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Mansfield Center Expresses Solidarity

mansfield-centerIn an article “Fostering Engagement with Laos While Promoting Human Rights,” on Montana Public Radio, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center expressed:

…we stand together with the friends and family of Sombath as they work to facilitate his return.  As we maintain our relationships with governmental and non-governmental organizations in Laos, we work to educate colleagues on Sombath’s disappearance, with the hope that he will soon be returned.

The article also states:

In a stark reminder of the state of human rights in Laos, Sombath disappeared six months ago, as he and his wife were driving separately from his office in Vientiane to their home.  A police security video shows him being stopped at a police checkpoint and taken into custody.  Despite attention from international observers, the Lao government has failed to explain his disappearance.  As the U. S. Embassy in Vientiane stated, “Mr. Sombath is widely admired for his peaceful and constructive focus on improving his country…. Continued inaction on this case by the Lao authorities could erode progress made over the past years and damage the country’s international reputation, potentially raising additional questions about the Lao Government’s commitment to uphold the rule of law and engage responsibly with the world.”

The full article can be read by clicking on the link above.

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Parliamentarians express dismay

Parliamentarians who traveled to Laos in January and March have written to Lao leaders expressing “…dismay at the lack of political will to conduct a serious investigation into the disappearance of Mr. Sombath Somphone.”

The lawmakers from the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Netherlands further wrote:

During our visits, we were given a number of assurances by parliamentarians and government representatives. These included a commitment to a full, comprehensive and transparent investigation into Sombath’s disappearance on 15th December 2012…

Today, 15th June 2013, marks six long months since Sombath disappeared. He has not yet been returned safely to his family. The investigation reports released by the Lao authorities thus far are contradictory and misleading, indicating the partiality and shallowness of the official investigation…

We call on the Lao Government to urgently undertake a new independent investigation into Sombath’s disappearance and ensure that all steps are taken to locate and rescue Sombath from his captors and return him safely to his family as soon as possible, in accordance with Laos’ obligations under international law…

The full letter, sent to the Lao President, Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and President of the National Assembly can be seen here.

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Rights groups urge release of Laos activist

A video of this action is now available here.

UCAN News: 18 June 2013

Police are suspected of abducting him six months ago

Dozens of Philippine human rights defenders held a “ritual of remembrance” outside the Lao embassy in Manila today to call for the safe return of highly acclaimed activist Sombath Somphone who was abducted six months ago.

Clarissa Militante, of the group Focus on the Global South, said the Lao government should ensure Sombath is found and returned safely to his family.

Some 100 activists from all over Asia, Europe, the United States and Australia sent “messages of hope and support” for today’s event, Militante said.

People sending messages included Larry Lohman, author of the book Carbon Trading: A Critical Conversation on Climate Change, Privatization and Power and co-founder of the Durban Group for Climate Justice.

Anne Sophie Gindroz of the Swiss group Helvetas urged those detaining Sombath to release him soon

Sombath received the UN’s Human Resource Development Award in 2001 for empowering the rural poor in Laos. Continue reading “Rights groups urge release of Laos activist”

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การหายตัวไปของนักกิจกรรมทำให้เกิดภาพที่มัวหมองของรัฐบาลลาวที่เป็นส่วนหนึ่งของอาเซียน

Bangkok Post: 16 June 2013

หกเดือนหลังจากการลักพาตัวสมบัด สมพอน ซึ่งเป็นนักเคลื่อนไหว ทำให้ประเทศลาวอยู่ในสภาพล้าหลังประเทศเพื่อนบ้าน เป็นภาพของระบอบปกครองที่สร้างความกลัวเพื่อรักษาอำนาจและประโยชน์ของตน

UNITED FRONT: กลุ่มนักเคลื่อนไหวประมาณ 20 คนจากประเทศไทยและลาวได้รวมตัวที่กรุงเทพฯ เพื่อเรียกร้องให้ทางการที่กรุงเวียงจันทน์เร่งสืบสวนสอบสวนกรณีการหายตัวไปของสมบัด สมพอน

