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AFSC staff issue plea to Lao government

1 February 2013

H.E. Mr. Choummaly Sayasone
Secretary General of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party and President of the Lao PDR
Presidential Palace, Thannon Sethathirat, Muang Chanthabuli Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic

H.E. Mr. Thongsing Thammavong
Prime Minister
Prime Minister’s Office
Ban Nahai Dio, Muang Chanthabuli Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic Fax: +856 21 213653

Your Excellencies:

Since the founding of the Lao PDR in 1975, we, the undersigned former staff of the American Friends Service Committee (Quakers), have had the privilege to live and work in your country. We know well the severe post-war difficulties your people faced after the US secret war. We celebrate the country’s steady progress in education, health and food production.

Speaking as long-standing friends of Lao people, we are seeking information about the welfare of our colleague and friend, Sombath Somphone. His disappearance on 15 December deeply concerns us. We are confident that if the party, government, military, and public security worked together on this matter, Sombath could be returned to his family.

Sombath has gained worldwide admiration for his people-centered, practical and non-violent approach to development. His philosophy inspires elementary students and their teachers to practice recycling, farmers to produce and eat healthy organic foods and rural families to use fuel-efficient cooking stoves. Continue reading “AFSC staff issue plea to Lao government”

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EU steps up pressure

EU steps up pressure on Laos over activist’s disappearance

Straits Times, 01 Feb 2013

BANGKOK – The European Union has piled more pressure on Laos with a strong expression of concern over the disappearance in December last year of prominent Magsaysay Award winner Sombath Somphone.

Screen Shot 2013-02-01 at 22.53.08 PMIn a one-hour meeting on Friday morning in Vientiane, senior European diplomats raised the issue with Laos’ Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith. “They also spoke for other like-minded countries – the United States, Switzerland, Japan and Singapore,” said a diplomatic source familiar with the meeting, known in diplomatic jargon as a démarche.

The 62-year-old Mr Sombath, who is married to a Singaporean national, is one of Laos’ most prominent civil society figures. His Participatory Development Training Centre was active in education, health and food security issues. He won the Magsaysay Award – Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize – for Community Service in 2005. He is no firebrand, however; instead, he is known for his mild manner and his nuanced approach to sensitive issues.

He vanished on the evening of Dec 15. CCTV footage of the incident showed him pulling over in his jeep at a busy intersection in Vientiane and getting out to speak with police. Minutes later, a man on a motorbike pulled up and drove away in his jeep. Next, a big car with hazard lights flashing pulled up and Mr Sombath got in. He has not been heard from since.

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An Open Letter to all Lao Groups

By Ng Shui Meng (Wife of Sombath Somphone)

25 January 2013

Since the disappearance of Sombath Somphone on 15 December 2012 in front of a police check-point at KM 3 Thadeua Road, many Lao people living inside and outside the country have expressed openly or in private their shock and sympathy to me and my family and have sent wishes for Sombath’s safe return.  To you all, I want to say a “BIG THANK YOU”.

Sombat at Ramon Magsasay Award CeremonyHowever, there are also some Lao groups or individuals who have used the very sad event of Sombath’s disappearance to spread harmful rumors or outright lies about Sombath for their own political or private purposes.

I would like to once and for all put to rest many of these lies and harmful rumors:

  1. Sombath is not affiliated with any political groups in-country or outside the country as implied by some comments or assertions on some websites.  Sombath loves Laos and the Lao people, and he fully supports the development vision of the Lao Government as expressed in the Lao National Economic and Social Development Plan.  As a private Lao citizen, he sees his role as supporting the Lao Government to implement its development plan, especially at the community level.  He has done so for the past 30 years, and he has worked tirelessly to try to improve the lives of Lao people, especially those living in rural areas, by contributing his knowledge and skills, and always working in consultation and in collaboration with the people and the government.
  2. Sombath is a Lao citizen and has no dual nationality.  He only holds a Lao passport.
  3. Sombath has not misused any funds in connection with any project or program.  He has not absconded any money from any project or program as has been rumored as the reason for his disappearance.

Dear Fellow Lao, please remember

SOMBATH IS NOT A CAUSE, HE IS A HUMAN BEING WHOSE LIFE AND WELL- BEING CAN BE HARMED BY YOUR ACTIONS INTENDED OR OTHERWISE.

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Disappearance of Sombath Somphone: Time for Intervention by ASEAN?

