亚洲哀恸多位宗教领袖、爭取人权者和异见人士被「强迫失踪」

AsiaNews: 09 September 2013

“Asia’s sad record of ‘enforced disappearances’ of religious leaders , activists and opponents”

从西藏班禅至老挝人权人士,亚洲有几千人被当地政府拘留,他们被视为会威胁政府当局的管治。观察家认为,报告列举的案例只是冰山一角,实际情况更加恶劣。多国政府否认有此问题,只有四个国家已确认国际公约。

ASIA_-_PanchenLama_PLACARD曼谷(亚洲新闻/通讯社) – 在亚洲,西藏班禅、泰国穆斯林律师会主席和老挝争取农民权益人士的共通点,是他们成为所谓的「国家拘留」受害者,他们被限制自由和关押在不明地方,因为他 们都是「敏感」的政治和宗教人物,甚至因为他们的观点以人权为先。随着时间逝去,这些「国家囚犯」可以得到公平审讯及其家人想讨回公道的机会,变得越来越 微弱。这种打压异己的方法,却在整个亚洲大陆越来越普遍。

亚洲反对被迫失踪联会秘书长玛利·巴嘉素(Mary Aileen Bacalso)指出,这个现象很普遍。「亚洲的人口众多,是最多失踪案件的洲份。」此外,官方确证关闸的人数,却是远低于实际的数字,尤其是在政权专制国家,以及常有武装冲突的地区。

在亚洲,据争取人权人士说,有几万人处于「强迫失踪」,但只有一小部分有被记录,因为害怕当局报复。联合国工作组在2012年的报告中指出,在亚洲 国家中,斯里兰卡有5,676宗审查和未完案件、菲律宾621宗、尼泊尔458宗、东帝汶428宗、印度353宗、印尼162宗、巴基斯坦99宗、泰国 71宗、中国30宗及北韩20宗。联合国代表形容此为「冰山一角」。

在西藏,班禅于1995年当他只有6岁时被中国当局带走,一直没有消息,他是藏传佛教的第二位最重要的宗教领袖。然而,在该地区的激进组织,有数百 名僧侣及活动家在北京警方拘留,采用相同的方法来抑制国内持不同政见者,又如在新疆的穆斯林自治区。东南亚国家,如泰国、印尼、菲律宾和老挝,都是国际人 权组织所关注的国家。自1990年代在苏哈托将军的独裁统治期间的强迫失踪,以至亚洲诺贝尔奖得主老挝森巴(Sombath Somphone),他自去年12月被老挝万象当局带走。

对于人权人士或者组织争取释放「被迫失踪」者,往往遇到最大的问题是亚洲多国政府否认有这个问题,也不承认有任何强迫失踪案件。亚洲只有日本、哈萨 克斯坦、伊拉克和柬埔寨四个国家,有确认国际公约,保护所有的人不会被国家拘留。联合国呼吁设定一个有罪不罚的过渡期,政府要负起这责任,而家庭希望与他 们的亲属早日团聚。

An accidental activist

Bangkok Post: 06 September 2013

Pratubjit Neelapaijit is coping with the uncertain fate of her father by speaking out for the disappeared

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PHOTO: PORNPROM SATRABHAYA

Pratubjit Neelapaijit considers herself part of Bangkok’s middle class through and through. Growing up listening to her father, the disappeared lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit, and mother Angkhana discussing human rights violations and social issues, the young Pratubjit felt compassionate yet detached.

But life is a series of unexpected incidents – despite her lack of inclination at a younger age, Pratubjit has found herself engaging in activism.

“I was not into human rights issues much when I was a kid,” she said. “Partly I always thought that I was in the middle class in Bangkok and human rights violations happened with ethnic minorities, like hilltribe people and farmers. I believed I was middle class, so this type of problem would not happen to me.” Continue reading “An accidental activist”

จับผิดจากกล้อง-Caught on Camera

Caught on Camera-Thaiรายงานองค์การแอมเนสตี้อินเตอร์เนชั่นแนล “จับผิดจากกล้อง: การบังคับบุคคลให้สูญหาย กรณีสมบัด สมพอน” มีเป็นภาษาไทยดว้ย. กรุณาคลิกที่ภาพ.

The Amnesty International Report, “Caught on Camera: The Enforced Disappearance of Sombath Somphone” is now available in Thai Language. Please click the picture.

Justice Elusive for Asia's Victims of Enforced Disappearances

Radio Free Asia: 02 September 2013

A European parliamentary delegation at a press conference in Bangkok on Lao activist Sombath Somphone's disappearance, Aug. 28, 2013.
A European parliamentary delegation at a press conference in Bangkok on Lao activist Sombath Somphone’s disappearance, Aug. 28, 2013.

Tibet’s spiritual leader the Dalai Lama’s designated successor the Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, has been missing for nearly two decades.

In Thailand, Somchai Neelapaijit, the chairman of the Thai Muslim Lawyers Association, disappeared nine years ago while providing legal assistance to Muslims accused of involvement in violence against security forces in the country’s troubled south.

More recently, a prominent Lao civil society leader Sombath Somphone, who has been critical of the government’s policies for the poor, vanished after being stopped at a police checkpoint.

In all three cases, governments are believed to be behind the disappearances.

Enforced disappearances—the detention of persons by the state, usually the military or police, followed by a refusal to reveal their fate or whereabouts—has become a major human rights concern in Asia. Continue reading “Justice Elusive for Asia's Victims of Enforced Disappearances”

Letter from Shui Meng on the International Day of the Disappeared

Today (August 30) is the International Day of the Disappeared. Shui Meng has shared the following letter with friends and colleagues to call attention to this terrible practice.