หกเดือนหลังจากการหายตัวไปในกรุงเวียงจันทน์ของสมบัด สมพอน ผู้ก่อตั้งองค์กรพัฒนาเอกชนเพื่อช่วยเหลือเยาวชนในชนบท รัฐบาลลาวมีสภาพเหมือนแกะดำมากขึ้นเรื่อย ๆ ในบรรดาประชาคมอาเซียน

ในขณะที่พม่าถอยห่างจากระบอบเผด็จการในอดีตมากขึ้นเรื่อย ๆ มีการเปิดเสรีด้านสื่อสิ่งพิมพ์ และเปิดพื้นที่การเมืองให้กับฝ่ายคัดค้านรัฐบาล แต่รัฐบาลลาวยังคงติดยึดอยู่ในบ่วงของระบอบเผด็จการเบ็ดเสร็จ ซึ่งไม่สอดคล้องกับบริบทของภูมิภาคเลย

สัญญาณล่าสุดของปรากฏการณ์ดังกล่าวเกิดขึ้นเมื่อช่วงปลายเดือนพฤษภาคม กล่าวคือทางการลาวได้ส่งตัวเยาวชนเก้าคนกลับไปประเทศเกาหลีเหนือ ทั้ง ๆ ที่พวกเขาได้หลบหนีมาจากประเทศบ้านเกิดที่ปกครองด้วยระบอบสตาลิน ด้วยความช่วยเหลือจากชาวคริสต์เกาหลีใต้ทำให้สามารถเดินทางหลบหนีข้ามประเทศจีนเข้าสู่ลาว

“ข้าพเจ้าอยากอธิบายว่าระบอบปกครองในลาวเหมือนกับระบอบธนาธิปไตย มีการนำทรัพยากรธรรมชาติของประเทศออกประมูลขายเพื่อผลประโยชน์ของคนกลุ่มเล็ก ๆ โดยอ้างว่าเป็นการทำตามลัทธิคอมมิวนิสต์” ผู้สังเกตการณ์ชาวตะวันตกคนหนึ่งในเวียงจันทน์กล่าว
และการหายตัวไปของสมบัด ซึ่งเป็นนักกิจกรรมอาวุโสซึ่งเป็นที่รู้จักและเป็นที่เคารพอย่างมากในลาว เป็นสัญญาณที่เลวร้ายซึ่งสะท้อนถึงด้านมืดของประเทศนี้

Continue reading “การหายตัวไปของนักกิจกรรมทำให้เกิดภาพที่มัวหมองของรัฐบาลลาวที่เป็นส่วนหนึ่งของอาเซียน”

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Activist's disappearance gives Vientiane a black eye in Asean

Bangkok Post: 16 June 2013

Six months after the abduction of activist Sombath Somphone, the nation appears to be falling behind its neighbours and stuck in the grip of a self-serving regime ruling on fear

UNITED FRONT: A group of about 20 activists from Thailand and Laos gather in Bangkok to call on authorities in Vientiane to speed up their investigation into the disappearance of Sombath Somphone.

Six months after the disappearance in Vientiane of Sombath Somphone, the founder of an NGO set up to help rural youth, the Lao government is looking increasingly like the black sheep among its Asean.

As Myanmar progressively distances itself from its dictatorial past by liberalising the press and opening political space for the opposition, the Lao regime is sinking into an obscurantist authoritarianism which seems out of touch with the regional context.

The last sign of this anachronism came at the end of May when Lao authorities sent back to North Korea nine youths who had fled their Stalinist mother country and, with the help of South Korean Christian, had crossed from China into Laos.

”I would characterise the Laotian regime as a plutocracy that is auctioning the natural resources of the country for the benefit of a small group under the guise of communism,” said a Western observer in Vientiane.

