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L’activiste Sombath Somphone, spectre gênant pour le régime laotien

Libération: 2 août 2016

Sombath-Magsaysay
Sombath Somphone en 2005. Il avait fondé l’ONG Padetc.

Le défenseur des petits paysans a été enlevé fin 2012 dans des conditions troubles. Au Timor oriental, une conférence citoyenne se penche sur sa disparition.

Il est l’un des disparus les plus célèbres d’Asie du Sud-Est. Et pour les autorités du Laos, Sombath Somphone est devenu un nom à taire, sinon une vie à occulter. Car dans la petite république démocratique populaire coincée entre le Vietnam et la Thaïlande et dans l’orbite de la très gourmande Chine, ce fondateur d’une ONG de soutien aux paysans, 64 ans, est un proscrit. Son histoire, emblématique de la situation des droits de l’homme en Asie, doit être évoquée à la conférence sur la société civile de l’Association des nations de l’Asie du Sud-Est (Asean) qui se tient à Dili, au Timor oriental, jusqu’au 5 août. Continue reading “L’activiste Sombath Somphone, spectre gênant pour le régime laotien”

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ASEAN’s shame: Where is Sombath Somphone?

ASEAN Today: 26 July 2016

sb-training-002
Photo: The Sombath Initiative/Facebook

By Sarah Caroline Bell

The sun had set on a warm Saturday evening in Vientiane. For most, December 15 2012 was just another weekend, but for Sombath Somphone, it marked the last time he was seen.

Shortly after 6pm, security camera footage captured the police stopping his vehicle a short distance away from the Australian Embassy Recreation Club. It is hard to see, but the footage shows Sombath being escorted into the Thadeua Police Post. His jeep is taken away by a motorcyclist, a truck appears outside the police post and Sombath is taken away. That was his last reported sighting.

In 2015, fresh new evidence was unearthed by the family which shows Sombath’s jeep being driven south. The government of Laos has stalled at every possible opportunity to investigate the disappearance and deny any knowledge of it. How can that be possible when his last contact was with multiple members of authority; the police? Continue reading “ASEAN’s shame: Where is Sombath Somphone?”

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Dear Sombath…from a former Green Ant volunteer

Dear Uncle Sombath,

sombath_fishing_skillsI have not written to you in a long time, since you disappeared. That hit me inside, in my heart. It made me wonder what I should do about my work, because you were always my role model, ever since I was a PADETC volunteer while in secondary school.

The first time I saw you was when you explained your work to a group of youth volunteers from Vientiane. At that time, Pui Duangkhae was the team leader mobilising volunteers who were interested in learning about the environment in Phu Khao Khwai. We met at the bamboo garden, and you and Uncle Outhin briefed us before we went to the park. Your words at that time greatly impressed me. You said we needed the forest, but the forest did not need us. Those words made me think that we must preserve and care for the forest, and it was the beginning of my journey as an environmental volunteer. We started by removing garbage from the steams in the Phu Khao Khwai Protected area in 1996. Continue reading “Dear Sombath…from a former Green Ant volunteer”

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Radio silence

The Economist: 23 July 2016

As Barack Obama prepares for his first visit to Laos, its civil society struggles

Economist-2016
Sombath is Missing

A HIGHLIGHT of Ounkeo Souksavanh’s years as a radio host in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, came in late 2011 when he hosted an episode of Wao Kao (“News Talk”) on land disputes in the south of the country. Near the end of the programme, Mr Ounkeo says, a listener called in and criticised the son of a Politburo member for allegedly grabbing land from farmers for a property-development project. In mid-2012 the Lao government appeared to show sympathy with such complaints: it said it would suspend the granting of permits to take over farmland for rubber plantations, a big cause of farmers’ gripes.

But there was no on-air celebration. The government had shut down the radio programme, one of the country’s only public outlets for grievance. In December 2012 Sombath Somphone, a campaigner for farmers’ rights who had publicly challenged the granting of rural land-use concessions to businesses, was stopped at a police post and put into the back of a pickup truck. He has not been heard from since. His supporters put up notices about his disappearance, like the one pictured on the next page. Officials told them to stop. Mr Ounkeo felt that he was in danger, too. He eventually left for America. He now works there for Radio Free Asia, a station funded by America’s Congress. Continue reading “Radio silence”

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AEPF11 Final Declaration

AEPF11-LogoAEPF: 06 July 2016

11th Asia- Europe People’s Forum – AEPF11

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
6th July 2016

We, over 750 participants, representing social movements, people’s organisations and citizens from 42 countries across Asia and Europe joined together from the 4th to 6th July 2016 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia at the 11th Asia Europe People’s Forum under the title “Building New Solidarities: Working for Inclusive, Just, and Equal Alternatives in Asia and Europe”.

