Sombath Somphone | ສົມບັດ ສົມພອນ

October 31, 2014

ລຸງສົມບັດຫາຍຕົວໄປ… Uncle Sombath disappears…

ຈື່ໄດ້ວ່າ… ຕັ້ງແຕ່ຫົວຄ່ຳຈົນຮອດຕອນກາງຄືນວັນທີ 15/12/2012 ພວກເຮົາໂທຫາລຸງສົມບັດບໍ່ໄດ້.. ພວກເຮົານອນບໍ່ຫຼັບເພາະລຸງສົມບັດບໍ່ເຄີຍໄປໃສໂດຍບໍ່ບອກຈັກເທື່ອ ມັນປະຫຼາດອີ່ຫຼີ.. ພວກເຮົາຂັບລົດອ້ອມ ຕົວເມືອງວຽງຈັນ ໄປໂຮງໝໍມະໂຫສົດ ໂຮງໝໍ 103 ໂຮງໝໍ 150 ຕຽງຈົນຮອດ 2 ໂມງເຊົ້າເພາະຄິດວ່າອາດຈະ ເກີດອຸປະຕິເຫດກັບລຸງສົມບັດ ພວກເຮົາຖ້າຈົນເຊົ້າວັນທີ 16/12/2012 ແລ້ວໄປແຈ້ງຄວາມກັບຕຳຫຼວດເພາະ ເຄີຍໄດ້ຍິນວ່າຖ້າຄົນຫາຍເກີນ 24 ຊົ່ວໂມງແມ່ນໃຫ້ໄປແຈ້ງຕຳຫຼວດ ລົງບັນທຶກໄວ້ກັບປກສ ນະຄອນຫຼວງ ໃນໃຈກໍຮູ້ສຶກອຸ່ນໃຈວ່າຕຳຫຼວດຈະຊ່ວຍເຮົາໄດ້ແນ່ນອນ

Remembering… From early in the evening of 15 December 2012 until the middle of the night we couldn’t get through to Uncle Sombath’s phone… We could not sleep because Uncle never went anywhere without telling us… We drove around Vientiane, to hospitals–Mahosot, 103 and 150–until two AM because we thought he might have had an accident. We waited until the morning of 16 December, and then reported to the police, because we had heard that if someone was missing for more than 24 hours, it should be reported to the Vientiane police. Our hearts were somewhat warmed because we felt the police would certainly help.

ຫຼັງຈາກນັ້ນ… ຄິດໄດ້ວ່າມີກ້ອງວົງຈອນປິດຢູ່ບ່ອນທີ່ເມຍລາວເຫັນລາວຄັ້ງສຸດທ້າຍ ກໍຄື ຢູ່ປ້ອມຕຳຫຼວດຫຼັກ 3. ໃນວັນທີ 17/12/2012 ຕອນເຊົ້າ ພວກເຮົາກໍເຮັດເອກະສານຂໍອະນຸຍາດເຂົ້າເບິ່ງ ແລະ ໄດ້ຮັບການຮ່ວມມືເປັນ ຢ່າງດີ..ເຖິງວ່າຫົວໜ້າໃຫຍ່ບໍ່ຢູ່ຜູ້ເພິ່ນເປັນຮອງກໍເຊັນອະນຸຍາດໃຫ້… ພວກເຮົາກໍຮູ້ສຶກອຸ່ນໃຈວ່າຈະໄດ້ຕົວ ລຸງສົມບັດກັບມາແນ່ນອນ ແລະ ພວກເຮົາກໍພົບລຸງສົມບັດໃນພາບບັນທຶກກ້ອງວົງຈອນປິດ ພວກເຮົາຂໍບັນທຶກໄວ້ ທາງຕຳຫຼວດກໍອະນຸຍາດ ແຕ່ບອກວ່າຄອມສຽບ USB ບໍ່ໄດ້ ໃຫ້ທາງຄອບຄົວເອົາກ້ອງມາຖ່າຍເອົາ… ພວກເຮົາກໍເຮັດຕາມນັ້ນ…

After that…we remembered a closed-circuit camera at the place his spouse last saw him, at the kilometre three police post. On the morning of 17 December 2012, we wrote a request for permission to view the recording, and received good cooperation…even though the main supervisor was not in, the deputy signed the request… We again felt encouraged, that we would get uncle Sombath back for sure. When we saw Uncle Sombath in the closed-circuit recording, we asked to record it and the police agreed. We couldn’t plug a USB into the computer, but the family could use a camera, so that is what we did.

