rsbtws, Author at Sombath Somphone | ສົມບັດ ສົມພອນ

March 17, 2013July 29, 2015

Will Laos bend over EU pressure on Sombath?

Asian Correspondent: 16 March 2013

Rob O’Brien

It has been more than three months since the activist and sustainable development campaigner Sombath Somphone was last seen on a busy road in Vientiane.

The now infamous CCTV footage capturing his final moments offer the clearest indication that his disappearance was a carefully planned abduction. His jeep was stopped by police on December 15 before he was driven away in a separate vehicle and never seen again.

The government and police have continued to deny any role in his disappearance and an ongoing investigation has failed to yield any answers as to where Sombath is or why he was snatched in the first place.

Along with local and international NGOs and other supporters, his wife, Shui-Meng Ng, has built an international campaign that has kept up the pressure on the Lao government.

International delegations and diplomats continue to express concern about Sombath’s whereabouts, most recently an EU delegation, but to date Lao officials have remained staunchly on message and Shui-Meng says she’s heard the same answers time and time again.

“Members of diplomatic corp has met high level government leaders and ministers, but answers are the same: ‘We are also very concerned and doing all we can, the police have been doing an investigation, but we have not found Sombath – we are sad that this happened, etc..’” she says.

Next week will mark 100 days since his disappearance and the EU has vowed to crank up the pressure through “a new phase of international activity,” with Sombath’s case becoming a priority for the European Parliament at the UN Human Rights Council.

Dutch Senator and EU Delegation leader Tuur Elzinga was keen to spell out that the EU’s resolve won’t bend on the missing activist. “If Lao officials think the issue of Sombath’s disappearance will go away, they are wrong,” he said.

But as the 100-day milestone approaches, the long days of campaigning are beginning to take their toll on his wife.

“I am very tired and discouraged of week after week with no news and no leads, but what choice do I have but to keep trying and persevering and try every lead and every means to find Sombath?” she says.

“My life is on hold – waiting, waiting, hoping and hoping and at times feeling helpless and hopeless. I just have to keep faith that Sombath is still alive… as anything otherwise is completely unthinkable.”

March 16, 2013July 28, 2015

Youth network demands answers over Sombath

The Nation: 16 March 2013

Nuntida Puangthong

Some 50 members of the Thai and Mekong Youth network gathered outside the Laos Embassy in Bangkok yesterday demanding the return of missing social activist Sombath Somphone.

The protest was held to seek an explanation from Vientiane authorities about his disappearance three months ago.

A CCTV video clip in the Laos capital showed the Magasaysay award winner being stopped by police at an outpost before being ushered by a group of unknown men to an unknown destination on December 15.

So far, the only response from the Laos government has been a statement from the Foreign Ministry saying he might have been abducted due to a personal or business conflict.

Sombath dedicated most of his life to community development in Laos and to help the poor. The network submitted an open letter to the embassy asking the Laos government to have relevant authorities undertake a prompt, transparent and thorough probe into Sombath’s disappearance in accordance with their obligations under the international human-rights law.

They also demanded that Laos fully disclose all progress of the investigation to Sombath’s family and others with a legitimate interest, as well as ensure that all measures are being employed to locate, rescue and return him safely to his family as soon as possible.

The group also staged a short skit at the protest site yesterday to criticise Laos for its cool response to the incident.

Meanwhile, Bounthone Chanthalavong-Wiese, president of the Alliance for Demo-cracy in Laos, yesterday issued a statement supporting the youth.

“This event demonstrates that the civil society in the Asean region loves and respects loong [uncle] Sombath and has not forgotten his kindness and his good work for the people,” the statement read. “Laos needs to change from an authoritarian one-party system to a democratic system that respects and protects human rights.”

The letter submitted by the Mekong Youth is available in English and Thai.