By Tan Kwoh Jack

No. 014/2013 dated 24 January 2013. This is from the RSIS Commentaries are intended to provide timely and, where appropriate, policy relevant background and analysis of contemporary developments. S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, NTU  to see the original go here

Synopsis

The disappearance of prominent Lao activist Sombath Somphone is garnering regional and international attention. With the signing of the ASEAN Human Rights Charter it is in the interest of ASEAN countries to engage more actively on the issue.

Commentary

ON 15 December 2012, the prominent Lao public intellectual Sombath Somphone mysteriously “disappeared”. Closed-circuit video footage released by the Lao authorities showed uniformed personnel in Vientiane stopping Sombath’s car before taking him away. Analysts believe that his disappearance is connected to his activist work in sustainable development, and that elements within the Lao government may be responsible for this incident. Sombath’s disappearance has garnered regional and international attention in the past month: three Members of Parliaments from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines: Charles Santiago, Lily Wahid and Walden Bello made a special three-day trip to Vientiane to seek some answers from the Lao government. During the press conference in Bangkok afterwards, they rebuked the Lao administration for lacking in political will to resolve the issue. Consequently, they plan to collect the signatures of MPs in every ASEAN country to increase pressure on the Lao government. They will also be submitting a report to the ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights. Singaporean link The US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton is the latest and most prominent politician to publicly comment on the issue, calling on the Lao government to pursue a “transparent investigation”, and to “do everything in its power” to obtain Sombath’s return. Besides the MPs of the three countries other ASEAN members including Singapore might want to pay attention to this case. Sombath’s wife, Ng Shui Meng is a Singapore national. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said it is rendering consular assistance to Ms Ng. Sombath shares with Singapore an active interest in strengthening sustainable development as one of ASEAN’s key objectives and has made significant contributions in this area. The US- educated Sombath pioneered the use of participatory methods in poverty alleviation in Laos and is a winner of the Ramon Magsaysay Award – commonly referred to as the Nobel Prize of Asia.

Implications on ASEAN Human Rights Charter

With the signing of the ASEAN Human Rights Charter (AHRC) in November last year, ASEAN members may find it increasingly difficult to remain silent on issues pertaining to human rights. These issues emerging from within ASEAN will start to bring into question the efficacy of the AHRC. This suggests that ASEAN’s long- standing principle of non-interference will have to evolve into something more expressive, if not more “interventionist”.

Lao inaction on Sombath’s case may affect the credibility of the AHRC and the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights. Sombath’s case is a good opportunity for ASEAN members to take a collective stand and further strengthen the Charter. This will address the initial accusations made by non-government organisations that the Charter is “not worthy of its name”.

Officials may worry that any statement that an ASEAN government makes in regard to human rights, will inevitably bring to the fore its own record. This is yet another reflection of the blurring lines between the international and the domestic. For example should a country articulate a more assertive foreign policy of human rights – under the aegis of the AHRC – it may have to take on parallel positions related to civil society and liberties within the state. At times, it may even find itself having to justify its domestic policies to the other ASEAN neighbours, as Myanmar did in recent years.

A more interventionist ASEAN?

That said, Sombath’s disappearance is as much a human rights issue as one of the rule of law and due process. In recent years Singapore and Laos have ramped up bilateral economic and political relations. The air route between Singapore and Laos has re-opened, expanding tourism exponentially. Successive trade delegations have brought Singapore’s government-linked companies and private enterprises into Laos. Laos is a popular destination for Singapore volunteers engaged in community development projects. Last year, the animal rights group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society set up a research and education centre in Laos to combat the problem of Lao bear bile products being sold in Singapore. This reflects the growing endeavour of Singaporeans to undertake community projects in developing countries. All these point to the expanding presence of Singaporeans in Laos, and invariably, violations of the rule of law and due processes “over there” will, in one way or another begin to concern Singapore. At the regional level, pressures on ASEAN to take a more interventionist stance on violations of human rights will also increase with the adoption of the ASEAN Human Rights Charter.

Tan Kwoh Jack is an Associate Research Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University.

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Laos under spotlight

Laos under international spotlight in search for land rights activist

The Guardian: 24 January 2013

Sombath Somphone disappeared a month ago after stopping at a police checkpoint, yet officials deny knowing his whereabouts.