ຫຼັງຈາກນັ້ນ…ໃນຕອນຕອນສວາຍຂອງມື້ດັ່ງກ່າວພວກເຮົາຂໍເຂົ້າໄປເບິ່ງກ້ອງວົງຈອນປິດອີກ ປາກົດວ່າເພິ່ນບໍ່ ໃຫ້ເບິ່ງອີກແລ້ວ ເພາະວ່າຫົວໜ້າສັງຫ້າມບໍ່ໃຫ້ເບິ່ງ…

Then…around noon on the same day, we asked to view the closed-circuit recording again, but were not allowed to. The supervisor had forbidden it.

ແນວໃດກໍຕາມ ພວກເຮົາໄດ້ຂອບໃຈຕຳຫຼວດທີ່ຢ່າງໜ້ອຍກໍໃຫ້ຄອບຄົວເຮົາໄດ້ເຂົ້າເບິ່ງ ແລະກໍມີຄວາມຫວັງວ່າພາບດັ່ງກ່າວຈະຊ່ວຍໃຫ້ເຮົາສືບຫາຫາລຸງສົມບັດ…

In any case, we thank the police that let the family view the recording, and hope that it helps us to find Uncle Sombath…

October 28, 2014December 3, 2016

Nature & Materialism

Our children have no time to exercise their innate curiosities and capacities to explore their world and its links with nature. They have no encouragement to develop their innate emotions of love and care of life and for nature. Time spent by children for nature walks and studying in the open are now replaced by spending time either in extra tuition classes (more cramming and rote learning), in shopping malls, in digital gaming parlors, or in front of the TV. The models of success for children are largely determined by what money can buy. No wonder, their aspirations are all geared around materialism and short-term gratification, and eventually mindless greed.

Sombath, from Talking Points for panel discussion at FCCT in Bangkok, Thailand, 10 November 2008

October 24, 2014December 4, 2016

Sombath on Civil Society in Laos

Civil society does exist in Laos, but in a rather different form. The West tends to see it more legalistically, and we tend to see it more socially. Instead of having a legal contract, we tend to have a social contract where we help each other.

Of course, now we are at the stage where there is the push for legal recognition of the social contract, and I think the most important thing is if people are well-informed; they can voice their opinion. That is the key, how you call it doesn’t matter.

Remarks by Sombath at a panel discussion held at the FCCT in Bangkok, Thailand, 10 November 2008.

October 22, 2014August 2, 2017

AEPF Participants call on ASEM

119 participants at the 10th Asia-Europe People’s forum signed a petition to the ASEM heads of states and government:

Enforced disappearance is never an internal matter in any country. It is a contravention of international law and widely held to be a crime against humanity. Sombath’s family and friends and the people of Laos have the right to the truth, to know what happened to Sombath. Sombath and his family have the right to justice.

We remind all ASEM member states of their human rights obligations, both domestically and internationally. We sincerely demand that the Lao Government to complete their invesrigation on Sombath’s disappearance, make public the investigation report, and take forward legal process 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.

The full statement and list of signatories can be seen here.

October 18, 2014August 2, 2017

EU Must Keep Human Rights at the Centre of the Regions’ Partnership At Asia – Europe Meeting

Marking the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) currently underway, Amnesty International has issued a call on the European Union and its member states “to ensure that human rights remain at the centre of all bilateral and multilateral dialogue between Asia and the EU.”

The statement reads, in part:

This 10th ASEM marks almost two years since the disappearance of Sombath Somphone in Laos on 15 December 2012, shortly after organising a civil society event on development around the ASEM, work that may have made him a target of enforced disappearance. Amnesty International urges EU leaders to use the opportunity at the ASEM to call for his safe return. Leaders at the ASEM should also work to ensure all present ratify and implement the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

The full statement can be seen here.

