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Enlèvement de Sombath Somphone: Vientiane reste muet

Le Temps: 31 Janvier 2014

Shui Meng Ng

Epouse d’un militant des droits de l’homme disparu il y a un an, Shui Meng Ng appelle le régime à faire preuve de bonne volonté

Treize mois après la disparition forcée de Sombath Somphone, le 15 décembre 2012, le Parlement européen a voté une seconde résolution appelant le gouvernement laotien à «clarifier les progrès de l’enquête sur le lieu où se trouve Sombath Somphone pour répondre aux nombreuses questions autour de sa disparition, et à requérir et accepter l’assistance des experts étrangers dans le domaine de la médecine légale et de l’enquête policière». L’UE a réitéré que le «manque de réaction de la part du gouvernement laotien suscitait des soupçons de ce que les autorités pourraient être impliquées dans son enlèvement».

Cette seconde résolution de l’UE a été précédée par d’innombrables appels privés et publics des gouvernements et de leurs représentants dans la région et à travers la planète, ainsi que de communiqués d’organisations internationales, d’organisations pour le développement, de groupements de la société civile et d’universitaires pressant les autorités laotiennes de s’efforcer de retrouver Sombath et le rendre sain et sauf à sa famille. Il y a eu aussi nombre d’articles et d’éditoriaux dans les médias régionaux et internationaux sur le cas de Sombath.

Mais au jour d’aujourd’hui, cette myriade d’efforts n’a abouti à aucun résultat. Il n’y a encore aucune information sur le lieu où se trouve Sombath ni aucun détail substantiel sur les progrès de l’enquête. Continue reading “Enlèvement de Sombath Somphone: Vientiane reste muet”

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Bangkok Post Editorial, 29 Jan 2014

Based on recent reports from Human Rights Watch and Freedom House, this is what the Bangkok Post had to say about Laos today:

Screen Shot 2014-01-29 at 17.17.35 PMLaos has replaced Myanmar as the most repressive in the region. As a prime example, the government has not even bothered to address the disappearance of development aid worker Sombath Somphone. The internationally known NGO leader was last seen on CCTV footage being abducted and forced into what apparently was a government vehicle. His disappearance is an obvious warning to anyone who might think of challenging the Vientiane regime.

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Dear Sombath…from Mark Sloneker

Dear Sombath,

The first time we met I knew you were someone special. Your passion for improving peoples lives in Laos was infectious. It inspired me, caught me up and guided me in the way of living life with purpose and meaning.

You gave me an opportunity to give back. To give without expectation, to empower and motivate, to help those in need help themselves.

Through the process I learned that I was the one in need. You knew that. You knew the better the heart, the better the work. You helped me fill an emptiness and guided me on the path of my own recovery through giving. I contributed, healed and evolved, you¹ve done that for many. Continue reading “Dear Sombath…from Mark Sloneker”

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Dear Sombath…from Inese Zalitis

Dear Sombath,

I want to write to you and remind you about something that happened almost ten years ago. It was nearly midnight, on the last day of the year of 2004, and I was sitting alone in my office in Bangkok. We had all been dealing with the then all-consuming emergency, the tsunami, that had happened a few days earlier. The whole office had been working day and night, but now I had decided to send everybody home, to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. I had to stay in the office, since there were telephone conferences every day with our HQ, to inform each other about the progress of the rescue and emergency activities.

I had just finished the telephone conference with New York. A snow storm was coming in the NY area, and they all had to head home, it was midday in the US. They all wished me Happy New Year, but added that they expected a full written report of the planned activities, as well as a complete Draft Programme Proposal, due in New York the day after! I nearly cried, but wished them all a Happy New Year.

That was the moment when the phone rang again, and it was you, Sombath, from Laos! Calling me to say that Shui-Meng and you were thinking about me, and wanted to hear if everything was all right, and of course to wish me a Happy New Year. I started to cry again, this time of pure joy, that a kind and familiar voice was approaching me and thinking about me. Thank you for that call!. And, the report was written and sent in, in time.

Inese Zalitis

(former Representative UNICEF, Thailand)

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Dear Sombath…from Margie Law

Dear Sombath,

I’m sure you have found, like me that sometimes you meet someone and don’t spend a huge amount of time with them and yet they are significant in your life. This is how I feel about you. We have only ever been together for meetings and conferences but your calm, quiet, reflective presence always had a strong influence on me.