March 16, 2013July 28, 2015

เยาวชนไทยร้องรบ.ลาวตามหานักพัฒนา ‘แมกไซไซ’ หายตัวลึกลับ

สำนักข่าวอิศรา: 15 มีนาคม 2013

เยาวชน ไทยลุ่มน้ำโขงยื่นหนังสือสถานทูตลาว เรียกร้อง-รณรงค์ตามหา ‘สมบัด สมพอน’ อดีตนักพัฒนาแมกไซไซหายตัวลึกลับ คาดเหตุช่วยชาวบ้านขัดผลประโยชน์

วันที่ 15 มี.ค. 56 ที่สถานทูตลาวประจำประเทศไทย เครือข่ายเยาวชนไทยและแม่น้ำโขง ประมาณ 30 คนเข้ายื่นหนังสือถึง ฯพณฯ ทองสิง ทำมะวง นายกรัฐมนตรีประเทศลาว พร้อมสำเนาถึงประธานสภาแห่งชาติ ประเทศลาว กรรมการกรมการเมืองศูนย์กลางพรรคประชาชนปฏิวัติลาว รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงการต่างประเทศลาว รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงป้องกันความสงบ ประเทศลาว เลขาธิการอาเซียน และสมาชิกคณะกรรมาธิการระหว่างรัฐบาลอาเซียนว่าด้วยสิทธิมนุษยชน ให้มีการสืบค้นหาตัว นายสมบัด สมพอน ผู้ได้รับรางวัลรามอนแมกไซไซ สาขาบริการชุมชน ปี 48 ภายหลังถูกกลุ่มบุคคลนิรนามลักพาตัวหายไปด้วยรถกระบะ หลังจากถูกตำรวจเรียกให้หยุดที่ด่านตรวจบนถนนท่าเดื่อ อ.ศรีสัดตะนาก กรุงเวียงจันทร์

โดยหนังสือมี ใจความว่า ประเทศลาวเป็นภาคีของกติการะหว่างประเทศว่าด้วยสิทธิพลเมืองและสิทธิทางการ เมือง โดยในม. 9 ได้กล่าวถึงการคุ้มครองสิทธิในเสรีภาพและความปลอดภัยของบุคคล และยังลงนามในอนุสัญญาระหว่างประเทศว่าด้วยการคุ้มครองมิให้บุคคลสูญหาย นอกจากนี้ประเทศลาวและประเทศสมาชิกของอาเซียนได้ลงนามร่วมกันในปฏิญญาสิทธิ มนุษยชนอาเซียน ดังนั้น ลาวจึงต้องสนับสนุน ส่งเสริม และคุ้มครองสิทธิมนุษยชน

ทั้งนี้ เรียกร้องให้หน่วยงานข้างต้น ตระหนักว่า การลักพาตัวสมบัด สมพอน คืออาชญกรรมต่อสันติภาพและความมั่นคงของภูมิภาคแม่น้ำโขงของอาเซียน เป็นสิ่งขัดขวางการพัฒนาของภูมิภาคนี้ อีกทั้งละเมิดหลักการสิทธิมนุษยชนพื้นฐาน ซึ่งเหตุการณ์รุนแรงเช่นนี้ควรได้รับการแก้ไขให้ดีขึ้นด้วยความสมานฉันท์

นอกจาก นี้ต้องสั่งการให้หน่วยงานที่เกี่ยวข้องสืบสวนการถูกลักพาตัวไปอย่างเร่ง ด่วนและโปร่งใส ภายใต้หลักสิทธิมนุษยชนระหว่างประเทศ พร้อมเปิดเผยข้อมูลความคืบหน้าในการสืบสวนอย่างครบถ้วนแก่ครอบครัวของสมบัด และบุคคลอื่นที่ควรได้รับ ที่สำคัญจะต้องรับรองว่าจะตามหาสมบัดอย่างถึงที่สุดด้วยมาตรการทั้งหมดที่มี เพื่อช่วยเหลือให้กลับสู่ครอบคัวโดยเร็วที่สุด