October 17, 2014December 16, 2016

Recommendations to the ASEM summit

Transnational Institute: 16 October 2014

Hilde van der Pas

One week before the official Asia-Europe government meeting (ASEM) gathers in Milan, over 400 people from 42 countries in Europe and Asia gathered at the 10^th Asia-Europe Peoples forum (AEPF) to present their demands and recommendations.

More than 400 people, representing social movements, organisations and citizens from 42 countries, met from October 10– 12 2014 to discuss five thematic areas that concern citizens across Europe and Asia. As an outcome of the forum,that takes place every two years in Asia or Europe, recommendations will be presented to the governments at the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) on climate change, trade and investment policies, social protection, food sovereignty, migration, peace and security.

The forum started with a keynote speech from Shui Meng Ng, whose husband Sombath Somphone was abducted two years ago, shortly after he participated in the AEPF9 in Laos, as co-chair of the National Organizing Committee. Sombath was last seen when he was stopped by a police car and taken away, on September 15^th 2012.

“Sombath was optimistic that many of the challenges and crises in Laos, as well as in Asia and Europe, could be tackled through open and frank dialogue and concrete actions between ordinary citizens in partnership with civil society groups and the government. “said Shui Meng Ng.

Paul Emile Dupret, member of the GUE group in the European Parliament, who went to Laos after Sombath’s disappearance on a mission with the EP, talked about the difficult environment they faced when talking to the Lao government and stated that the European left party rejects “….fake socialism – promoting landgrabbing and corruption”.

Malaysian MEP Charles Santiago put on a Sombath t-shirt to express his solidarity on behalf of all ASEAN parliamentarians. “Don’t tell us we have no business making you accountable,” he said. Continue reading “Recommendations to the ASEM summit”

October 16, 2014July 28, 2015

Final Declaration of AEPF10

The final declaration of the 10th Asia-Europe People’s Forum, held in Milan, Italy on the 10th to 12th of October, has been released. Below is an except about Sombath. The full statement can be read here, or on the website of the Transnational Institute.

On December 15 2014, it will be two years since the enforced disappearance of Sombath Somphone. Sombath was one of the main organisers of AEPF9 held in Vientiane just before ASEM10. Sombath, a Magsaysay Award winner, is one of the most respected people in ASEAN working for sustainable development. Sombath’s abduction on December 12, 2012 was captured by a CCTV camera. The footage shows that his jeep was stopped in front of a police booth. After he voluntarily went to the booth, a third person came and drove the jeep away. He was seen next being taken away in a pickup truck. 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.

The Lao PDR depends heavily on international aid and in the lead up to its annual Roundtable scheduled for November 2014, the Lao Government is requesting even more financial support from the international community.

Enforced disappearance is never an internal matter in any country. It is a contravention of international law and widely recognised to be a crime against humanity. Sombath’s family and friends and the people of Laos have the right to the truth, to know what happened to Sombath. Sombath and his family have the right to justice.

We remind all ASEM member states of their human rights obligations, both domestically and internationally. We sincerely demand the Lao Government to complete their investigation into Sombath’s disappearance, make public the investigation report, and take forward the legal process 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.

October 15, 2014December 4, 2016

Sumbath Somphone, scomparso due anni fa nelle strade di Vientiane

il Manifesto: 15 Ottobre 2014

Luciana Castellina

Il caso del leader desaparecido. Dagli anni ’80 dava sostegno alle piccole conduzioni contadine. Sotto accusa il governo laotiano

16est03-anti-vertice-asiatico-img-35881 — Un poster chiede la liberazione di Sumbath Somphone © Reuters

Che l’attività dei movimenti e delle associazioni che fanno capo al Forum dei popoli europei e asiatici non sia indolore, che non si tratti di sole parole ma di una dura lotta per cambiare e imporre una democrazia sostanziale, lo prova il caso drammatico di Sumbath Somphone, la cui immagine ha colorato le mura di tutte le sale dove si sono svolti i lavori della conferenza.

