a distinguished contributor to the field of (SOGIESC), focusing specifically on the West Asian context. As a west asian representative for ILGA Asia, Dr. Maydaa emphasizes the necessity for comprehension and acceptance of heterogeneous identities. Their role as Founder and General Director of MOSAIC MENA has been instrumental in generating substantial advancements in service provision, advocacy, and capacity development. Further, their engagement with the UKRI GCRF as Primary Investigator accentuates their dedication to intersectional research, encompassing themes such as masculinity, sexuality, migration, and displacement.

Sean Sih-Cheng Du

(he/him)
EAST ASIA REPRESENTATIVE

Sean Sih-Cheng Du is the Secretary-General of the Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBTQ+) Hotline Association. He joined Hotline as a volunteer in 2002 and has been since actively involved in the work on LGBTI+ and PLWHIV’s rights. He became Hotline’s Director of Policy Advocacy in 2011 and the Secretary-General in 2021.

His work includes social education, workplace equality, gay men’s sexual health, and international affairs. He was a crucial member of the Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan and a board member of the Persons with HIV/AIDS Rights Advocacy Association of Taiwan.

He is currently the East Asian Representative of the ILGA Asia Executive Board, a board member of the Taiwan Equality Campaign, and a member of the Taipei City Committee of Gender Equality. He has a master’s degree in Sociology from National Taiwan University.

Phong Vuong

(he/him)
SOUTHEAST ASIA REPRESENTATIVE

Phong Vuong (he/him) is currently working as the LGBTI Rights Program Manager at the Institute for Studies of Society, Economy and Environment (iSEE). As one of the leading LGBTI organizations in Vietnam since 2007, iSEE has conducted original research on contemporary Vietnamese LGBTI issues, supported LGBTI civil society organizations, facilitated the LGBTI movement and implemented successful social and policy advocacy campaign.

Along with his colleagues, Phong works closely with organizations on the ground, policymakers and the public to build resilient and capable communities, create knowledge and connect stakeholders to advance LGBTI rights in Vietnam through advocacy and social campaign. Some notable achievements include the legalization of legal gender recognition for transgender people (through Article 36 of the Civil Code 2015), the subsequent drafting of the Law on Gender Affirmation (with the Ministry of Health), the I Do campaign towards Marriage Equality and the Leave with Pride campaign that pushed a MOH’s Directive condemning conversion therapy in Vietnam. Phong also led iSEE’s work with regional and international human right mechanisms, and represent iSEE in various organizations and working group, such as ASEAN SOGIE Caucus, or C4TRANS (Coalition for Transgender Rights in Vietnam).

Aside from the work with iSEE, Phong also served as Secretary of The Organizing Board of Hanoi Pride, as Secretary for NextGEN Hanoi – a local LGBTIQ organization, and is a alumni of the YSEALI Professional Fellows Program.

Candy Yun

(she/her)
BISEXUAL REPRESENTATIVE

Candy Yun is an LGBTAIQ+ activist from South Korea. She started her activism in 2006. Starting with her activism in transgender rights organizations, she has been involved in advocacy, education, empowerment, and projects on various LGBTAIQ agendas, and is currently the Executive Director of the Korean Sexual-minority Culture & Right Center. She focuses on LGBTIQ+ & aging related issues.

Jennifer Lu

(she/her)
EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER

Jennifer is Director for Asia Programs at Outright International. She is a social worker, lesbian feminist, author, and Taiwanese. She has been devoted to LGBT rights and political reform movements for 20 years nationally and internationally. Before joining Outright as the Director for Asia Programs, she was ED of Taiwan Equality Campaign, known as Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan – an organization that pushed Marriage Equality in Taiwan.

Jennifer was born in Taipei, and she had a younger sister who was the most severe heart disease patient. Her younger sister’s struggling life taught her to rethink the most crucial thing in our lives, leading her to join the social movement. She graduated from National Taiwan University with a social worker bachelor and from Sydney University with her policy studies master’s degree. Jennifer focused on establishing an LGBT community support system, services, and gender equality education for ten years while working with Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association.

She had over 1,000 speeches, and the number is still increasing nowadays. In January 2016, Jennifer represented the Social Democratic Party and ran for a parliamentary seat in general elections as one of the first lesbian candidates in Taiwan. During her election campaign, she and her team successfully raised the visibility of LGBT issues in politics.

They pushed to include equal rights issues and the young generation’s political participation on the agenda of the Taiwan parliament. When Jennifer was Chief Coordinator of Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan and Senior Research Fellow at Taiwan Tongzhi(LGBTQ+) Hotline Association, her team organized several successful rallies, one of which was on Human Rights Day in December 2016, in which over 250,000 people stood up to support Marriage Equality. This rally has pushed society to achieve the significant milestone of Marriage Equality in Taiwan.

Esan Regmi

(he/him)
INTERSEX REPRESENTATIVE
Esan Regmi is an intersex activist based in Nepal. He is also a co-founder and the executive director of Campaign for Change (the first and only intersex-led organization registered in Nepal since 2017). Esan hosted the first national intersex meeting in Nepal in 2016 and edited the first intersex story in Nepal. Not only on the national level, but Esan has also worked on the UN level. He had proposed CRC and CEDAW reports condemning Intersex Infanticide & Genital Mutilation in 2016 and 2018, respectively. Esan was selected as co-chair of Intersex Asia in 2018. Currently, he is active as a board member of Intersex Asia.

Henry Koh

(they/them)
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Henry Koh (they/them) is the Executive Director at ILGA Asia and a passionate advocate for human rights. They have extensive experience in research, strategy development, and training on LGBTIQ issues across the Asia Pacific region. Henry’s commitment to human rights stems from their personal journey and their vision to combat marginalization.