น.ส.ศักดิ์สินี เอมะศิริ แกนนำเครือข่ายเยาวชนไทยและแม่น้ำโขง กล่าวว่า การหายตัวไปของท่านสมบัด สมพอน บอกไม่ได้ว่าเกิดจากสาเหตุใด แต่ส่วนตัวคิดว่าน่าจะเป็นกรณีเดียวกับการหายตัวไปของทนายสมชาย นีละไพจิตร และบุคคลอื่น ๆ ในอดีตที่ช่วยเหลือชาวบ้านที่ขัดผลประโยชน์ อย่างไรก็ตามเชื่อว่าท่านสมบัด สมพอน ยังมีชีวิตอยู่ ซึ่งเราจะสานต่อเจตนารมณ์ในการส่งเสริมการเรียนรู้ระหว่างเยาวชนด้วยกัน ตามที่ท่านเคยมีแนวทางช่วยเหลือเยาวชนในภูมิภาคอาเซียนเกี่ยวกับการส่งเสริม การเรียนรู้และเสรีภาพในการแสดงความคิดเห็น

“เรา ในฐานะเยาวชนจะทำกิจกรรมเรียกร้องตามหาท่านสมบัดด้วยสันติวิธี โดยไม่จำเป็นต้องไปด่า ประท้วง หรือโวยวาย แต่เราจะทำในศักยภาพของเยาวชนผ่านการแสดงออกหลายหลายแง่มุม เช่น ศิลปะ ดนตรี การแสดง” แกนนำเครือข่ายฯ กล่าว

March 15, 2013July 28, 2015

Where is Lao activist Sombath Somphone?

Deutsche Welle: 15 March 2013

Lesen in Deutsch

中国语文

Bahasa Indonesia

Sombath Somphone went missing three months ago after being stopped at a police post. Human rights organizations allege he was ‘disappeared’ by the authorities

On Saturday, December 15, 2012 at six o’clock in the evening Sombath Somphone and his wife Ng Shui Meng left work in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. They travelled home in separate cars, agreeing to meet for dinner.

However, Sombath never arrived. Ng Shui Meng lost sight of his jeep near a police post on Thadeua Road.

Security camera footage shows what happened next. The activist was stopped by police and taken into the post. A few minutes later a motorcyclist stopped and drove off in Sombath’s jeep. Then a truck came; two people got out, took Sombath and drove off with him. He has not been seen since. His phone can also not be tracked down.

Government is not credible

Relatives and friends of the activist have come up against a wall of silence. Although the government of the one-party state officially says they are looking into his disappearance, human rights organizations believe the authorities are involved.

On December 19, the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement confirming the incidents as recorded on the security camera, but claimed he was kidnapped for personal or business reasons.

Read full article

March 14, 2013July 28, 2015

“Sombath Somphone and Beyond” Project – The 2nd Episode

Tea Talk: Growing Peace Together

Friday 15 March 2013

10.30 Onward, In front of Laos Embassy

Soi Sahakarnpramun, Pracha-utit Rd, Wangthonglang, Bangkok

15 March 2013 marks 3 month anniversary of the enforced disappearance of Sombath Somphone or “uncle Bath” of many young people in Laos, Mekong region and ASEAN. The respected Ramon Magsaysay award winner had dedicated his life to rural development and supporting youth groups by giving them the opportunity to learn. Beloved, respectful, kind-hearted and humble, Sombath is their role model as to his love for the world. The sharing and caring that Sombath shared with the young people was a part of the foundation of the growth of their own.

It has now been 3 months of unexplained disappearance of Sombath which occurred on 15 December 2012, despite the CCTV clip showing once and for all his being taken by a group of men after being stopped by a street police at a point on Tha-dua road in Vientiane municipality as evening fell. Seemingly, the answer to his fortune is in the wind.

We, Thai and Mekong Youth network, once again question this suspicious disappearance and request the Laos government to address it and, soon, bring him back to his family and us. We believe that, to end this human rights violation is to return peace to the Mekong region. We echo voices of the region’s people who call for sustainable development, harmony and peace.

