Where is Sombath? ສົມບັດຢູ່ໃສ?

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Sombath SomphoneSombath Somphone was last seen in Vientiane on the evening of Saturday 15th December when he was driving home in his jeep.  His family and friends immediately contacted the police, visited hospitals, and informed Embassies, but nobody knew where Sombath had gone.

Two days later, CCTV footage became available that showed Sombath being stopped by police and then abducted.  The video can be seen here.

Sombath is a friend, colleague and a visionary who has spent his life working for his people and country. This website hopes to facilitate his return to his family and work.

ມີຄົນພົບເຫັນ ສົມບັດ ສົມພອນ ຄັ້ງສຸດທ້າຍໃນ ນະຄອນຫລວງວຽງຈັນ ໃນຕອນແລງ ຂອງວັນເສົາ ທີ 15 ທັນວາ ເມື່ອລາວກຳລັງຂັບລົດຈິດຂອງລາວກັບບ້ານ. ທັນທີຫລັງຈາກນັ້ນ ຄອບຄົວ ແລະ ເພື່ອນມິດສະຫາຍຂອງລາວໄດ້ພະຍາຍາມຕິດຕໍ່ຫາຕຳຫລວດ, ໄປຊອກຫາທີ່ ໂຮງຫມໍ ແລະ ແຈ້ງສະຖານທູດຕ່າງໆ ແຕ່ກໍ່ບໍ່ມີໃຜຮູ້ວ່າ ສົມບັດ ຫາຍໄປໃສ.

ສອງມື້ຕໍ່ມາ ໄດ້ມີພາບຖ່າຍວິດີໂອກ້ອງວົງຈອນປິດຈາລະຈອນ ໄດ້ສະແດງໃຫ້ເຫັນວ່າ ສົມບັດ ກຳລັງຖືກຢຸດກວດໂດຍຕຳຫລວດ ແລະ ຫລັງຈາກນັ້ນກໍ່ຖືກລັກພາຕົວໄປ. ພາບຖ່າຍ ວິດີໂອດັ່ງກ່າວ ສາມາດຊົມໄດ້ທີ່ນີ້.

ສົມບັດເປັນໝູ່, ເປັນເພື່ອຮ່ວມງານ ແລະ ເປັນຜູ້ທີ່ມີວິໃສທັດ ຊຶ່ງລາວໄດ້ໃຊ້ຊີວິດເຮັດວຽກ ເພື່ອປະຊາຊົນ ແລະ ປະເທດຊາດ. ເວບໄຊ້ນີ້ຫວັງວ່າຈະຊ່ວຍເອື້ອຍອຳນວຍໃຫ້ລາວກັບມາ ຫາຄອບຄົວ ແລະ ວຽກງານຂອງລາວ.

Public seminar in Tokyo

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Tokyo Seminar-01The Institute of Asian Cultures, Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan is hosting a public seminar “What is Politically Enforced Disappearance?: Development and Human Rights Issues in Recent Abduction Cases of Thailand and Lao PDR” on May 25. The case of Sombath will be presented alongside that of Somchai Neelepaijit in Thailand. Details are available at the Sophia University Website or in this flyer.

Five Months On, Demand for Accountability and Action

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5mth statement bannerLaos: Five Months On, Demand for Accountability and Action in Sombath Somphone’s Disappearance Intensifies

Bangkok/Manila/Jakarta (15 May 2013) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Focus on the Global South, The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) and the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS) reiterated their call on the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and ASEAN governments to break the silence and take action on the disappearance of Laotian development worker, educator and Magsaysay award winner Sombath Somphone. The appeal was made as civil society organizations, respected world leaders and the diplomatic community, friends and family marked the fifth month of Sombath Somphone’s disappearance today.