La vicenda ce la racconta nell’articolo che segue la moglie, Shii Meng Ng, che, con il suo discorso, ha aperto i lavori della Aepf. Sumbath, come racconta, guidava la sua vecchia jeep nel centro di Vientiane, lei lo precedeva verso casa sul suo veicolo, quando si è accorta che il marito era stato fermato a un posto di blocco della polizia. Non ci ha fatto molto caso, pensando ad una infrazione stradale, normale nel caotico traffico della capitale laotiana. L’allarme è scattato quando non l’ha più visto arrivare a casa e inutili sono state le ricerche presso gli ospedali e la polizia. Continue reading “Sumbath Somphone, scomparso due anni fa nelle strade di Vientiane”

October 15, 2014December 3, 2016

Consultation or Censorship?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised a consultation meeting on the draft National Report of the Lao PDR under the UPR [Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council] for representatives of stakeholders including social, professional, academic and non-profit organisations in Vientiane recently.

The meeting participants exchanged views and provided input on the draft report of the Lao PDR for the second cycle which has been prepared following a series of consultations among government agencies and relevant stakeholders.

Director General of the Department of Treaties and Law, Secretary General to the Lao National Steering Committee of Human Rights Mr Phoukhong Sisoulath chaired the meeting.

Mr Phoukhong stressed the importance of consultations with representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs) as part of meaningful participation in the UPR process…

Vientiane Times, “PDR Prepares for Regular Rights Review,” 11 October 2014

APHR understands that the United Nations Resident Coordinator of the Lao PDR was asked to remove any mention of Sombath’s disappearance from its Universal Periodic Review Submission. The UN Resident Coordinator did not acquiesce to the government’s request.

Non-governmental workers and civil society actors are also held under a strict code of self-enforced silence, fearful of repercussions if they raise what has become one of the most sensitive issues for the Lao regime.

“The script that the Lao authorities are reading from has become progressively tighter over the past 18 months: there appears to be a concerted effort to undermine now even the most fundamental, seemingly incontestable aspects of the investigation,” Mr. Santiago said.

“Individuals requesting honest answers to very basic questions are being treated like agitators and enemies. This is an unacceptable distortion of the reality of the situation.”

If the Lao government really wants to solve this case and is as concerned as the rest of us, then why is it blocking all possible avenues for the investigation? asked APHR.

Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights, “Lao Government’s Deceptive Game on Sombath must End,” 23 September 2014

October 11, 2014July 29, 2015

Keep Sombath’s Vision Alive

Keynote Speech by Shui Meng Ng at the 10th Asia-Europe People’s Forum

Milan, Italy, 10-12 October 2014

“Towards a Just and Inclusive Asia and Europe-Building States of Citizens for Citizens”

Two years ago, at the 9th AEPF, my husband, Sombath Somphone, as the Co-Chair of the National Organizing Committee, gave the keynote speech at the opening session of the Forum in Vientiane, Laos. He was at the time both happy and excited that after months of intensive preparation, the AEPF9 was officially declared open by no less than Laos’ Deputy Prime Minister. More than 1,000 people representing civil society groups and organizations from across Asia and Europe participated. As a Lao, Sombath was proud that his country could play host to such a major civil society forum.

Over the next few days between October 16-19, the forum participants passionately discussed, debated, shared, and exchanged lessons on common challenges and issues of poverty, social polarization, inequalities, indebtedness, and unemployment faced by ordinary folks in the countries of Asia and Europe. The energy level was high, and the panel discussions were animated, inclusive, and constructive. The participants eagerly presented their ideas and experiences, and worked hard to present the “People’s Vision” of shared hopes and aspirations which became incorporated as the final statement from the AEPF9 to the leaders of the ASEM countries for their deliberation and consideration for action in the follow-up ASEM Meeting.

By all estimation, and publicly acknowledged by the International Organizing Committee, the AEPF9 was considered one of the most successful People’s Forum ever. Then on 15 December 2012, two months after the close of AEPF9, Sombath Somphone was disappeared. He was last seen stopped at a police post in Vientiane and taken away by a white truck. The entire sequence of Sombath’s abduction was recorded by the state-installed traffic-control camera, and the footages of the abduction have since been shared on You-tube. Continue reading “Keep Sombath’s Vision Alive”