On 15^th day of every month from now, we will take action to remind ourselves as well as society of uncle Bath’s enforced disappearance. Wherever he is, we feel he is still with us and we will not keep quiet about him. We shall continue to work for the good of others, serving community and society of Mekong and ASEAN. We, the youth, will always connect our actions to empower the powerless. Our ideology, way of thinking, dream and spirit of love for peace will go on. And truth will prevail. We believe that peace has now grown in us. We will help each other to make it grow larger and stronger not only for the good of us but those of the coming generations.

“Sombath Somphone and Beyond” Project set out of our 5^th February concert for peace in Thammasart University. This “Tea Talk” is the second episode. Its key objective is to create space to discuss about peace in the young people’s perspectives. Talk over tea is symbolic in our culture, when people exchange socio-political ideas. As for 15^th March in front of the Laos Embassy, we will share with our guests nice tea and cakes, together with music and performance titled “Three Nots” (not know, not see, not understand or “Boh huu, Boh hen, Boh jak” in Laos language). We will invite the Laos ambassador to join us for the Tea Talk and will in the end submit our petition that urge investigation on Sombath case. We hope our friends, colleagues and concerned others will join us so that our attempt to stop human rights violation and our search for peace shall once again be realized.

More information please contact:

Jaruwan Pholrai (Netting) Tel 08 1072 2714 E-mail: [email protected]

Sakdinee Amasiri Tel 085212 198 E-mail [email protected]

March 14, 2013December 26, 2015

Laos campaigner's abduction sends shockwaves through activist community

NGO community fears Sombath Somphone’s disappearance represents start of a crackdown on dissenting voices

Fred Pearce

The Guardian: Wednesday 13 March 2013

Sombath Somphone was snatched on a busy street in Laos’ capital Vientiane last December, while police officers looked on. The 60-year-old was stopped by police in his 4×4, but two people in plain clothes bundled him into another vehicle and he has not been seen or heard of since. The police and other government authorities state they had no part in his abduction and do not know where he is.

The nature of Sombath’s disappearance has shocked local environmental activists and non-governmental organisations. He is a highly respected community worker and green campaigner, and worked for more than 30 years on grassroots community activity including consulting for Unicef, where his wife also worked.

He founded the Participatory Development Training Centre, which educates rural Laotians in everything from fish farming to rice milling and microcredit to recycling household waste. In 2005, he won the Ramon Magsaysay award for social activists, often called the Asian Nobel prize. Colleagues in the NGO community fear that his abduction represents the beginning of a state crackdown on dissenting voices.

His wife, Shui-meng Ng said: “I believe that he is still alive but I do not know in what condition. He is in need of daily medication for prostate cancer. He has not received his medication since his disappearance.”

She remembers the day of his disappearance . “We normally go out in the same car, but that Saturday I had to go first. I took the car, and Sombath took the jeep.” They met later to go home for dinner. “I drove my car in front, and he drove behind me.” So far, so normal.

They became separated when Sombath was stopped at a police checkpoint.

“After that, I did not see his car. I thought nothing about it. I went home. When he did not return, I called his phone, but it was switched off. I thought it had run out of battery. By around midnight, I started to worry. We went out looking for him. We went to the hospitals. Next morning, we reported to the police.”

Then she had an idea that led to evidence which threatens to undermine Laos’s attempts to portray itself as a Communist country undergoing political reform.

They sent her CCTV footage whichcan be viewed online. It shows Sombath being stopped, a motorcyclist turning up and taking his vehicle, and then Sombath being abducted and driven away in a white 4×4 with flashing lights. Complicit or perhaps fearful, the police do not intervene.

Shui-meng said: “We never suspected anything like this. But Vientiane is very small, and if people want to follow us or find out where we are, it is easy.”

Despite the disturbing evidence of the CCTV footage, state authorities blame “business rivals”, even though he has no business.