Despite the recent conclusion of the 22nd ASEAN Summit (25-26 April) and the 12th AICHR Meeting (6-10 May), no concrete headway has been made in addressing or tackling Sombath’s disappearance and human rights abuses in the region. During the 12th AICHR Meeting, the regional human rights body reportedly discussed the implementation of the recently-adopted ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD), but fell short of taking a position on Sombath’s case, as well as the issue of enforced disappearances in the region. This was despite a recent open letter by the Solidarity for Asian People’s Advocacy – Task Force on ASEAN and Human Rights (SAPA TFAHR), among the many calls from numerous groups and individuals, urging the regional body to do so.

“We deplore the AICHR’s continued silence on the case of Sombath. We understand that the AICHR discussed the AHRD in its latest meeting, but even the AHRD, a document which is below international human rights standards, provides guarantees to the rights to personal liberty and security and prohibits arbitrary deprivation of that right. In this regard, Sombath’s disappearance is an opportunity for the AICHR to act,” said Haris Azhar, Coordinator, KontraS. Continue reading →

ASEAN rights commission told to probe disappearance of Laotian activist

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The Jakarta Post: 11 April 2013

By Margareth S. Aritonang

An activist group wants the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) to stand up for missing Laotian development worker and activist Sombath Somphone.

Sombath was last seen in December when CCTV footage showed him entering an unidentified SUV at a police checkpoint in Vientiane, The Solidarity for Asian People’s Advocacy Task Force on ASEAN and Human Rights (SAPA TFAHR) said in a letter made available to The Jakarta Post.

“Maintaining a veil of silence is neither constructive nor exemplary of a regional human rights body,” the letter said. “Staying silent on Sombath’s disappearance is a convenient but short-sighted approach, because human rights violations related to land, natural resources and the environment are likely to increase as the region embarks on a zealous pursuit of economic development.”

Separately, rights activist Haris Azhar from the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) called on the Indonesian representatives on the AICHR to endorse an investigation into Sombath’s disappearance.

“AICHR will turn into useless regional community unless it takes immediate action to search for Sombath,” Haris told the Post on Friday.

Aktivis Laos Hilang, ASEAN Didesak Bantu Usut

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Republica Online: 09 May 2013

logo-asean-_120202090443-433REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Forum Hak Asasi Manusia dan Pembangunan untuk Asia mendesak para perwakilan ASEAN di Komisi Antarpemerintah untuk HAM (AICHR) agar memberikan bantuan dan advokasi dalam pencarian aktivis Laos Sombath Somphone yang hilang sejak Desember 2012.

“Masyarakat sipil Asia Tenggara pekan ini melakukan berbagai kampanye untuk kasus ini dan mendesak Komisi HAM ASEAN yang saat ini sedang mengadakan pertemuan reguler di ASEAN Sekretariat, Jakarta, untuk dapat membantu,” kata Manajer Program Forum Hak Asasi Manusia dan Pembangunan Asia (FORUM-ASIA) untuk ASEAN, Atnike Sigiro di Jakarta, Rabu (8/5).

Sombath Somphone merupakan aktivis terkemuka Laos yang banyak menyumbang pemikirannya dalam bidang pembangunan, kepemimpinan, dan kesejahteraan masyarakat. Atas karyanya, Somphone beberapa kali mendapat penghargaan, seperti Magsaysay Award pada tahun 2005 karena kepemimpinnya.

Dia juga pernah menyumbangkan pemikirannya dalam diskusi bertema interkonekvitas pada Forum Intelektual Asia di Chiang Mai, Thailand pada tahun 2011. Makanya, menurut Atnike, karya Somphone sangat berpengaruh di kawasan Asia Tenggara. Hal tersebut, menurut dia, dapat menjadi pertimbangan untuk AICHR agar dapat berperan aktif dalam mengusut kasus Somphone.

AICHR memiliki prinsip untuk tidak mengintervensi kebijakan negara tertentu. “Saya kira dia tidak hanya aktivis Laos, tetapi juga pemikirannya berkembang ke Asia Tenggara. Maka dari itu ini menjadi bahan yang harus dipertimbangkan oleh Komisi HAM ASEAN,” ujarnya.

