Event by AFAD on Sombath Somphone
The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) together with representatives from human rights organizations in the Philippines gathered today, to commemorate the enforced disappearance of Sombath Somphone. Former Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Ms. Etta Rosales who was also present in the event gave an inspirational message to encourage human rights defenders to not lose hope and to continue the struggle for truth and justice. Shui Meng, the wife of Sombath, sent a video message expressing her thanks to AFAD and human rights networks in the Philippines.
Sketches of the Disappeared, including that of Sombath Somphone, were displayed. “The sketches all have no eyes”, the artist says, “they will have eyes when they reappear”.
The event was also the launching of the ilitaw.ph – the official campaign website regarding enforced disappearances in the Philippines.
More than 50 people from various human rights organizations and media organizations attended the event.
US to Laos: Step Up Probe of Activist Somphone’s Disappearance
Voice of America: 16 December 2015
![SB-Magsaysay](https://i0.wp.com/www.sombath.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/sombath_magsaysay_award.jpg?resize=525%2C417)
The United States on Wednesday called on Laos to resolve the mystery of the disappearance three years ago of prominent social activist Sombath Somphone, saying his abduction sent a “chilling message” on human rights.
Sombath went missing in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on December 15, 2012. A video previously released by authorities shows him being stopped at a police checkpoint and being led into a pickup truck.
“The United States remains deeply concerned over [Sombath’s] fate and the chilling message his abduction sends to members of civil society and the people of Laos more broadly,” the U.S. State Department said. “We are troubled by the fact that no progress has been made in locating Mr. Somphone and call on the Lao government to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation. The government should take measures to resolve this case immediately.” Continue reading “US to Laos: Step Up Probe of Activist Somphone’s Disappearance”
จากเพื่อนไทยถึงเพื่อนลาว
โครงการ ไปให้ไกลกว่าสมบัด สมพอน: 15 ธันวาคม 2528
จากเพื่อนไทยถึงเพื่อนลาว,
พวกเราคนหนุ่มสาวลุ่มน้ำโขง รวมตัวกันทำกิจกรรมในนาม Sombath Somphone and Beyond Project มาตั้งแต่ปี 2556 หลังเหตุการณ์การบังคับให้สูญหายที่เกิดขึ้นกับลุงสมบัด สมพอน เมื่อวันที่ 15 ธันวาคม 2556 ณ กรุงเวียงจันทร์ ประเทศลาว จากที่เราได้ยิน ได้เห็น ได้เรียนรู้ เราพบว่า ลุงสมบัดอยากเห็นสันติภาพเกิดขึ้นในภูมิภาคลุ่มน้ำโขง จากการใช้ชีวิตและการทำงานที่ผ่านมาไม่ว่าจะเป็นงานด้านการศึกษา งานพัฒนาคนสาวหนุ่มรุ่นใหม่
เราเชื่อในสันติภาพเช่นกันจึงได้ลุกขึ้นมาจัดกิจกรรมต่างๆ ตลอด 3 ปี อาทิ งานดนตรีเพื่อสันติภาพ, Tea Talks ดื่มน้ำชาตามหาสันติภาพ, กิจกรรมตามหาสมบัด Around the World, Peace Talks 2 ครั้ง ในชื่อ “เสรีภาพ สันติภาพ แตกต่างเหมือนกัน” และกิจกรรมครบรอบ 2 ปี สมบัด สมพอน “2 years I remember“ ถ้าโลกนี้ไม่มีการอุ้มหาย” ด้วยการโบกรถตามหาสันติภาพจากกรุงเทพถึงแม่น้ำโขงที่จังหวัดหนองคาย และมีเวทีวิชาการในกรุงเทพ ในทุกๆ กิจกรรม พวกรามีความฝันที่จะร่วมกันสร้างสันติภาพให้เกิดขึ้นจริง สันติภาพที่เราทุกคนมีเสรีภาพที่จะพูด ที่จะแสดงความคิดเห็น สันติภาพที่จะปกป้องดูแลซึ่งกันและกัน สันติภาพที่รัฐและกฎหมายจะดูแลพวกเรา แม้เป็นเพียงหินก้อนเล็กๆ แต่เราก็หวังว่ามันจะกระเพื่อมสายน้ำออกไปเป็นวงกว้าง
Continue reading “จากเพื่อนไทยถึงเพื่อนลาว”
Dear Sombath….from SY Chin (3)
Greetings Sombath,
I am mindful that 12 December 2015 marks the beginning of the fourth year of your disappearance.