His friends in Laos’ international community believe his trouble began when he organised a high-profile meeting of Laos community leaders. The Asia-Europe People’s Forum took place just before Laos played host to a summit of heads of state from Europe and Asia – an outward sign that Laos was throwing off years of isolation and socialist dogma.

The forum had official approval. It was opened by the deputy prime minister, Thongloun Sisoulith, widely regarded as a liberal. Sombath encouraged delegates to speak freely. One working group discussed land grabbing, a hot topic in the country. According to foreign observers at the meeting, one woman said her ethnic group did not want to be turned into labourers on a rubber plantation. But then the facade of state liberalism seemed to crack.

The woman, who activists have requested is not named for her own safety, was attacked by government officials who were filming speakers and taking notes. Days later, officials visited her home village. In an atmosphere of intimidation, Sombath approached his government counterparts in organising the meeting to solve the crisis.

Anne-Sophie Gindroz, the Laos director of Helvetas, a Swiss-based agricultural development NGO who had organised the land workshop, wrote to foreign donors underlining the “serious constraints on freedom of expression” in a country where “there is little space for meaningful democratic debate”.

The government read her letter and, on 7 December, the ministry of foreign affairs wrote to her boss in Zurich accusing her of waging an “anti-government campaign”. She was given 48 hours to leave the country.

Eight days later, after returning from Burma, Sombath disappeared. The US state department, UN human rights commission, fellow recipients of the Magsaysay award and many others have pleaded with the Laos government to find and release Sombath. But so far there is no sign.

Supporters fear the police, while supposedly trying to find Sombath, are trying to dig up dirt on him. Shui-meng said they had visited his village, asking about his drinking and whether or not he holds an American passport .He does not, although he was educated in the US and has many foreign friends.

Shui-meng said: “I do not fear any threat to my own safety. I plan to stay until I get Sombath back safely. We have worked together for 30 years to improve Laos people’s wellbeing and livelihoods. We have done nothing wrong. We have done everything openly and in full public view, and have abided by the law of the land.”

March 11, 2013July 28, 2015

Legacy of People's Forum in jeopardy

The International Oganising Committee of the Asia Europe People’s Forum has issued a statement saying that due to the disappearance of Sombath Somphone and other recent developments “the legacy of the AEPF9 in Laos is in great jeopardy”

Screen Shot 2013-03-11 at 7.22.06 AM The 9^th Asia Europe People’s Forum (AEPF9) took place from 16 to 19 October 2012 in Vientiane. Sombath Somphone was the co-chair of the Lao National Organising Committee and a key note speaker during the Opening Day. He also facilitated the production of the highly acclaimed ‘Happy Laos’ film which was shown at the closing of the Forum.

The AEPF in Vientiane was initially deemed a success, but subsequent events have led to a reassessment by the Internal Organising Committee (IOC). The latest statement by the IOC identifies four developments in Laos:

The ‘disappearance’ of Sombath Somphone on December 15^th 2012
The expulsion of Anne-Sophie Grindroz, the Country Director of Helvetas.
An increasing perception that the ‘spaces’ for dialogue, discussion and debate on how to achieve more sustainable economic and social development in Laos are becoming constricted.
An increasing number of reports of harassment at the local level of participants in the AEPF9 who have been taking forward initiatives to promote sustainable development.

Due to these developments, the IOC is now of the view that…

The lived reality for many people in Laos today is in sharp contrast to the rhetoric of the Vientiane Declaration on Strengthening Partnership for Peace and Development agreed at the end of ASEM9.

The IOC statement concludes by calling upon the Government of Laos to sincerely and accountably take forward their commitments to enable space for open, respectful, diverse and constructive debate.

