Meet the team

Fawad joined the Regional Support Office (RSO) in November 2025 as Programme Coordinator for the International Migration, People Smuggling and Regional Initiatives Unit. He brings extensive experience in program management, policy development, capacity building, and strategic planning within the field of migration governance.

Before joining the RSO, Fawad spent over seven years with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) in Pakistan, where he served as Head of Office. During his tenure, he led major initiatives on migration governance and border management, facilitated high-level policy dialogues, and supported the formulation of national migration policies. His work also encompassed the coordination of integrated border management programmes with a lasting impact on Pakistan’s migration landscape.

Fawad holds a Master’s in International Relations and an Executive MBA in Development Studies. His writings on migration policy, youth de-radicalization, and governance have appeared in leading Pakistani newspapers.

Recommended book: No Refuge by Sneha Parekh – Sheds light on the crisis of the millions of people who, having fled their homes, are stuck for decades in the dehumanizing and hopeless limbo of refugees camps and informal urban spaces, most of which are in the Global South.

Email: Fawad.Haider@rso.baliprocess.net

Steve Létourneau joined the Regional Support Office (RSO) in December 2025 as Programme Coordinator – Border Management, Transnational Crime and Trafficking in Persons Unit. Steve brings an exceptional track record spanning over 35 years in strategic leadership, international security, intelligence operations, and complex project management, with deep experience in both North American government and international development. Steve's expertise is anchored by his extensive leadership roles, including serving as Chief of Party for multiple major USAID security and development programs in demanding environments such as Haiti and Bangladesh.

Before his international roles, Steve built a foundational career at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), holding progressive leadership positions. This background provided him with firsthand knowledge of sophisticated border management, intelligence disciplines (HUMINT, OSINT, IMINT), and the successful implementation of high-stakes risk methodologies against organized crime and national security threats. Steve is a proven leader in developing and delivering comprehensive Training and Development programs, and his strategic insights on risk management have been sought out by governments in Morocco, Madagascar, Moldova, and Vietnam. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce & Entrepreneurship from Royal Roads University.

Recommended Book: The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century by Thomas L. Friedman.

Email: Steve.Letourneau@rso.baliprocess.net

Iosto joined the Regional Support Office (RSO) in February 2026 as Programme Coordinator for Communications, Engagement, Monitoring and Reporting. He brings extensive expertise in coordination, reporting, data, and analysis across humanitarian and refugee settings.

Prior to joining the RSO, he served as Regional Head of Information Management at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), overseeing information management services across Asia and the Middle East. His career also includes roles with the European Union, UNHCR, and UNFPA, where he supported large-scale humanitarian responses and long-term capacity development in crisis contexts, including Somalia, Bangladesh, Greece, and the broader Middle East.

Iosto holds a Master’s degree in International Development and has completed executive education in Strategy, Innovation, and Change.

Recommended movie: Io Capitano (Me, Captain) - This film follows two Senegalese teenagers as they leave Dakar and embark on a perilous journey across the Sahara desert toward Europe. It offers a powerful, human-centered perspective on migration, portraying the hardships, dangers, dilemmas, and aspirations encountered along the way.

Email: iosto.ibba@rso.baliprocess.net

Agnese joined the RSO in March 2026 as Programme Manager for Countering People Smuggling. She has extensive experience in addressing trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants, with a strong focus on regional cooperation, border management, and capacity building.

Prior to joining the RSO, Agnese worked with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Office for Eastern Africa in Nairobi, focusing on maritime crime, and most recently with UNODC in Haiti as Programme Officer on trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants. She also served with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Geneva, Djibouti, Burkina Faso, and Kenya, supporting migration governance and protection initiatives across diverse operational contexts.

Throughout her career, Agnese has worked closely with governments and law enforcement agencies to strengthen responses to transnational crime, delivering technical assistance and fostering cross-border collaboration. She holds a Master’s degree in Law from Roma Tre University, as well as a postgraduate certificate in international relations and human rights and PRINCE2 certification in project management.

Recommended Podcast: The Outlaw Ocean, an investigative series exploring crime and exploitation at sea, including human trafficking and smuggling networks. Blending storytelling with in-depth reporting, it highlights the transnational nature of organized crime and governance gaps

Recommended Book: Somewhere: Stories of Migration by Women from Around the World by Lorna Jane Harvey is a collection of personal narratives from twenty women across the globe, exploring themes of identity, displacement, and belonging. Through diverse lived experiences, from forced displacement to voluntary migration, the book humanizes migration beyond policy discussions and statistics, offering powerful insights into the realities faced by women on the move. Agnese is also a contributor to this volume, reflecting her personal and professional engagement with migration issues.

Email: agnese.accapezzato@rso.baliprocess.net

Nazakat joined the RSO in March 2026 as Programme Manager for Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning (MER) to lead the RSO Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning functions to support continuous learning and evaluation of impact of RSOs activities. He is an experienced professional in Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting, and Learning (PMERL), with a strong track record of working with leading international organisations including UN Women, UNESCO, UNDP, the National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF), German Development Cooperation (GIZ), Concern Worldwide (CWW), and the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH). Nazakat holds a Master of Science in Project Management (MSPM) and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) and has also completed specialised training in Monitoring and Evaluation from the University of Nevada, USA.