Somphone hilang pada tanggal 15 Desember 2012 ketika sedang dalam perjalanan ke Vientiane. Banyak pihak menduga keterlibatan aparat kepolisian dan pemerintah Laos dalam insiden tersebut. Hal itu berdasarkan pada video yang merekam aktivitas Somphone sesaat sebelum dia diduga diculik.

Redaktur : Dewi Mardiani

Sumber : Antara

Laos government silent on abduction of rural development campaigner

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Vancouver Sun, April 30, 2013

Officials of one-party state almost certainly behind abduction even though Sombath Somphone took care to never challenge the government

BY JONATHAN MANTHORPE

It’s hard to guess when Sombath Somphone crossed the line from being an accepted and cherished champion of rural development in Laos, to becoming a perceived threat to the one-party Communist state.

But that’s what happened.

Jonathan Manthorpe: Laos government silent on abduction of rural development campaignerEarly in the evening of Dec. 15 as Sombath was driving home in his Jeep from his office in the Lao capital Vientiane he was stopped at a police checkpoint on Thadeua Road, which runs by the Mekong River.

A few minutes later a man rode up on a motorcycle, parked it and drove off in Sombath’s jeep.

Then a pickup truck arrived at the checkpoint, Sombath got in, the truck drove off and he has not been seen or heard from since.

Others have disappeared in questionable circumstances in Laos, which, after the moves to civilian rule in Burma and economic reforms in Vietnam, remains the most recalcitrant one-party state in Southeast Asia. Continue reading →

Quan ngại về giới hoạt động ở Lào

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BBC News: 1 tháng 2013

By Jonah Fisher

Đây là trường hợp mà một thám tử loại trung bình có thể giải phá trong vòng một tuần. Vụ bắt cóc ông Sombath Somphone được ghi lại trên camera và diễn ra trên một con đường đông đúc tại một trạm kiểm soát của cảnh sát.

Ông Sombath là người thành lập tổ chức PADETC tại Lào

Thế nhưng hơn bốn tháng sau khi nhà hoạt động hàng đầu trong lĩnh vực phát triển của Lào mất tích, các nhà chức trách nói họ không có đầu mối nào và chưa cần tới trợ giúp từ bên ngoài trong việc tìm kiếm ông.

Chẳng có gì đáng ngạc nhiên khi các nhân viên cứu trợ và các nhà ngoại giao tại quốc gia nhỏ bé ở Đông Nam Á này đang lo sợ điều tồi tệ nhất có thể xảy ra

Vợ của ông Sombath, bà Shui-meng Ng, nhìn thấy chồng mình lần cuối trong chiếc gương chiếu hậu trên chiếc xe của bà.

Đó là hôm thứ Bảy ngày 15 tháng Mười Hai năm 2012, và hai vợ chồng bà đang đi xe về nhà trong hai chiếc xe riêng rẽ dọc con đường Thadeua, chạy song song với dòng sông Mekong.

Trước đó ông Sombath, 61 tuổi, đã đi tập thể dục buổi tối trong khi bà vợ người Singapore của ông dự một cuộc họp trong thành phố.

Tới cuối ngày, họ gặp nhau tại một cửa hàng nhỏ mà bà Shui-meng quản lý và quyết định về nhà.

Mặc dù không bị tắc nghẽn giao thông, hai xe mất liên lạc với nhau. Khi về đến nhà, bà Shui-meng đợi vài giờ sau đó đã quay trở lại để tìm chồng.

Sau khi không thấy bất cứ dấu vết nào của ông hay của chiếc xe Jeep của ông, sáng hôm sau bà đã trình báo việc ông bị mất tích.

Continue reading →

Wife pleads for return of abducted Laos aid worker

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BBC video, 30 April 2013

Click this link or the image below to watch the video.

BBC_coverage_of_Sombath_disappearanceThe wife of a prominent Laos civil society leader who disappeared four months ago while driving home has urged that more be done to find her husband.

Security camera footage showed Sombath Somphone being taken away by unidentified men after he was stopped by police in the capital Vientiane.

The communist authorities in Laos say they do not know what has happened to him.

Mr Sombath had been campaigning for sustainable development and fair land rights for small farmer.