March 10, 2013July 28, 2015

SP-Senator Tuur Elzinga in Laos om zorgen over vermissing

SP.NL, 10-03-13

Deze week bracht een Europese delegatie onder leiding van SP Eerste-Kamerlid Tuur Elzinga haar grote zorgen over het welbevinden van Sombath Somphone over aan regering en parlement van Laos. Sombath is in Laos bekend geworden door zijn talent mensen uit alle uithoeken van het land te scholen, te organiseren en te betrekken bij de sociale en duurzame ontwikkeling van hun land. De vrees bestaat nu dat hij daarmee niet alleen vrienden heeft gemaakt, aangezien hij op 15 december van het afgelopen jaar bij een routineverkeerscontrole staande werd gehouden en niemand sindsdien meer iets van hem heeft vernomen.

SP-senator Tuur Elzinga Elzinga biedt namens de delegatie de unaniem door het Europees Parlement aanvaarde motie over de zaak Sombath aan

De regering heeft enkele dagen na de vermissing een formeel onderzoek gelast, maar de delegatie is van de gerapporteerde resultaten zover niet erg onder de indruk. Senator Elzinga: ‘De regering en politie moeten hier echt hogere prioriteit aan geven. Ik heb de regering gezegd dat ik er alle vertrouwen in heb dat ze het snel op kunnen lossen, dat ik niet in de details van hun onderzoek geïnteresseerd ben, maar alleen in het resultaat.’

Ook heeft de delegatie de boodschap overgebracht dat in het belang van Laos een snelle oplossing gewenst is. Elzinga: ‘Ik heb de onderminister van Buitenlandse Zaken en een delegatie van het parlement in Laos duidelijk gemaakt dat deze kwestie zich niet vanzelf oplost. Zolang Sombath niet veilig met zijn familie wordt verenigd zal deze verdwijning alle agenda’s van het internationaal overleg over en met Laos domineren, of het nu de VN Mensenrechtenraad is of overleg binnen de Wereldhandelsorganisatie waar Laos net vorig jaar is toegetreden.’

Elzinga zette zijn boodschap kracht bij door namens de delegatie de op 6 februari unaniem door het Europees Parlement aanvaarde motie over deze zaak aan te bieden. Deze motie volgde op een bezorgde brief aan parlement en regering van Laos, ondertekend door vele nationale parlementariërs uit landen uit Zuidoost-Azië en Europa en Europarlementariërs. De betrokkenheid van parlementariërs uit deze regio’s komt voort uit het meest recente project van Sombath, de medeorganisatie van het Asia Europe Peoples Forum dat in oktober in de Laotiaanse hoofdstad Vientiane werd gehouden. Dit internationale forum van maatschappelijke organisaties uit Europa en Azië leverde – samen met een forum voor parlementariërs en een business forum – inbreng voor de ASEM-top van regeringsleiders uit beide regio’s, die kort daarop ook in Vientiane plaatsvond. Kort na de afronding van dit evenement verdween Sombath.

De delegatie heeft uitgebreid gesproken met de vrouw van Sombath en had daarnaast ontmoetingen met de permanente vertegenwoordiger van de EU en verschillende Ambassadeurs van EU-landen in Laos, de Nederlandse Ambassadeur voor de regio in Bangkok en verschillende vertegenwoordigers van maatschappelijke organisaties in Laos.

Voor meer informatie over Sombath, zie de Engelstalige website https://sombath.org/

March 9, 2013July 29, 2015

European Delegation: The clock is ticking for Laos with the case of Sombath Somphone

Press Statement by the European Delegation, 9th March 2013

A European Delegation was in the Lao Capital, Vientiane from the 6^th to 9^th of March 2013 to express their grave concern that Sombath Somphone, highly respected member of Lao civil society, has still not returned safely to his family. Sombath disappeared on the 15^th December 2012, taken away in a truck by unknown persons after being stopped by police in Vientiane. Nobody has seen or heard from him since.

The Delegation formally presented to the Lao National Assembly and the Vice Foreign Minister of the Lao PDR the European Parliament Resolution on ‘Laos: the case of Sombath Somphone’, unanimously adopted on 6^th February 2013.

Dutch Senator and Delegation leader Tuur Elzinga stressed that the delegation strongly felt that it was within the capacities of the Lao Government to ensure Sombath’s safe return to his family and that it is therefore essential that appropriate actions are prioritised.