Recommended book: Atomic Habits - Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear. This book tells us that small, consistent habits compound over time to create significant personal and professional transformation. Success is not about big changes, but about building systems that make good habits inevitable and bad ones difficult.

Email: nazakat.ali@rso.baliprocess.net

Elena joined the RSO in March 2026 as the Programme Manager for International Migration and Regional Priorities, bringing over 15 years of experience in programme management, policy development, and applied research on migration and displacement across the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Europe. Having worked with IOM, UNHCR, DRC, and Oxfam, Elena has led large multi-donor protection programmes, designed regional strategies on migrants protection and displacement, and represented organisations in intergovernmental forums. Her previous tenure at the RSO gave her a strong foundation in the institutional architecture and priorities of regional migration governance.

Rejoining the RSO, Elena brings both that institutional familiarity and a broader set of experiences accumulated since in the region— across emergency response, and applied research— that she looks forward to putting in service of the Bali Process member states. Her work has sat at the intersection of data, policy, and operations: developing research frameworks and advocacy strategies as much as managing protection programmes and supporting team capacity. She is motivated by the practical and solutions-oriented cooperation that can make a real difference to how states prevent exploitation, protect migrants, and manage displacement together.

Recommended book: Nel mare ci sono i coccodrilli (There are crocodiles in the sea), written by Fabio Geda, tells the true story of Enaiatollah Akbari, a young Afghan boy who travels alone across Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, and Greece before reaching Italy—abandoned at the border by his mother in an act of desperate love. Told in Enaiatollah's own voice, the book is for anyone wanting to truly understand what it means for a child to flee and search for safety and for a real chance in life.

Recommended podcast: Many Roads to Here gives voice to migrants and refugees from all over the world to illuminate, through the prism of their own lived experience, the broader themes of human migration, persecution and refuge.

Email: elena.bartoloni@rso.baliprocess.net

 

Devmi joined the RSO team in May 2023, and spearheads the portfolio on irregular migration and regional priorities. Devmi supports the RSO to lead research in the areas of natural and humanitarian disasters, and irregular labour migration, among others, with gender and human rights as cross-cutting areas. Her team leads RSO’s initiatives on civil registration and vital statistics specifically targeting hard-to-reach and marginalised communities including refugees, migrants, asylum seekers, stateless persons, and people without documentation.

Further, her team oversees programmes around voluntary return and reintegration assistance for eligible migrants from Bali Process Member States also working closely with the Bali Process Technical Expert Group on Return and Reintegration, strengthening Bali Process’ response to forced labour in selected industries, and responding to the plight of missing migrants.

Devmi has experience in the areas of labour mobility and human development, demand-driven skills development, policy, and global frameworks related to migration, regional and international partnerships and cooperation, and sustainable development. Devmi was previously based in Colombo, Sri Lanka and her experience spans across South Asia, and South-East Asia.

Recommended book: The Professional by Ashok Ferrey – “This wonderfully written book unveils the plight of immigrants and how they often get dragged into a blue-grey twilight world of illegals. There is no doubt that the journey of Chamath, an Oxford graduate, becoming Norton, a Professional, will keep you captivated throughout.”

Email: devmi.dampella@rso.baliprocess.net

Jordyn is the Programme Manager for Information Sharing and Regional Responses at the RSO. Jordyn joined the team in September 2025 and supports the RSO to develop a cross-border Regional Information, Liaison and Outreach Network (RILON) response group to support information sharing in addressing maritime people smuggling. The RILON initiative provides a collective, coordinated and proactive response mechanism to bridge the gap between policy, operations, and information sharing across the region when responding to trafficking in persons, people smuggling and related transnational crime.

Jordyn has worked in Australian law enforcement for the past seven years, where she was responsible for delivering Human Exploitation Strategies and leading program management, reporting, and donor engagement. Jordyn has also been involved in the implementation of the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation which brings together law enforcement partners, government agencies, non-government organizations and industry partners to collaboratively address child sexual exploitation.

Recommended Book: Trafficked by Sophie Hayes - Trafficked is a gripping first-hand account of a young woman who survived the horrors of human trafficking. It is a raw, powerful memoir that highlights a global crisis and a call to action against the heinous crime of trafficking.

Email:Jordyn.Francis@rso.baliprocess.net

Wendy is the Programme Manager for Strategic Communications and Engagement at the RSO, leading the RSO’s strategic communications and stakeholder engagement initiatives.

Wendy joined the RSO in November 2023 as a Programme Officer. Wendy was previously based in Myanmar—her home country. She has worked for non-profits and NGOs in the United States, Thailand, and Myanmar— contributing to a diverse background in monitoring and evaluation, communications consulting, and corporate social responsibility. Wendy holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies and Business Administration from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.