They have worked with various UN agencies and non-profit organizations, focusing on freedoms of expression, refugee rights, digital rights, and sexual health and reproductive rights. Henry is the co-founder of Beyond Borders Malaysia, which supports refugees, migrants and stateless persons groups. In addition to their human rights work, Henry is an accomplished classical violinist and pop pianist.

They hold a Bachelor of Laws, Postgraduate Diploma in International Arbitration and a Master of Laws specializing in international human rights law and feminist legal theory.

Henry is also interested in the study of memetics science and decolonization movements across Asia.

Pukar Bista

(he/him)
MONITORING & EVALUATION OFFICER

With a remarkable dedication spanning several years, Pukar has collaborated with dynamic organizations, placing a strong emphasis on empowering historically marginalized communities, particularly diverse SOGIESC minorities and migrant workers.

Having obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from a prestigious U.S. university, Pukar commenced his career with a labor union in Washington, D.C. There, he has coordinated national labor campaigns and orchestrated impactful workers’ movements. Deepening his understanding of the intricacies around these matters, Pukar pursued graduate studies at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst, immersing himself in labor history, queer and feminist theories.

Thae Su Su Thwe

(she/her)
FINANCE MANAGER CONSULTANT

Thae Su Su Thwe (Ma Thae Su) is the Finance Manager of ILGA Asia. Ma Thae Su has more than 20 years of working experience in the finance & HR departments of non-profit and for-profit organizations, including Medicine Du Monde, Association of Medical Doctors of Asia, International Organization for Migration (Myanmar Mission & Nigeria Mission), Cardno Myanmar, Women Voice and Leadership Program under Nordic International Support Foundation and PEN Myanmar.

She holds a B.A (Business Science), and Masters degree in Development Studies at the Yangon University of Economics in 2016. She has contributed her finance and HR knowledge in post emergency response, maternal and child health, migrant health, migrant protection, disaster risk reduction and disaster management program, national community driven development program and human rights program across Myanmar and also in Nigeria by coordination with humanitarian and development partners and donors.

Bilguun Batjargal

(he/him)
CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR

Prior to joining ILGA Asia, he worked as a Campaign Coordinator for the United Nations Free & Equal Campaign in Mongolia where he supported designing and implementing campaigns to promote SOGIESC rights under the guidance of the United Nations Human Rights. Bilguun is also a licensed lawyer in Mongolia and has been providing pro bono legal advice related to SOGIESC rights to members of the LGBTIQ community since 2018.

Bilguun says: “I’m very excited to join ILGA Asia and to work with the wonderful and vibrant team members to achieve our common goal of promoting universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the elimination of all forms of discrimination and stigmatisation based on SOGIESC in Asia.”

Bilguun holds a Bachelor of Laws (National University of Mongolia) and Master’s in International Economic Law (University of Barcelona). He speaks Mongolian, English, Japanese and Korean. When not working, Bilguun enjoys learning new languages, traveling and clubbing.

Keiko Carasig

(he/she/they)
COMMUNICATION OFFICER - DESIGN

Keiko is an independent queer filmmaker and multimedia artist from the Philippines. They are the outgoing president of UP SAMASKOM, a premiere student-led media performing organisation that celebrates and empowers queer performers, and a proud member of UP Babaylan, the longest-existing LGBTIQ+ student organisation in Asia.

They also work as a multimedia artist for Babaylanes, a non-government organisation that capacitates queer Filipino youth and pioneers programs on human rights education.

Keiko says: “Queer people walk to search for more reasons to walk. ILGA Asia is my way to meet others who walk the same path as me.”

Keiko is a film student at the University of the Philippines Diliman. They make films on eroticism and the sociological concerns of queer people. They are a huge devotee of Leslie Cheung.

Nadine Kamila Hassan

(she/her)
SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Introducing Nadine Hassan, ILGA Asia’s Senior Communications Officer with a Masters of Science in Sustainable Development from the University of Sussex. With extensive experience at UNDP, UN Women, and GIZ, Nadine is a seasoned communications consultant and advisor. Beyond her professional achievements, Nadine’s passions extend to music, writing, and travel during her spare time. She is driven by a deep commitment to human rights and firmly believes in the power of community-based narratives for effective advocacy work.

Nadine’s expertise lies in crafting compelling messages that resonate with diverse audiences. Her ability to engage and collaborate with local communities from the ground up is a testament to her dedication to social change. By encouraging a spirit of unity, she empowers others to join her in creating a fairer and more inclusive world, one impactful message at a time.

Shambawi Paudel

(she/they)
Research Associate

Shambhawi Paudel is a feminist advocate with a research interest in critiquing intersectional application of human rights standards. She completed her LLM in Human Rights Law specializing in International Justice.She is involved in policy research and has written and published on a range of issues, including gender, queer rights, education policy, and digital rights and privacy concerns. She believes it is important to have long conversations about navigating oppressive social power relations rooted in care and community. She enjoys reading and crocheting in her free time

Omair Paul

(he/him)
Research and global advocacy program manager

Omair Paul is the Program Manager at ILGA Asia. He joins the team with almost a decade of UN advocacy experience, previously serving as the UN Representative for Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV) since 2014. He led the organisation’s UN advocacy strategy and campaigns, represented MPV in various high-level UN meetings & processes, and forged working relationships with diplomats, UN agencies, and civil society organisations (CSOs) and networks.

He focuses on countering fundamentalist religious ideologies and protecting the rights to free expression, freedom of religion and belief, and the economic and social rights of women, girls, and ethnic, religious, and SOGIESC minorities in Muslim societies.

Subscribe to our newsletter to recieve breaking LGBTIQ news from across Asia, opportunities and resources, and updates from ILGA Asia.