He also stressed that for every day that passes without Sombath’s safe return to his family, the credibility of Laos weakens.

The 8^th of March 2012 is the 83^rd day since Sombath’s disappearance and for many organisations a 100 days is a time for reflection and taking stock on progress. If no positive result has been achieved a new phase of international activity will inevitably be entered as the European Parliament resolution formally calls on the EU to include Laos and the case of Sombath Somphone in its priorities for forthcoming sessions of the UN Human Rights Council. The year 2012 started a positive year for Laos’ credibility, both nationally and internationally, hosting the ASEM9 Summit and entering the WTO. Unfortunately this credibility is now at stake.

Senator Elzinga: ‘If Lao officials think the issue of Sombath’s disappearance will go away, they are wrong. It will be the first item on any agenda in bi-lateral, multi-lateral and international discussions with and about Laos, until Sombath is safely returned to his family’.

The full report of the delegation is available here.

Background:

The Delegation met with

Representative of the Government of the Lao PDR, the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Alounkeo Kittikhoun
The Vice President of The National Assembly of the Lao PDR, Mr.Somphanh Phengkhammy and members of the National Assembly including Mr. Onsy Saensouk, Vice Chair of National Assembly Committee for Security and National Defence , Mr. Kisinh Sinphanngam Vice Chair and the National Assembly Law Committee and Mr. Khongsy Sisengdeuane, Deputy Permanent Secretary.
The Chargé d’Affaires, Head, of the European Delegation in Laos and Ambassadors from European Union member states in Laos
Representatives from Lao development organisations
Representatives from International NGOs based in Laos
Ng Shui-Meng, the wife of Sombath Somphone

Note for press:

Tuur Elzinga, Senator (for the Socialist Party) in the Dutch Parliament and member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Elzinga was accompanied by Andy Rutherford, a representative of the International Organising Committee of the Asia Europe People’s Forum (AEPF), who had worked closely with Sombath in the preparations for and organising of the AEPF9 that took place in Vientiane between 16th and 19th October 2012 in the weeks before ASEM9.

Photo shows Senator Tuur Elzinga formally presenting the unanimously agreed Resolution of the 6^th February 2013 of the European Parliament on ‘Laos: the case of Sombath Somphone’ to the Lao National Assembly. Vientiane, Laos Thursday 7^th March 2013

The Resolution of the European Parliament is available here.

March 8, 2013July 28, 2015

Sombath, le disparu de Vientiane

Le Monde: 08.03.2013

Par Bruno Philip (Lettre d’Asie)

Depuis bientôt trois mois, Sombath Somphone, 62 ans, personnalité éminente de la société civile du Laos, militant écologiste et de la cause du développement durable, figure mondialement reconnue par ses pairs comme incarnant la voix déterminée des paysans les plus pauvres de son pays, a disparu. Le 15 décembre 2012, il a pris sa voiture et s’est évaporé.

Les dernières images que l’on a peut-être de lui sont celles, floues, de caméras de surveillance filmant un homme qui pourrait être Sombath à un poste de police où il venait de s’arrêter pour montrer ses papiers lors d’un contrôle sur une grande avenue de Vientiane, la capitale du Laos.

Toujours selon les images des caméras, il serait descendu de sa Jeep avant que, quelques minutes plus tard, un homme en civil monte dans sa voiture et démarre. Une dizaine de minutes après, le film montre un autre personnage prenant le volant d’un camion blanc. Un passager – peut-être Sombath – se place alors sur le siège passager et le véhicule démarre.

Les amis du disparu de Vientiane redoutent qu’il s’agisse d’un enlèvement organisé sinon par le pouvoir, tout au moins par des gens proches du pouvoir. Ou par des “éléments incontrôlés” de “services”. A l’appui de cette thèse, les prises de position écologiques de Sombath, activiste pétri de convictions bouddhistes et prompt à critiquer les dérives capitalistes d’un régime “socialiste” : les leaders laotiens sont les héritiers du mouvement Pathet Lao anti-américain et anti-impérialiste qui avait fini par s’emparer du contrôle du pays à la fin de la guerre du Vietnam. Depuis 1975, le Parti populaire révolutionnaire lao (PPRL) s’est maintenu au pouvoir et a évolué “à la chinoise” en un système mêlant ouverture à l’économie de marché et strict contrôle politique.