Recommended book: Hello, Shadowlands by Patrick Winn– "Essential to understanding Southeast Asia in the 21st century, Hello, Shadowlands reveals a booming underworld of organised crime across a region in flux— a $100 billion trade that deals in narcotics, animals and people —and the staggering human toll that is being steadily ignored by the West… Focusing on human stories on both sides of this crime wave, the acclaimed Bangkok-based broadcaster and journalist Patrick Winn intimately profiles the men and women of the region who are forced to make agonizing choices in the absence of law.”

Email: wint.htet@rso.baliprocess.net

Namitha is a Programme Manager in Strategic Planning and Organisational Development supporting the RSO part-time. Namitha has supported the team with various efforts including leadership development, workplanning and supporting governance mechanisms.

Namitha joins the RSO from the US, where she was a US Diplomat in International Development supporting strategic planning, project design, monitoring and evaluation, and communications. Her previous assignments include living and working in Guatemala, Mexico, Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand.

Recommended television programme: The Pitt. It's the more modern version of the 90's hit show, E.R. where each season spans one 15-hour work-day typical in an emergency room setting. It's a medically accurate programme showcasing the trauma of everyday living that somehow feels lighthearted and "feel-good" at the same time.

Email: namitha.jacob@rso.baliprocess.net

Kieran is Programme Manager for International Migration Strategies at the RSO. Kieran joined the team in June 2025 and provides coordination and technical support for initiatives on international migration, people smuggling and regional responses. His work supports practical policy coordination between Member States through regional forums, including the Six Country Irregular Migration (SCIM) initiative, and targeted capacity-building activities.

Prior to joining the RSO, Kieran worked in the UK Government on immigration and border security, supporting the delivery of UK border measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside upstream migration programmes and work on transnational organised crime. He later led programmes in the Cabinet Office on national security priorities, covering civil contingencies, critical infrastructure, and international security with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

Recommended book: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini – A deeply human story set against conflict in Afghanistan, exploring themes of friendship, betrayal, and redemption. While not focused on migration policy, it offers insight into how conflict, displacement, and fractured communities shape people’s lives over time.

Email: Kieran.Morris@rso.baliprocess.net

Sara joined the RSO in September 2025 as Programme Manager for Counter-Trafficking in Persons, bringing 20 years of experience working across Asia to address human trafficking, forced labour, and migration governance. She has led regional initiatives to strengthen prevention, protection, and policy responses, most recently as Chief of Party of the USAID Asia Countering Trafficking in Persons programme, where she coordinated a network of projects across the region and provided technical advice to advance survivor-centred and evidence-based approaches.

Sara has extensive experience working with people with lived experience of trafficking, leading research initiatives to elevate survivors’ perspectives in prevention and reintegration efforts, and developing practical tools for practitioners such as a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) toolkit for Countering Trafficking in Persons and a practitioner’s guide for survivor engagement. Her work has also included designing and piloting migration management models to reduce vulnerabilities, prevent labour abuses and bonded labour, and strengthen pathways for safe and fair migration.

Recommended Film: In This World (2002), directed by Michael Winterbottom, follows the perilous journey of two Afghan refugees smuggled from Pakistan to London. Filmed in a raw, documentary style, it captures the harsh realities faced by migrants on dangerous routes. One unforgettable scene depicts people locked inside a shipping container while attempting to cross the Mediterranean; with no oxygen, most suffocate and die. That moment is seared into memory as a stark reminder of the human cost of irregular migration and the thin line between smuggling and trafficking—powerful and tragically still relevant today.

Recommended Podcast: Labor of Loss, a podcast series by Winrock’s USAID Asia Counter Trafficking in Persons Project and Freedom Collaborative, explores experiences of human trafficking and labour exploitation across Asia. Across seven episodes, it takes listeners on a journey from a fishing fleet in South Korea to a palm oil plantation in Malaysia to a brick kiln in Cambodia, amplifying the voices of survivors and practitioners to unpack the complexities and systemic drivers of exploitation.

Email: Sara.Piazzano@rso.baliprocess.net

Kwankamol Prurapark (Kwan) is a programme and policy specialist with over seven years of experience working at the intersection of migration governance, counter‑trafficking, and regional cooperation across Asia. She joined the Regional Support Office (RSO) on 2 March 2026 and brings extensive experience engaging government institutions, ASEAN mechanisms, UN agencies, and civil society organizations.

Before joining the RSO, Kwan served as Chief of Party for the Asia Counter Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) Programme, leading multi‑country initiatives across ten countries and strengthening coordinated responses to mobility challenges. She has directed large regional programmes, facilitated high‑level policy dialogues, and produced widely referenced learning resources on governance, protection, and gender equality.

Kwan also has a background in journalism, which shapes her approach to communication, stakeholder engagement, and partnership development.

Recommended book: Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide – Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (2009)-This book is a powerful exploration of the systemic oppression faced by women and girls across the developing world, told through deeply personal and compelling stories. Kristof and WuDunn take readers through communities in Africa and Asia to meet women whose lives have been shaped by human trafficking, forced labor, and lack of access to basic health services. Despite the challenges highlighted, the authors present a narrative grounded in hope, resilience, and the transformative impact of targeted interventions.