And the disappearance of Mr Sombath, the most well known and respected Lao NGO worker, is a tragic testament to the country’s dark side. Continue reading “Activist's disappearance gives Vientiane a black eye in Asean”

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Laos: End Cover-Up in Activist’s ‘Disappearance’

Human Rights Watch: 14 June 2013

After six months, the Lao government’s failure to explain the abduction of a prominent social activist at a police checkpoint or account for his whereabouts raises the gravest concerns for his safety. The Lao authorities should realize their cover story is fooling no one, and start telling the truth. Brad Adams, Asia director

(Bangkok) – Authorities in Laos have failed to seriously investigate or credibly explain the enforced disappearance six months ago of a leading social activist, Sombath Somphone, Human Rights Watch said today.

Sombath, 60, the 2005 recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership, was last seen by his wife on December 15, 2012, as they were driving separately from his office in the capital, Vientiane, to their home for dinner. A police security video shows him being stopped at a police checkpoint and taken into custody. He never arrived home.

“After six months, the Lao government’s failure to explain the abduction of a prominent social activist at a police checkpoint or account for his whereabouts raises the gravest concerns for his safety,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The Lao authorities should realize their cover story is fooling no one, and start telling the truth.”

Security camera footage from the Municipality Police Station, obtained by Sombath’s wife, Ng Shui Meng, shows police stopping Sombath’s jeep at the Thadeua police post at 6:03 p.m. on December 15. Unidentified men then took Sombath into the police post. A motorcyclist stopped at the police post and drove off with Sombath’s jeep, leaving his own motorcycle by the roadside. A truck with flashing lights then stopped at the police post. Two people got out of the truck, took Sombath into the vehicle, and then drove off. Continue reading “Laos: End Cover-Up in Activist’s ‘Disappearance’”

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Statement from the U.S. Embassy – Vientiane, Laos

The Abduction of Civil Society Leader Sombath Somphone: Six Months Later
Statement from the U.S. Embassy – Vientiane, Laos
June 15, 2013

Screen Shot 2013-05-26 at 15.22.48 PMSombath Somphone, one of the Lao PDR’s most respected civil society figures, was abducted on December 15, 2012, in front of a Lao police box on a main street in Vientiane. June 15 marks 6 months since his unexplained disappearance. The U.S. Embassy in Vientiane joins with countless others in the international community in reiterating our serious concerns about Mr. Sombath’s safety and well-being.

Through years of work with non-governmental organizations, the international community, and the Lao government, Mr. Sombath is widely admired for his peaceful and constructive focus on improving his country and the lives of his fellow Lao citizens. Regrettably, despite repeated inquiries from international organizations and governments around the world, the Lao government has not released concrete information, including during its most recent statement on June 7, regarding official investigations that may have taken place. Lao authorities have not offered members of Mr. Sombath’s family or representatives from international organizations an opportunity to review the government’s surveillance camera footage that reportedly shows his abduction.

Mr. Sombath’s disappearance resurrects memories of an earlier era when unexplained disappearances were common. Continued inaction on this case by the Lao authorities could erode progress made over the past years and damage the country’s international reputation, potentially raising additional questions about the Lao Government’s commitment to uphold the rule of law and engage responsibly with the world. We urge our partners in the Lao Government to pursue all leads in this case, and do everything in their power to ensure Mr. Sombath’s immediate and safe return to his family.

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Laos must ensure return of disappeared civil society leader

Amnesty International: 13 June 2013

Amnesty InternationalThe Lao government must act now to ensure the safe return of civil society leader Sombath Somphone, who is most likely a victim of an enforced disappearance at the hands of the authorities, Amnesty International said in a new briefing issued today.

The briefing, Caught on Camera, examines in detail the case of Sombath, who was taken away in the presence of security personnel on the evening of 15 December 2012 – six months ago – and has not been heard from since.

“Based on the evidence, the most plausible conclusion is that Sombath Somphone is a victim of an enforced disappearance, for which Lao officials are responsible,” said Rupert Abbott, Amnesty International’s Researcher on Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam.