When I think of Laos, I think of you, and of Charlie Pahlman. When I think of aid and development and how to assess its impact, especially how successful a project is and what and who is impacted, I think of you, and again, also of Charlie. The two of you are my mentors in development work because you always remain positive and encouraging and convinced that if people are listened to and able to contribute to their future that good decisions can be made. Continue reading “Dear Sombath…from Margie Law”

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Dear Sombath…from Shui Meng (1)

My dearest Sombath,

Late last week, the European Parliament issued another resolution calling on the Lao Government to “clarify the state of the investigation into the whereabouts of Sombath Somphone, to answer the many outstanding questions around Sombath’s disappearance, and to seek and accept assistance from foreign forensic and law enforcement experts’’. The EU reiterated that ‘’the lack of reaction by the Lao Government raises suspicions that the authorities could be involved in his abduction’’.

Although I am very grateful for the continued international pressure, I have to tell you that I cannot help but feel the Lao authorities will just shrug this latest EU resolution aside, as they have done with all the other statements of concern and appeals from around the world. The Lao Government can continue to do nothing because there have been few concrete consequences to their inaction, except for some bad press in the international arena. Continue reading “Dear Sombath…from Shui Meng (1)”

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The European Parliament….

  • Expresses its deep concern regarding the disappearance, safety and wellbeing of Sombath Somphone;
  • Calls on the Lao authorities to undertake prompt, transparent and thorough investigations, in accordance with their obligations under international human rights law, to fully cooperate with UN bodies such as the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and to ensure the immediate and safe return of Sombath Somphone to his family;
  • Reiterates its call on the High Representative/Vice-President of the Commission to closely monitor the Lao Government’s investigations into the disappearance of Sombath Somphone;
  • Stresses that the Lao authorities should take all necessary steps to end the practice of arbitrary arrests and secret detention; calls on Laos to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance;
  • Calls on the Government of Laos to respect the rights of free expression and association and the rights of minorities, and to protect the right to freedom of religion or belief;

The full resolution, adopted by the European Parliament on 16 January 2014, can be seen here.

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Dear Sombath…from S.Y. Chin

Greetings Sombath,

My authors, colleagues and friends from across the developed and developing countries have been emailing me their Seasons Greetings over the past two weeks. Many of them, who are our mutual friends, have mentioned you in their emails.

They remember last Christmas, as 2012 was drawing to a close, how concerned we were when we heard the news that you had been missing for two weeks.

This Christmas, we all remember with even deeper concern that you are now missing for more than a year.

During the past year we all missed our dialogues with you, and your gentle, modest wisdom that came with our conversations.

At the same time time we were inspired by Shui-Meng’s efforts at making sure you are not forgotten.

All of us hope that Shui-Meng will be assured by the long-memory that has always been kept by the international community in development.

We all also hope that 2014 will see us picking up with you our various conversations that were paused at the end of 2012.

S.Y. Chin

Publisher, Southbound

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European Parliament Demands Clarification

Screen Shot 2013-02-01 at 22.53.08 PMThe European Parliament passed a resolution on Thursday, January 16th “…demanding clarifications on the investigation into the Sombath Somphone case in Laos.”

“MEPs demand a clarification of the state of the investigation into the Sombath Somphone case, considering that ‘the lack of reaction from the Lao Government raises suspicions that the authorities could be involved in his abduction’. MEPs also stress that ‘enforced disappearances remain a major impediment to Laos joining the UN Human Rights Council’.”

The press release is available in English and French. The full resolution can be found here. Video of interventions by parliamentarians can be seen here.

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Dear Sombath…from Kham Keopanya

Dear Sombath,

I am as one of the Buddhist practitioners. I believe in Karma. May your good Karma help you be strong both physically and mentally and bring you back home safely. Although we do not know your whereabouts, I would like to collect all my energy to do a prayer to convince the persons (who have been involved in your disappearance) to change their mind and understand about you and about what you have been doing for Laos, the country we all love. May all collective energy protect and bring you home.

I have learned about your philosophy on “development” very inspiring to me, for example Education for Sustainable Development and Happiness Indicator, and your continued effort to implement it and encourage colleagues, friends and younger generations from INGOs, NPAs, government partners and development partner organizations to do so. I myself feel very convinced if we adopt your approach to the development of our country, I believe our country will grow in a sustainable way that is not exploiting too much natural resources. In Buddhist Dharma “when we destroy the mother earth, we kill ourselves”—For example, pollution and disaster events are most human-made. Continue reading “Dear Sombath…from Kham Keopanya”