Email: Kwankamol.PRURAPARK@rso.baliprocess.net

Kate joined the Regional Support Office (RSO) in January 2026 as Program Manager –Trends, Insights & Analysis. Kate brings a unique blend of operational credibility, strategic leadership, and international policy engagement across Australia, the Middle East, Pacific, and Southeast Asia. With almost two decades in security and diplomacy roles with responsibility for both operational and investigative portfolios in rapidly deteriorating security environments and geopolitical uncertainty. A builder of novel capabilities, new functions and change management programs, alongside a dedicated career mentoring and leading training courses. Drawing on real-world experience, Kate thrives on connecting people to purpose and delivering sustainable results across diverse cultural contexts.

Kate holds a Bachelor of Criminology from Deakin University, Australia.

Recommended book: Podcast series – Dare to Lead with Brene Brown – walks listeners through new research on what it means to be bold & courageous amid unrelenting global instability and complexity. They discuss leadership challenges in a rapidly shifting technological-led world and the importance of leaning into a digital mindset.

Email: Kate.Stanley@rso.baliprocess.net

Ryan Winch is the Programme Manager for the Transnational Crime and Technology Team at the RSO. Joining the RSO in October 2022, Ryan leads the Transnational Crime and Technology Team with a primary focus on combating trafficking in persons and people smuggling facilitated by emerging technologies, as well as how the potential of new technologies can be best harnessed to counter trafficking in persons, people smuggling and transnational crime.

Prior to his role at the RSO, Ryan served as a Security Sector Reform Officer with MINUSCA, the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Central African Republic as well as as a Programme Coordinator with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Myanmar. Ryan has also worked with UNODC’s Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, CIVICUS, Open Development Thailand, and the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI).

Recommended book/podcast: Hold Your Fire by International Crisis Group – “This offers fascinating deep dives and expert analysis of emerging security issues and conflicts around the globe.”

Email: ryan.winch@rso.baliprocess.net

Rose is a Strategic Advisor at the RSO. Rose joined the team in September 2022 as the Programme Manager for Strategic Communications and Engagement, and supports the RSO to engage proactively with Bali Process members and Working Groups, and to act as a responsive and trusted voice in the region – to ensure profile, impact and reach for the RSO’s programmes and activities.
Rose was previously based in London, UK, where her experience spans strategic, editorial and digital communications and engagement and stakeholder management across the research, higher education and charity sectors.

Recommended book: The Snakehead by Patrick Radden Keefe – "This is an astounding investigation into human smuggling which reads as part documentary, part thriller. The book follows ‘Sister Ping’ who was responsible for bringing at least 3,000 people from Fuzhou to America, and earned a reputation as a ‘living Buddah’ in her home city, as well as a vast personal fortune. The book charts the lives of some of those who made the journey and their fates, the links between the smuggling trade and organised criminal activity, the complex relationship held between migrants and smugglers, and humanises the drive behind people’s desperate journeys and what makes them willing to take such huge risks in the first place”.

Email: rose.wu@rso.baliprocess.net

Eun's career has taken her across Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and other regions where she has worked on migration, protection, border governance, transnational crime, and humanitarian response. She is known for her ability to connect high-level discussions with the operational realities faced by immigration officers, border authorities, and law enforcement personnel on the ground.

Eun leads border and migration management programmes, strengthening border governance to modernise border systems and improve frontline capabilities in areas such as traveller assessment, screening & referral, intelligence-led targeting, document examination, victim identification, interagency coordination and corruption. Through her regional training programmes and technical workshops, she has supported the capacity development of hundreds of frontline practitioners across the Asia–Pacific region.
She also coordinates the annual RSO Border Forum, which brings together senior officials to address emerging border security challenges.

Before joining the RSO, Eun managed humanitarian funding and due diligence for UNOPS and the UK government in Myanmar, and served as a Specialist on Foreign Affairs and Security for the Korean Government Presidential Council. Her career also includes coordinating emergency responses with Oxfam in Bangladesh and supporting UNOCHA operations in Afghanistan and Panama. Having started her international career with UNHCR in Mexico, Eun uses this diverse background in diplomacy and field operations to build the cross-border partnerships necessary for effective border governance.

Recommended book: The Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto, Think Big by Ben Carson, Deep Work by Cal Newport

Email: eunjung.yi@rso.baliprocess.net

Anjana Ahilan is a Programme Officer in the Communications and Engagement team at the RSO. Anjana joined the team in August 2024 and actively contributes to the RSO’s strategic communications and stakeholder engagement efforts.

Anjana joins the RSO from the UK, where she completed a MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies at the University of Oxford. Her previous experience includes roles in social media content creation and support for communications, network management, and event planning with various non-profits, NGOs, and IGOs.

Recommended book: My Fourth Time, We Drowned by Sally Hayden – "This eye-opening book provides an in-depth exploration of the migrant crisis, blending investigative journalism with powerful storytelling. It focuses on the harrowing experiences of those fleeing conflict and persecution, illuminating the profound personal and political ramifications of their journeys. Through intimate portraits, Hayden reveals the human cost of migration, the roles played by smugglers and governments, and the resilience of those who risk everything for a chance at a better life."