“The Lao government must publicly demand his immediate and unconditional release, and safe return to his family.” Continue reading “Laos must ensure return of disappeared civil society leader”

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Fresh detail emerges about abduction of Lao activist

ABC Radio Australia: 14 June 2013

You can listen to the ABC interview with Amnesty International here, or read the transcript below.

It’s six months since the disappearance of prominent Lao civil society leader, Sombath Somphone. His apparent abduction from outside a police post in the capital, Vientiane, was caught on closed circuit television.

Expressions of concern about his fate have come from across the region, as well as the United States and the European Union.Screen Shot 2013-06-14 at 21.33.33 PM

The Lao authorities say they are continuing to investigate the case, but there’s been no progress to date.

Now it seems further analysis of the CCTV footage has revealed fresh details about just what happened on the evening of the 15th December 2012.

They’re contained in a report from Amnesty International called ‘Caught on camera – the enforced disappearance of Sombath Somphone’.

Presenter: Richard Ewart

Speaker: Rupert Abbott, Laos researcher, Amnesty International

ABBOTT: Well in our report Caught on Camera, we considered three areas really, we considered the background for Sombath’s disappearance, what happened before that day on the 15th of December. And we found that really there are signals that the authorities were trying to restrict him in society in the run-up to Sombath’s disappearance. Then we’d looked at what happened on the actual day, and you mentioned the CCTV footage of Sombath being stopped at a police post then taken away by a pick-up truck with flashing lights. And in our analysis of that CCTV footage which his family had managed to get a copy of, we have found that there’s also a gunman at the scene, there appears to be a gunshot fired at the scene. And the reason that’s so important is that the police have tried to say that the situation was normal, that there was nothing untoward going on. Now for them to be saying that when there was a gunman at the scene among all the other things that happened, is now appearing absurd. And we’ve also considered the aftermath, the investigations by the police that have been entirely inadequate, these bizarre conclusions that the situation was normal for someone to be stopped a police post and then taken away with a gunman at the scene. And also this rejection of assistance that other countries have been offering, for example to look at the original CCTV footage, do an analysis, find the number plates, try to identify those individuals at the scene. Amnesty International we tried to visit Laos to discuss this case among other things, and we tried to meet with senior Laos officials outside of the country, and our offers to meet have been rejected. But more importantly technical assistance from other countries has been rejected. Continue reading “Fresh detail emerges about abduction of Lao activist”
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Mystery Over Lao Civil Society Leader's Disappearance Deepens

Radio Free Asia: 14 June 2013

The mystery behind the disappearance of respected civil society leader Sombath Somphone in Laos has deepened amid claims by rights group Amnesty International that a gunshot was fired as he was taken away from a police post in a pickup truck by unidentified men six months ago.

Amnesty described it as a “concerning” development which has so far not been mentioned in media reports and statements around Sombath’s disappearance on the night of Dec. 15, when police-recorded surveillance video showed him being stopped at a police post in the Lao capital Vientiane.

Lao authorities have reported little progress on the 60-year-old community worker’s case amid concerns for his safety by fellow activists—some of whom fear that his disappearance could be tied to his human rights work and that he may have been abducted by security groups linked to the government.

The Lao government has turned down international requests to provide any assistance in the investigations, including a U.S. offer to provide technical help to enhance the quality of some blurry images of the vital video footage on Sombath’s last known moments.

Based on Amnesty’s new analysis of the closed circuit television (CCTV) footage, a person riding in the back of a motorcycle ahead of a pickup truck carrying Sombath appeared to fire a shot in the air before speeding away from the police post, Amnesty said in its “Caught on Camera” report.

“The apparent gunshot may have been fired as a warning to witnesses, as a signal for the pickup truck carrying Sombath to leave immediately, or for another reason,” it said.

“The fact that this man is armed may also explain why Sombath did not struggle to avoid being taken away, although those who know Sombath say that he would have tried to discuss the situation peacefully to find a resolution, rather than resist,” the report said. Continue reading “Mystery Over Lao Civil Society Leader's Disappearance Deepens”