Urgent Concerns

Enforced Disappearance of Sombath Somphone

On 15th December 2016, it will be four years since the enforced disappearance of Sombath Somphone.  Sombath was one of the main organisers of AEPF9 held in Vientiane just before ASEM9.  Sombath’s abduction on 15th December 2012 was captured by a police CCTV camera. Since then, the Lao Government has provided no meaningful information to Sombath’s family, friends and the public about his abduction and continuing disappearance. Instead, successive statements and actions by the Lao Government indicate a continuing denial of its basic responsibility and obligations.

We should be reminded that while concerns continue to be raised in the confines of the Universal Periodic Review and similar human rights dialogues, the policies and programmes of governments, donors, and development agencies remain largely unaltered. While Laos is the chair of ASEAN this year, for the first time in its history the parallel ASEAN People’s Forum must be held in another country.

We remind all ASEM member states of their human rights obligations, both domestically and internationally. We sincerely demand that the Lao Government complete their investigation into Sombath’s disappearance, make public the investigation report, and take forward appropriate legal processes against the perpetrators of the crime.  We urge ASEM member states to monitor the fulfilment of these demands and ensure that Sombath and his family receive the justice that is surely their right and that he is returned safely to his family.

(The full declaration can be seen here.)

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Laos: Premier Should Account for ‘Disappeared’ Activist

Human Rights Watch HRWHuman Rights Watch: 14 July 2016

Disclosing Fate of Sombath Somphone Major Test for New Government

(New York) – Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith should immediately disclose the fate of prominent activist Sombath Somphone, who has been forcibly disappeared in Vientiane since December 2012, Human Rights Watch said.

Since taking office on April 20, 2016, Prime Minister Thongloun has stayed silent on Sombath’s disappearance, among the country’s most serious human rights cases in recent years. Official investigations of the case have been rudimentary and inadequate, and failed to offer any credible explanation of his fate or whereabouts. Lao authorities have repeatedly disregarded concerns raised by foreign governments and human rights groups.

“Sombath Somphone’s case is a major test for Prime Minister Thongloun’s new government,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The prime minister should end Lao’s long silence on Sombath’s ‘disappearance’ and explain what happened to him, instead of trying to deflect international criticisms and concerns.” Continue reading “Laos: Premier Should Account for ‘Disappeared’ Activist”

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An open letter to the 2016 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)

AEPF-2016-06On the occasion of the eleventh Asia-Europe People’s Forum in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, we are reminded of the ninth AEPF held in Vientiane, the capital of the Lao PDR, in 2012.

As the first international civil society forum held in the country, and building on widespread public consultations in every province, AEPF9 was hailed as a milestone for Lao civil society.

But there have been no more such events in the Lao PDR in the subsequent four years.

Soon after AEPF9, Sombath Somphone, the forum’s co-chairperson, was following up on intimidation of participants by authorities both during and after the forum. On December 15, he was stopped at a police check post and then taken away in full view of CCTV cameras.
Continue reading “An open letter to the 2016 Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)”

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Disappearance Casts a Pall Over Laos as ASEAN Conference Looms

Radio Free Asia: 07 July 2016

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A 2005 photo of Sombath Somphone in the Philippines. AFP/Somphone family

Sombath Somphone’s shadow continues to hang over Laos, with the rural development expert’s disappearance in 2012 still haunting the country as it prepares to host the annual meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Sombath’s abduction remains unsolved even though there is video footage of Sombath’s Jeep being stopped at a police checkpoint that also shows Sombath being herded into a white truck and taken away. In the video, a man dressed in white returns and drives off in his Jeep.

Though police promised to investigate, Lao authorities soon backtracked saying they could no longer confirm whether the man in the video footage was actually Sombath.

And that’s the way the case has remained despite international calls to solve it. Continue reading “Disappearance Casts a Pall Over Laos as ASEAN Conference Looms”