Email: Anjana.ahilan@rso.baliprocess.net

Tobias is the Programme Officer in the Irregular Migration and Regional Priorities team. He joined the team in February 2026 and contributes to the RSO’s work on supporting Member States to identify current priorities through research and regional cooperation.
His professional journey includes research and field-operation work in Asia. Before joining the RSO, Tobias worked in Nepal in programs focused on Internally Displaced Persons as well as civil registration (Nepal’s Madhesh communities). Before that, he worked for the Cooperation Department of the French Embassy in Myanmar, on gender and human rights issues. Tobias was also a member of the Senior Advisory Committee of the International Youth Alliance for Peace, based in Sri Lanka.
Tobias holds an MPA from Tsinghua University and an MSc in Human Development from the University of Geneva.
Recommended book: The Narrow Corridor by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson– "The Narrow Corridor explores how freedom can be sustained over time through a dynamic balance of state power and an active empowered society. It provides great insights and is especially relevant for policy and programme work focused on resilience and regional cooperation."
Email: tobias.colin@rso.baliprocess.net 

Methildis is the Programme Officer in the Information Sharing and Regional Response (ISRR) team at the RSO. She joined the team in January 2026 and supports the RSO’s work on countering people smuggling, including the Regional Information, Liaison, and Outreach Network (RILON) Initiative.

Prior to joining the RSO, Methildis was based in Jakarta, where she worked at the ASEAN Secretariat. Her role focused on monitoring and analysing the implementation of the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Blueprint 2025. She also supported the development of ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future, which contains the organisation’s vision and strategic plans, including measures to address transnational crime and ​smuggling, among others.

Recommended Book: Conflict and Transnational Crime: Borders, Bullets & Business in Southeast Asia by Florian Weigand – Drawing on the author's field research, the book shows how people smuggling and other cross-border crime are often embedded in everyday economic life, shaped by state policies, porous borders, and informal regulation. The book offers a nuanced understanding of migration, smuggling, and governance in conflict-affected regions, highlighting the critical role of state actors and local communities in shaping such activities in the region.

Email: Methildis.Emanuela@rso.baliprocess.net

Lindsay is Programme Officer in Transnational Crime and Technology and joined the RSO in January 2022. Lindsay supports the team in the organisation of events, projects and research which further the Transnational Crime and Technology Team efforts to support Member States to address new and growing uses of technology to facilitate trafficking in persons and people smuggling, along with the impact of transnational organised crime's relationship with these technologies.

Lindsay previously worked in the Policy and Partnerships team at the RSO, before moving to the newly formed Transnational Crime and Technology Team in January 2023. Before the RSO, Lindsay worked in Mae Hong Son, Thailand—implementing education and empowerment projects in the refugee camps of Ban Mai Nai Soi and Ban Mae Surin.

Recommended book/podcast: Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo – “This book provides an intimate and deeply researched account of life in the Annawadi slum, located near Mumbai's international airport. The book underscores how poverty and limited opportunities can push individuals, particularly women and children, into desperate situations where they are more easily exploited.”

Email: lindsay.erjavic@rso.baliprocess.net

Pattariya is the Programme Officer for the International Migration Strategies Team and joined the RSO in January 2026. Her role in supporting the development of the recently established Six Country Irregular Migration Initiative (SCIM) focuses on improving migration policy coordination in tackling maritime people smuggling.

Prior to her joining the RSO, Pattariya worked in administering immigration operation within the Australian Department of Home Affairs in 2025. She also brings experience working to disrupt upstream immigration crime, illicit commodities and intelligence expertise from her time at UK National Crime Agency and the UK Home Office International Operations between 2023 and 2024.

Recommended Book: The Boat People by Sharon Bala - The novel reflects people smuggling as a desperate last resort for refugees fleeing violence, rather than a simple criminal act. It highlights how smugglers exploit vulnerable people while strict immigration systems often leave refugees with no safer alternatives.

Email: Pattariya.Hansawong@rso.baliprocess.net

Nive joined the RSO in December 2025 as a Senior Management Support Officer, where she provides high-level executive, administrative and coordination support to the RSO Co-Managers.

Prior to joining the RSO, Nive worked as Special Assistant to the Leadership Team at UN Women's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, where she provided substantive and practical support to the Regional Director and Deputy Regional Director in their oversight of UN Women operations across the region. She has also previously held roles in disarmament, humanitarian affairs and human rights with NGOs and IOs across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Recommended Book: The Choice by Dr Edith Eva Eger - Dr Eger's journey from Auschwitz survivor to renowned psychologist demonstrates how trauma survivors can choose healing, forgiveness and joy despite past experiences.

Email: Nivedita.Mathukumar@rso.baliprocess.net

Natnicha is a Programme Officer for Countering People Smuggling at the RSO. She joined the RSO in August 2024, and is committed to supporting Member States' efforts to address the complexities of people smuggling and uphold the rights and dignity of people in the Bali Process region.