Mais qui, cependant, aurait eu intérêt à décider de se débarrasser de cette personnalité dont la disparition ne peut que donner à la République démocratique et populaire du Laos une réputation douteuse ? Sombath a tout de même reçu en 2005 l’équivalent asiatique du prix Nobel, le Ramon Magsaysay Award qui récompensa son travail auprès des paysans et le succès de son Centre d’entraînement au développement participatif, une ONG aidant les fermiers au niveau local.

Qui aurait eu intérêt à se lancer dans une telle aventure quelques semaines après la tenue, en novembre, à Vientiane, du sommet Asie Europe (ASEM), pour lequel chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement de nombre de pays européens et asiatiques, François Hollande en tête, avaient fait le déplacement ?

L’événement avait placé pour quelques jours le Laos sous les projecteurs, et fait connaître au monde l’émergence socio-économique modeste mais sûre de ce petit pays enclavé et pauvre en train de secouer sa séculaire torpeur. Fin 2012, le Laos a même intégré l’Organisation mondiale du commerce.

Difficile de trouver des réponses satisfaisantes et précises à la question de savoir qui pourrait être précisément responsable… “Je n’ai aucune idée de ce qui a pu se passer”, nous a confié récemment au téléphone depuis Vientiane l’épouse de Sombath, Ng Shui Meng, une Singapourienne qu’il avait rencontrée dans les années 1970 à Hawaï, où il faisait des études de sciences de l’éducation et d’ingénieur agronome.

Les autorités nient toute implication dans cette disparition. Elles assurent que la police met tout en oeuvre pour retrouver Sombath. Récemment, le quotidien officiel anglophone The Vientiane Times a publié un communiqué émanant du directeur adjoint de la police, le colonel Phengsavanh Thipphavongxay, qui détaille les circonstances de la disparition de Sombath. S’appuyant sur les images des caméras de surveillance, le colonel indique que rien ne permet de “vérifier” si l’un des hommes filmés est bien le disparu. Il réitère aussi la thèse officielle selon laquelle Sombath aurait pu être la victime ou l’objet d’un règlement de comptes personnel.

Avant le sommet de l’ASEM, Sombath Somphone avait présenté un rapport critique du système de développement choisi par les autorités de son pays. Remarquant que le Laos avait expérimenté tour à tour, depuis près de quarante ans, un modèle de type soviétique, avant d’évoluer vers plus de libertés économiques de type capitaliste, il affirmait dans ce rapport : “Ces deux types de modèle ont connu certains succès mais ils ont aussi échoué à satisfaire les attentes d’une majorité de la population laotienne, surtout en termes d’amélioration du bien-être des gens et des conditions de vie des Laotiens des zones rurales, qui forment la majorité de la population.”

A ce propos, Shui Meng, son épouse, avoue rester perplexe : “Je ne peux répondre ni positivement ni négativement à la question de savoir si sa disparition est liée à ses prises de position. Mais j’ai quand même du mal à imaginer qu’elles puissent en être la raison. Ça serait complètement disproportionné ! En plus, il a souvent travaillé en bonne intelligence avec des gens du gouvernement. Certains d’entre eux m’ont même fait parvenir des témoignages de leurs sympathies…”

A Vientiane, on sait que les éléments les plus modernes et les plus ouverts du système semblent bien embarrassés par les mystères de l'”affaire Sombath”. Il reste à espérer que, quelles que soient les raisons de sa disparition et les responsables de son enlèvement présumé, une solution soit trouvée rapidement pour qu’il réintègre dès que possible la communauté des hommes libres.

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