Activist Sombath Somphone

Though it rarely makes international headlines, Laos has been in the spotlight for the past month. One of its most well-respected activists has gone missing after stopping at a police checkpoint. His disappearance has prompted the Laos government to suggest he was “kidnapped”, but rights groups suspect he may have been abducted after campaigning against land grabs.

Sombath Somphone, 60, disappeared on the night of 15 December in the capital, Vientiane, and was last seen by his wife, Ng Shui Meng, who was driving ahead of him as the couple returned home in separate cars. CCTV footage shows the activist stopping at a police post, leaving his vehicle, and his Jeep being driven away by someone else. Later, a pickup truck with its lights flashing arrives, Sombath gets in, and he and two other men drive off.

Although Sombath has not been seen or heard from since the checkpoint stop, the government insists it has nothing to do with his disappearance.

In an official statement carried by the state news agency KPL soon after Sombath went missing, a government spokesman said he may have been “kidnapped perhaps because of a personal conflict or a conflict in business”, and that the pickup truck in question was driven by two men “not possible to identify”. Their vehicle, the statement added, “went away to an unknown destination”.

Sombath’s family and friends say he had no such conflicts and that no ransom has been demanded. Continue reading “Laos under spotlight”

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Amnesty International calls for Action

Screen Shot 2013-01-19 at 8.59.36 AMAmnesty international has issued a statement that calls for everybody who is concerned about Sombath to write immediately in Lao, English or your own language:

  • Calling on the Lao authorities to undertake prompt, transparent and thorough investigations into the abduction and disappearance of Sombath Somphone, in accordance with their obligations under international human rights law;
  • Demanding that they give full information about the progress of the investigations to his family and others with a legitimate interest;
  • Urging them to ensure that all steps are being taken to locate, rescue and return him safely to his family as soon as possible.

The full statement from Amnesty International, with details of who to write to, can be downloaded by clicking this link.

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A diplomatic nightmare

Where’s Sombath? Laos scrambles to manage a diplomatic nightmare

Asian Correspondent: 18 January 2013

Rarely the centre of regional media attention, Laos is more often associated with being “tiny” and “land-locked” but this week the Southeast Asian nation has been forced to perform some diplomatic acrobatics to manage a growing storm around the disappearance of activist Sombath Somphone.

Sombath04 - person in black gets in jeepAnyone who lives there will know that a safety net is always recommended when Laos walks the diplomatic tightrope.

Questions around the disappearance of a much-respected activist and campaigner for sustainable development are coming thick and fast since his abduction on a busy street in the Lao capital of Vientiane. But a more unusual sight for locals and observers is watching the Lao Government crunching through their PR gears.

Laos has been earmarked as the next frontier market in Southeast Asia, following in the footsteps of Vietnam and Burma and the abduction of a leading voice in the NGO community has raised new concerns. Continue reading “A diplomatic nightmare”

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From 'Happy Laos' to 'Unhappy Laos'

A few months ago, Sombath was involved in the making of the Happy Laos video, which you can watch here:

Today, Chistina McMellon, one of the researchers who was involved in Happy Laos, has shared details of her interview with Sombath.  Here are some of the things he told her in May last year:

Happiness is about understanding how connected we are and how temporary everything is…about sharing good times and sharing the pain…it’s about giving…

Deeper happiness comes in creating an environment or conditions where everyone can be happy.

The future is always going to be changing, it will never be what you expect and you should not expect it to be the way you would like it to be.

You can read Christina’s blog, including more details of her interview with Sombath, under the heading ‘Unhappy Laos’.

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BBC reports US concern

Sombath Somphone: US concern over missing Laos campaigner

BBC: 17 January 2013

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged Laos to investigate the disappearance of a well-known social activist who went missing last month.

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

Rights groups fear that he was abducted by elements associated with the Communist authorities.

But the government in Laos says it knows nothing of his whereabouts.

Although he is not a political figure, Mr Sombath was a prominent campaigner who promoted fair land rights for small farmers, which is a sensitive issue in Laos, the BBC’s Nga Pham reports from Bangkok.

“We call upon the Lao government to pursue a transparent investigation of this incident and to do everything in its power to bring about an immediate and safe return home to his family,” Hillary Clinton urged in a statement.

Laos is one of the world’s few Communist countries where all land belongs to the state – and there have been complaints about land grabs and abuses by local government, our correspondent reports.

Last week three lawmakers from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines visited Vientiane and concluded that they were not satisfied with explanations they had received about the disappearance from officials.

Source:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21055404