I found in the course of my travels over the past year that your absence has not faded the reputation of your splendid development efforts. It may have strengthened it instead. Development specialists — ranging from a film-director to several policy-researchers — have asked about you after discovering that I am from the ASEAN Region.
Your wisdom about sustainable development issues has again been proven in the debates leading up to the 2015 Paris Climate Talks. ASEAN’s and Laos’ position would have been so much stronger if we had you speak up on the challenges that now confront our Region.
I hope we will hear you speak soon.
SY Chin, Publisher
Message from Thai Youth to Lao Friends
Sombath Somphone & Beyond Project: 15 December 2015
From Thai youth to Laos friends,
We, the youths of Mekong, has come together for Sombath Somphone and Beyond Project since 2013 after the tragedy that occurred to our uncle Sombath Somphone on the fifteenth of December 2013 in Vientiane, Laos. From what we have heard, seen, and witnessed, we come to realize that the lifetime commitment and dedication either in the fields of education or development uncle Sombath has been doing is for nothing but peace in this region.
We, too, believe in peace. This is why we have come together and organized various activities in the past three years from Concert for Peace, Tea Talks, Finding Sombath Around the World, Peace Talks under the title “Liberty, Freedom, Same Same but Different”, a peace journey “Two Years, I remember” from Bangkok all the way to Mekong in Nhong – Khai province, with academic forums to raise awareness for every activity that we held. We have a dream to make peace come true. Peace that allows freedom of expression. Peace that protects one another person. Peace that permits the state and law to fairly govern us. As small action as this might seem to be, we hope this rock we cast will create many ripples across the water. Continue reading “Message from Thai Youth to Lao Friends”
Statement from AEPF
Asia Europe People’s Forum: 15 December 2015
Lao People’s Democratic Republic – Sombath Somphone’s enforced disappearance and demands for his safe return
The Asia Europe People’s Forum International Organizing Committee remains deeply concerned about the safety and wellbeing of Mr. Sombath Somphone. It is now three years today since his enforced disappearance.
Sombath is one of the most respected and influential voices for sustainable people‐centred and just economic and social development in Laos. He is the founder and former Director of the Participatory Development Training Centre (PADETC), and the winner of the 2005 Ramon Magsaysay Award for community leadership. He was the most prominent Lao co‐organizer of the Asia Europe People’s Forum 9 (AEPF9), which was held in October 2012 in the Lao capital Vientiane, before the Asia‐Europe Meeting, ASEM9.
On 15th December 2012 Sombath Somphone disappeared, taken away in a truck by unknown persons after being stopped by police in Vientiane. Nobody has seen or heard from him since. Continue reading “Statement from AEPF”
Interview: Remembering the Disappearance of Sombath Somphone
The Diplomat: 15 December 2015
![Sombath Somphone (d.) en compagnie de l'archevêque sud-africain Desmund Tutu en 2006. Wikimedia Commons / Shui-Meng Ng](https://i0.wp.com/www.sombath.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/with-dtutu-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225)
The Diplomat talks with Ng Shui Meng, the wife of disappeared Lao activist Sombath Somphone.
Today marks the third year anniversary of the enforced disappearance of Sombath Somphone, an internationally-renowned civil society leader in Laos.
Despite the availability of CCTV footage showing Sombath’s abduction in the early evening of December 15, 2012 at a police checkpoint in Vientiane, no progress has been made in locating him and returning him to his family. Rights groups say the fact that the police officers who witnessed the abduction failed to intervene suggests some level of complicity by Lao authorities.