Natnicha's professional journey includes countering transnational threats and crime, human security, and geopolitics in the Asia-Pacific region, concentrating on Southeast Asia. Before joining the RSO, she worked as an associate for the GI-TOC, an international policy and research institute that focuses on transnational organized crime.

She has also worked at the Office of the National Security Council of Thailand as a Policy Analyst, and has interned at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) with the Strategic Planning and Inter-agency Affairs team, as well as the United Nations Development Program's (UNDP) Preventing Violent Extremism team. As a student, she interned at the Thai Consulate-General in Vancouver.

Natnicha studied International Relations for a BA at Chulalongkorn University, and Global Politics and Security for a MS at Georgetown University. She is currently studying for a Diploma in Law, focusing on Criminal Justice in her spare time.

Podcast recommendation: The Index Podcast by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC). The topics covered include highlights from the Global Organized Index, an online tool ranking levels of criminality and resilience in 193 countries around the world. Each episode covers a different topic of criminal activity and geographical focus, ranging from bride trafficking from Cambodia to China, Tunisia and Human Smuggling, cryptocurrency and money laundering, and the drug markets of East and Southern Africa, for instance.

Email: natnicha.surasit@rso.baliprocess.net

Andi is Programme Officer in the Border and Migration Management team at the RSO.

Andi was previously based in the Netherlands where he studied International Relations for his master’s degree in the field of International Relations specialising on NGOs and INGOs.

Recommended book: Sun Tzu, the Art of War – “This book can be read by anyone, and it will speak to you. An introspective read that will bring a new perspective to readers regardless of who they are.”

Email: andi.yurdi@rso.baliprocess.net

Lucie is finishing her Master's thesis in Human Rights at the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies (IHRP) at Mahidol University. Before joining IHRP, Lucie trained in User Interface and Experience Design, and held roles in various nonprofit and grassroot advocacy organisations.

Lucie is an Associate Programme Officer under the Strategic Communications and Engagement team, where she supports the creation and maintenance of the RSO Knowledge Hub. Her fields of interest include women and children's rights, migration and labour, trust in international human rights mechanisms, and peacebuilding through conflict transformation. Her thesis aims to explore the role of sociocultural morms and child agency in cases of trafficking and child domestic labour affecting girls in MENA.

Recommended book:  The Wretched of the Sea: Women and Borders in the Mediterranean

This book, based on research carried out on the Mediterranean coast, recounts the tales of the women who survived perilous voyages, heartbreaking rupture from their family, and the promise of opportunities. The Wretched of the Sea offers a remarkable insight into their daily lives in reception centers, waiting to be accepted into a Europe that often rejects them.

Email: Lucie.BENEVISE@rso.baliprocess.net

Xin Yi is from Taiwan and has recently finished her master's studies in International and Security Politics at the European School of Political and Social Science (ESPOL) in Lille, France. She joined the RSO as an intern under both the Border and Migration Management team and the Transnational Crime and Technology team for six months in the beginning of January 2025 and has since transitioned to Associate Program Officer in the Transnational Crime and Technology team. Her field of interest is human rights, refugees and asylum seekers, and global migration issues, particularly the migration dynamics in the Southeast Asia, which led to her interest in interning at the RSO. Before she started her internship here, she interned at a policy-focused think tank in Taiwan and a Japanese humanitarian NGO.

Recommended Book: Legitimising Rejection: International Refugee Law in Southeast Asia, Sara E. Davies

This book discusses the relationship of the international refugee law and the Southeast Asian countries from a different perspective. Given the fact that most of the Southeast Asian countries are not party to the international refugee law, there are a lot of existing literature trying to explain this phenomenon. Sara E. Davies's book points out the importance of looking at how states relate to law and how law shapes behavior by enabling and constraining certain types of action.

Email: xin.yi.huang@rso.baliprocess.net

Sarawut supports the Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Reporting team at the RSO. Sarawut recently finished his studies at Mahidol University, where he majored in International Relations and Global Affairs. He previously served as an intern under the RSO's Communications and Engagement team. His fields of interest include human rights, migration, politics, and International Relations.

Recommended book: Human Trafficking in Thailand: Current Issues, Trends, and the Role of the Thai Government.

This book addresses the reality of human trafficking in Thailand, dissecting studies, presenting facts, and dismissing stereotypes. It focuses on the areas of fishing, agriculture, domestic work, sex work, and the trafficking of children, weaving individual narratives and official studies into the wider history of Thailand’s changing economy and labor situation. It also details how the Thai government has addressed the issue, reflects on the roots of human exploitation, and suggests a way forward.

Email: sarawut.pongsuwan@rso.baliprocess.net

 

Ann has extensive experience working with marginalised communities within the fields of disability studies, inclusion, and Indigenous education. Professionally trained as a special needs practitioner, Ann is deeply passionate about social justice research that amplifies the voices and lived experiences of minoritised groups, including individuals with profound disabilities, displaced persons, and ethnic communities.

Currently, as an associate programme officer—following an internship at the RSO—she supports the organisation’s efforts to address Irregular Migration and Regional Priorities, focusing on areas such as irregular migration research and inclusive civil registration systems, among others.