A number of groups and media organisations are doing research on the number and nature of Enforced Disappearances in Laos. If you have any verifiable, documented evidence, please share it.

Dear All,

August 30 marks the International Day of the Disappeared. In many Asian countries, there are activities marking the day to show solidarity with the victims of Enforced Disappearances.

Although Laos is a signatory to the UN Convention Against Enforced Disappearances, and many other human rights conventions and protocols, and despite receiving substantial assistance from development partners for awareness and capacity building on HR issues, there is little awareness or even recognition that Enforced Disappearance is an HR issue in Laos.

In fact, in HR terms Enforced Disappearance is considered the “Mother of HR Violations” because a disappeared person is a “non-person,” and until the person’s whereabouts and proof of life or otherwise are known, the family is left in limbo; left waiting without any possibility of “closure”; left hanging between hope and despair. Nobody, except those who have experienced such violations, can even describe the agony and trauma they face every minute of the day, and outsiders can never understand those feelings and emotions.

I write this not because I am venting my feelings, but to urge you all, as development practitioners and HR advocates, to do more about raising awareness of the issue of disappearances in the HR context of Laos.

There are many cases of disappearances in Laos, more than are admitted, because the family members of the victims are too afraid to speak or reach out for help. Recently, I wanted to reach out regarding one case which was reported to the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, but was told that the family wants it to remain confidential. Such is the scale of fear, and that is why the perpetrators in Laos can continue to act with impunity and know that they will face little or no consequences.

I have spent my entire working life working on development in Laos and elsewhere to improve the lives and rights of the poor and disenfranchised, and I have been very proud of our mission. So, I urge you all, my development colleagues, to take a firmer and more forthright stand on the issue of disappearances with your Lao partners at the national and at the local levels. I at least have a voice, please be the voice and conscience of those Lao people who are voiceless and afraid.

Yours sincerely, Shui Meng

"Answers are Needed"

I hope the Lao government would assume a more active role in finding out the truth of this particularly unwelcome event…

It does touch on the value of human rights. There are disappearances [when people go missing] and enforced disappearances [when people may have been seized by the state]….

You can’t have enforced disappearances – it’s not something we like in this part of the world.

Anand Panyarachun, former Thai Prime Minister and Magsaysay winner, in The Nation, 11 January 2013

I feel that answers are needed… The government has the responsibility to answer questions as to what has happened to him. The government of the Lao PDR is not really taking up this responsibility.

Jon Ungpakorn, former Thai Senator and Magsaysay winner, in The Nation, 11 January 2013

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”

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”

Le Laos doit garantir le retour d'un dirigeant de la société civile victime de disparition

Amnesty International: 13 June 2013

Le gouvernement du Laos doit prendre immédiatement des mesures pour garantir le retour sain et sauf de Sombath Somphone, un dirigeant de la société civile qui a très probablement été victime d’une disparition forcée et qui se trouverait entre les mains des autorités, écrit Amnesty International dans un nouveau rapport rendu public jeudi 13 juin 2013.

Le gouvernement du Laos doit prendre immédiatement des mesures pour garantir le retour sain et sauf de Sombath Somphone, un dirigeant de la société civile qui a très probablement été victime d’une disparition forcée et qui se trouverait entre les mains des autorités, écrit Amnesty International dans un nouveau rapport rendu public jeudi 13 juin 2013.

Ce document, intitulé Caught on Camera, étudie en détail le cas de Sombath Somphone, enlevé il y a six mois, le 15 décembre 2012 dans la soirée, en présence de membres des services de sécurité.

« D’après les preuves dont nous disposons, la conclusion la plus plausible est que Sombath Somphone a été victime d’une disparition forcée, imputable à des agents de l’État, a déclaré Rupert Abbott, chercheur d’Amnesty International sur le Cambodge, le Laos et le Viêt-Nam.

« Il appartient au gouvernement du Laos d’exiger publiquement qu’il soit libéré immédiatement et sans conditions et qu’il puisse rejoindre sa famille sain et sauf.

« Les autorités laotiennes doivent aussi mettre sur pied une nouvelle commission indépendante et la charger d’enquêter sur cette affaire, de veiller à ce que Sombath Somphone revienne sain et sauf auprès des siens et de faire juger, au cours de procès équitables, les personnes présumées responsables de sa disparition forcée. Continue reading “Le Laos doit garantir le retour d'un dirigeant de la société civile victime de disparition”

Amnesty International publish briefing document on Sombath's disappearance

Laos must ensure return of disappeared civil society leader

Amnesty International: 13 June 2013

173923_Sombath_Somphone_with_Archbishop_Desmond_Tutu(2)
Sombath Somphone with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, in Laos, 2006. © www.sombath.org

The 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.

The fact that Sombath was taken from a police post in the centre of Laos’ capital city and that the police there did nothing to resist raises very serious concerns. Rupert Abbott, Amnesty International’s Researcher on Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam.

“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.”

“They should also establish a new, independent commission to investigate the case, ensure Sombath’s safe return, and bring to justice in fair proceedings those suspected of being responsible for his enforced disappearance”.

Under international law, enforced disappearances are defined as the arrest or detention of a person by state officials or their agents followed by a refusal to acknowledge that the person is being held or to reveal the fate or whereabouts of the person. Continue reading “Amnesty International publish briefing document on Sombath's disappearance”