Ng Shui Meng, Sombath’s wife, continues to campaign for his release. Ahead of the third anniversary and Laos prepares to officially take over as chair of ASEAN in 2016, she spoke with John Quinley III. An edited version of that interview follows.
Can you tell us your personal feelings on the third anniversary of the disappearance of your husband Sombath?
His enforced disappearance took place three years ago. I am still confused why someone like Sombath who has worked for 30 years openly in Laos in a very non-confrontational manner would experience enforced disappearance at that time of his life. Continue reading “Interview: Remembering the Disappearance of Sombath Somphone”
Lao activist case moving slowly
Bangkok Post: 15 December 2015
The enforced disappearance of Sombath Somphone, a Lao activist who disappeared in December 2012, will be probed until there is an answer, a forum was told.
“We will never stop asking questions about the enforced disappearance of Sombath,” according to his wife, friends, and colleagues despite continued rebuttals by the Lao government which will assume the Asean chairmanship in the next two weeks.
Angkhana Neelapaijit, a National Human Rights Commissioner, read a message from Shui-Meng, Mr Sombath’s wife, at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand in Bangkok Monday on the eve of the third anniversary of his disappearance.
“The pain and burden have continued, not lessened with time. Nothing can take the pain away … but I’m exhausted by the search for an answer as the state refuses to come clean,” read the message.
“There are times when the burden and pain are too heavy, but families of other enforced disappearance victims have continued to stand with us. So it’s no longer a personal struggle, it is for the sake of humanity and it is our right to pursue answers and the truth.”
Ms Angkhana is a member of “The Sombath Initiative” which has been pushing for an answer from the Lao government. The 2005 Magsaysay laureate was last seen on the evening of Dec 15, 2012 in Vientiane.
Sam Zarifi, International Commission of Jurists’ (ICJ) Asia Pacific regional director, showed new CCTV camera footage which was obtained from the area near the police checkpoint on the day of the abduction. Continue reading “Lao activist case moving slowly”
Tres años del secuestro policial del ‘Mandela de Laos’
El Diaro: 14 Diciembre 2015
![Shui Meng-El Diaro](https://i0.wp.com/www.sombath.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Shui-Meng-El-Diaro.jpg?resize=525%2C296)
El líder social más influyente de Laos desapareció el 15 de diciembre de 2012. Las imágenes de las cámaras de tráfico revelan que fue la propia policía laosiana quien le secuestró en pleno centro de la capital. eldiario.es ha entrevistado en Vientiane a su esposa Ng Shui-Meng que, pese al terror impuesto por las autoridades comunistas, sigue luchando para conocer el paradero de Sombath Somphone.
La mujer, de aspecto frágil, irradia una tristeza infinita. Nada más entrar en una semivacía cafetería de Vientiane, se dedica a buscar el rincón más alejado de miradas y oídos indiscretos. Solo cuando se siente segura, aflora en ella la fuerza y la determinación que le han permitido seguir adelante durante estos durísimos tres años: “Nací en Singapur. Sombath y yo nos conocimos mientras estudiábamos en Estados Unidos, en Hawai. Él fue, probablemente, el único laosiano que regresó a su país. El resto de estudiantes se quedaron para siempre en Norteamérica, pero él quería trabajar por Laos. Era de una familia muy humilde y quería ayudar a sus vecinos a salir de la pobreza, a desarrollarse, a involucrarles en la preocupación por el medio ambiente”.
Esa decisión de volver a casa marcó para siempre sus vidas. Sombath Somphone aprovechó su extensa formación académica para trabajar, codo con codo, con los más humildes. Sus idas y venidas a Hawai le llevaron a una situación paradójica: el régimen comunista de Laos sospechaba que era un agente de la CIA mientras que en Estados Unidos le tachaban de marxista. Continue reading “Tres años del secuestro policial del ‘Mandela de Laos’”