Recommendation book: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl – This timeless book, chronicling Frankl’s  experience in a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust, explores the human condition through suffering, desperation, and the remarkable capacity for hope and strength. Quoting one of the most famous lines from the book: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Several decades later, Frankl’s reflections continue to inspire on how people can find meaning and purpose even in the most unlikely places and moments.

Email: ann.dela.torre@rso.baliprocess.net

Leza represents Australia as the RSO Secondee to the Regional Information, Liaison and Outreach Network (RILON) response group, supporting enhanced regional information sharing to address maritime people smuggling. In this role, she will work collaboratively with Member States to strengthen relationships, improve regional capability, and advance joint initiatives aimed at promoting effective and coordinated responses to shared border challenges.

An Australian Government official, Leza brings more than 15 years of immigration and border management experience. Her career spans a wide range of operational roles, including border control, passenger clearance, and the detection of document and identity fraud. She has also held management positions relating to Australia’s permanent Migration Program.
Leza’s international experience includes multiple overseas postings where she collaborated closely with international law enforcement partners to reinforce border integrity, facilitate lawful travel, and enhance information flows critical to threat identification. Her work in Vietnam included managing a significant visa program and partnering with regional stakeholders across the Mekong to address emerging visa trends and migration issues.

Leza’s secondment to RILON runs from late January 2026 to June 2026. During this period, she is committed to sharing Australia’s expertise, deepening regional cooperation, and contributing to policy discussions that strengthen border governance and protection frameworks across the region.

Recommended book:  ‘How to Argue with a Cat:  A Human's Guide to the Art of Persuasion’: This book is a light, humorous introduction to persuasion - using cats as the teachers. The author uses feline behaviour as metaphors for effective communication techniques, like timing, confidence, emotional appeal, and knowing when not to engage. It’s essentially a fun, accessible guide to classical discussion skills, but presented in a very playful way.

Email: leza.ahmed-wyatt@rso.baliprocess.net 

Majid is an experienced immigration professional with an extensive background in border management, document examination, passengers profiling, impostors’ detection and cross border joint investigation on trafficking in persons, people smuggling and other transnational organised crime. Currently serving as the representative of the Republic of Indonesia as Secondee to the Regional Information, Liaison and Outreach Network (RILON) Maritime People Smuggling Response Group, Majid will contribute his expertise to enhanced regional information sharing and mitigate shared challenges in addressing maritime people smuggling especially in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea corridor.

Majid is the Deputy Director for International Cooperation of the Directorate General of Immigration of the Republic of Indonesia, where he formulates, coordinates and manages all the Directorate General’s engagement in International Immigration cooperation, including as relates to efforts in combating people smuggling and other transnational crimes.

His work experience also extends to his tenure as the Immigration Attache in Davao City, Mindanao, the Philippines (2014-2018), the Head of Kuala Tungkal, Jambi Immigration Office (2018-2020) and the Immigration Attache in Sydney, Australia (2021-2025). Throughout his career and trainings, he has demonstrated expertise in the areas of immigration law, immigration and border governance, document fraud and impostor’s detection, and mutual assistance in criminal matters.

Recommended film: Limbo by Ben Sharrock. It is a strikingly humane and quietly powerful film. It blends deadpan humor with aching melancholy to capture the psychological state of asylum seekers stranded in bureaucratic uncertainty. The Scottish Island setting is not just a backdrop but a metaphor: windswept, isolated, and surreal, mirroring the dislocation of those caught between past and future, home and exile. From a personal standpoint, Limbo succeeds because it balances empathy with artistry. It doesn’t lecture; it invites reflection and is one of the most sophisticated cinematic explorations of migration and belonging in recent years.

Email: agus.abdul.majid@rso.baliprocess.net

Isabel is an officer of the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) with 24 years of service experience. Since 2019, she has been serving in the Migration Service as an investigating officer. Her primary responsibilities include investigating foreign nationals who enter the national territory illegally, violate visa regulations, or forge documents.

She has also participated in various operations across Timor-Leste to monitor and inspect foreigners who violate migration laws. She is honoured to be appointed by her institution to represent Timor-Leste as a secondee at the RSO and sees this as an excellent opportunity to strengthen cooperation and share information regarding the challenges of irregular migration and maritime people smuggling.

Email: isabel.graziela.ximenes@rso.baliprocess.net

Dona is the Resources Management Officer (Ad Interim) with the RSO based in Bangkok. In her role, she provides resources management advisory, oversight, and coordination support to Bali Process activities, including financial management, donor compliance, internal controls, and administrative governance, ensuring alignment with organizational policies and donor requirements.

She brings over 16 years of professional experience with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), supporting field missions, regional initiatives, and headquarters‑linked operations in the Philippines, Bangladesh, Geneva, Libya, Ukraine, and Poland. Her experience spans emergency response, multi‑donor programme support, and organizational transitions, with a strong focus on IPSAS‑compliant financial reporting, EU and ECHO donor requirements, and strengthening resources management systems across diverse operational contexts.

She holds a degree in Accountancy, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and has extensive experience advising management and supporting teams to enhance financial governance, compliance, and operational effectiveness.

Email: dflores@iom.int

Pich is the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Administrative Assistant for the RSO. He joined the team in August 2025 to provide day-to-day administrative, logistical and procurement support, helping the RSO deliver programs and partnerships effectively across the Asia–Pacific region.

He brings over five years of experience in finance, accounting and operations across both the private sector including education, finance institutions and healthcare and international organizations such as United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Pich holds a Master’s degree in Accounting and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (Finance and Human Resource Management) from Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand. He is Thai citizen and speaks fluently English and Thai.

Email: pkoomquan@iom.int

Suangsuda is the Administrative Assistant for the RSO. She joined the team in November 2023 and provides support to the program teams in implementation of project activities, procurement, logistic and administrative support to the project in close coordination with RSO Back Office team, with the focus on administrative.

Suangsuda has over 8 years of experience in administrative, logistical, and procurement work in both government sector and public organizations, managing various administrative and logistical arrangements. Suangsuda is a Thai citizen and a native speaker of Thai.

Email: srojanawichi@iom.int

Yaowaree is the Finance Assistant for the RSO.  She initially joined the team on a part-time basis in mid of year 2016, and on a full time basis in February 2017 and provides day-to-day support to the RSO, with the main focus on financial and budgeting matters.

Yaowaree has over 20 years of experience related to the finance in both public and private sectors at national level.  She is a Thai Citizen and a Thailand CPA.  Besides being a native speaker of the Thai language (native speaker), Yaowaree also speaks English and Teochew.

Harry is a recent graduate of Assumption University in Thailand, with a degree in Public Relations. He has a strong interest in media, regional affairs, and transnational issues affecting the Asia-Pacific. His experience in a bilingual news environment has provided Harry with skills in journalism, content creation and coordination, as well as editorial research that has shaped his understanding of communication and its role in policy development.

Harry is currently interning with the Communications and Engagement team of the RSO and is eager to contribute to media monitoring and strategic communication projects within this role. His main interest in this area concerns issues such as human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and how the media plays a role in raising awareness about international crimes.

Recommended Documentary: Hunting the Essex Lorry Killers (BBC). This documentary explores the tragic incident in which 39 Vietnamese migrants were found in a lorry in Essex, while attempting to migrate for work. The documentary examines how such migration is often orchestrated by traffickers, highlighting the need for international cooperation in addressing these issues and raising questions about why individuals are vulnerable to such crimes.

Email: hoang.ho@rso.baliprocess.net

Idiyansa is a final-year Master of International Relations student at the University of Melbourne. Prior to his postgraduate study, He completed a short course in Civic Engagement at Arizona State University in 2023, focusing on challenges related to Indonesian labour migration problems. He is currently interning with Transnational Crime and Technology team, where he will support RSO’s initiatives to deliver a coordinated regional response to trafficking for forced criminality into cyber-scam centres.

Idiyansa’s current academic interest, combined with his professional experience working across United Nations agencies along with his hands-on experience with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) advocating for the rights of Indonesian migrant workers, promoting safe migration, and addressing irregular labour migration issues, have shaped his interest in issues at the nexus of migration, security, and human rights, particularly in Southeast Asia.

Recommended Documentary: UNDOCUMENTED (2023). This documentary explores the struggles and resilience of undocumented Indonesian migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia. Idiyansa’s and his former organisation were involved in the film’s production in collaboration with WatchDoc team. He therefore highly recommends this documentary, as it highlights the vulnerabilities faced by many Indonesians working as undocumented migrant workers in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic. It enlightens audience to what extent of assistance provided by the Indonesian government and the mitigation measures undertaken during this challenging time.

Email: idiyansa@rso.baliprocess.net

Camila is an intern in the Countering Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) team at the RSO. Camila has a background in criminology and holds an MSc in International Crimes, Conflict, and Criminology obtained from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands. She has a strong interest in protecting vulnerable persons from exploitation, which was reflected in both her Bachelor and Master thesis projects that explored Online Child Sexual Exploitation (OCSE), as well as the challenges former child soldiers face when reintegrating into society. She brings experience in legal research and criminal investigations across federal and provincial Canadian contexts.

Camila assists with several CTIP initiatives, including the CTIP Navigator website, policy development on regularisation, and regional cooperation on OCSE. Camila is eager to apply her academic background and professional experience to support the RSO’s initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region.

Recommended film: Comme un fils (Like a Son) is a French drama that explores the struggles of a Romani teenage boy who moved to France with elders that exploit him, where he resides in a large encampment. The film looks at the challenges of social integration as the teenage boy struggles to break free from a community where he is coerced into a life of crime in order to survive.

Email: camila.lerner@rso.baliprocess.net

The RSO’s internship program provides valuable hands-on experience and professional development opportunities for aspiring individuals eager to contribute to our efforts countering trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants. We believe in nurturing talent, fostering growth, and empowering the next generation of students and recent graduates.

Read more about our past interns.