Tag: FIDH

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EU human rights talks must be backed by action

FIDH: 03 November 2015

FIDH-Logo(Paris) The EU must ensure that the Lao government makes firm commitments during upcoming bilateral human rights talks, FIDH and its member organization Lao Movement for Human Rights (LMHR) said today. The two organizations made the call ahead of the 6th EU-Laos human rights dialogue, which will be held on 6 November in Vientiane.

In conjunction with the human rights dialogue, FIDH and LMHR published a joint briefing paper that details ongoing human rights violations that have occurred in the country since the previous round of talks in May 2014.

“It is imperative that the EU negotiates clear, measurable, and time-bound commitments with the Lao government and ensures their implementation. Otherwise, the human rights dialogue risks being a meaningless process that does not deliver any concrete results” FIDH President Karim Lahidji

lmhr-logoSince May 2014, the Lao government has enacted additional draconian legislation, such as Decree 327, to augment its existing arsenal of repressive laws. Authorities have arbitrarily arrested and imprisoned individuals who have criticized the government or exposed instances of corruption. Authorities have continued to crack down on religious minorities, arresting numerous members of various Christian groups.

The government has failed to provide any updates on the investigation of the enforced disappearance of prominent civil society leader Sombath Somphone, whose fate and whereabouts remain unknown. In addition, it has outrageously labeled allegations of other unresolved enforced disappearances as “not true.” Continue reading “EU human rights talks must be backed by action”

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ONG instan a Laos a investigar “seriamente” la desaparición de un activista

W Radio: 11 Septiembre 2015

Bangkok, 11 sep (EFE).- Un grupo de organizaciones defensoras de los derechos humanos instaron al gobierno de Laos a investigar “de manera seria” la desaparición del activista local Sombath Somphone, cuando hoy se cumplen los 1.000 de su desaparición.

“En Laos ha crecido un miedo entre la sociedad civil de tan solo pronunciar el nombre de Sombath, su desaparición o hasta su trabajo (…) Si esto le pasó ha él, un reconocido activista pro derechos humanos, le puede pasar a cualquiera”, señaló Shui Meng Ng, mujer del activista, en un acto en el Club de Corresponsales de Bangkok.

El 15 de diciembre de 2012, Sombath conducía por una de las avenidas más transitadas de la capital laosiana cuando la Policía le dio el alto.

En las últimas imágenes registradas del activista, captadas por cámaras de seguridad en la zona, se aprecia como Sombath baja del vehículo para hablar con las autoridades fuera de escena.

Acto seguido un desconocido se lleva el vehículo del activista y un grupo de personas monta de manera precipitada en otro coche, aunque los investigadores dicen no poder determinar si Sombath está entre ellas. Continue reading “ONG instan a Laos a investigar “seriamente” la desaparición de un activista”

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1,000 days on, Sombath’s enforced disappearance a clear dereliction of Lao’s international obligations

1000 days11 September 2015

Today marks 1,000 days since prominent Lao civil society leader Sombath Somphone “disappeared” at a police checkpoint on a busy street in Vientiane. We, the undersigned organizations, reiterate our call for the Lao government to intensify its efforts to conduct a prompt, impartial, and effective investigation into Sombath’s apparent enforced disappearance, to determine his fate or whereabouts, and to take the necessary measures to bring those responsible to justice.

At the second Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Laos, held in Geneva on 20 January 2015, 10 states made recommendations to Laos to investigate Sombath’s disappearance. In addition, five states raised questions about the issue.

We are dismayed by the Lao authorities’ failure to provide any specific information on the status and progress of the investigation since 7 June 2013. This failure has occurred despite the government’s claim in June 2015, during the UPR process, that it was “still thoroughly conducting” an investigation into Sombath’s “whereabouts.” It is not enough for Laos to simply assert it is still investigating the case. Laos’ international legal obligations require it to carry out a prompt investigation and to keep Sombath’s family informed on the progress and status of the investigation. Continue reading “1,000 days on, Sombath’s enforced disappearance a clear dereliction of Lao’s international obligations”

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1,000 Days without Justice

Press conference and panel discussion

10:30 am, Friday September 11, 2015

Note: This event will be streamed live on: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/fcct-live

FIDH-LogoOn the evening of December 15, 2015, police stopped prominent Lao civil society leader Sombath Somphone at a police checkpoint on a busy street of Vientiane. Shortly after being stopped, CCTV footage showed that unknown individuals forced Sombath into another vehicle and drove away while police looked on. Sombath was never seen again. His fate or whereabouts remain unknown to this day.

September 11, 2015, marks 1,000 days since Sombath disappeared. During these 1,000 days, what has been done to safely return Sombath? What have been the domestic and regLogo-Sombath Initiativeional implications of his disappearance? What are the next steps?

A panel of four distinguished speakers will answer these questions and provide an update on the quest for truth and justice for Sombath Somphone’s disappearance.

Ms. Shui-Meng Ng is the spouse of Sombath Somphone and a member of the Advisory Board of the Sombath Initiative.

Mr. Kingsley Abbott is the International Legal Advisor for Southeast Asia for the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and a former Senior Legal Officer with the United Nations at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.

Ms. Angkhana Neelapaijit is the founder and President of the Justice for Peace Foundation (JPF), a member of the Advisory Board of the Sombath Initiative, and a nominee to the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRCT).

Ms. Debbie Stothard is the Secretary-General of FIDH, the Coordinator of ALTSEAN-Burma, and the Co-Chair of the ASEAN Peoples’ Forum/ASEAN Civil Society Conference (APF/ACSC) Media Committee.

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Rights Groups, Wife of Missing Lao Activist Renew Calls for Progress in Case

Radio Free Asia: 31 August 2015

SB-Magsaysay-08
A 2005 photo of Sombath Somphone in the Philippines. AFP/Sombath Family

Human rights groups and the wife of a prominent civil rights leader who disappeared nearly three years ago have called on the Lao government to adequately investigate the incident and provide information about the case’s progress.

Sombath Somphone went missing on Dec. 15, 2012, when police stopped him in his vehicle at a checkpoint in the capital Vientiane. He was transferred to another vehicle, according to police surveillance video, and has not been heard from since.

Although authorities have denied any responsibility, Sombath’s abduction is widely acknowledged to be an enforced disappearance.

On Sunday — the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances — Sombath’s wife, Ng Shui-Meng, urged Lao authorities to inform her of their progress in the investigation.

“The authorities always say they are investigating, but always without clear answers,” she told RFA’s Lao Service. “I appeal to the government to have pity on my suffering and honestly give me the investigation results.”

She added that governments and state agencies should not commit enforced disappearances.

“It is a crime and a violation of a person’s rights,” she said. Continue reading “Rights Groups, Wife of Missing Lao Activist Renew Calls for Progress in Case”

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ASEAN: More progress needed on the ratification of ICPPED

FIDH-LogoFIDH

(International Federation for Human Rights)

Press release

ASEAN: More progress needed on the ratification of the treaty on enforced disappearances

Paris, 30 August 2015: ASEAN member states must accelerate the process of ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED), FIDH said today on the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

“By becoming a state party to the ICPPED, states will have a legal obligation to investigate all cases of enforced disappearances and deliver justice to the victims and their families,” said FIDH President Karim Lahidji. “Governments will no longer be able to remain idle and rely on the belief that the passage of time will ultimately render cases of disappearances into obscurity.”

Between 1980 and 2014, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID), transmitted 1,065 cases of enforced or involuntary disappearance to eight of the 10 current ASEAN member states (excluding Brunei and Singapore). Eight hundred and seventy-five (82%) of those cases have remained unresolved. The Philippines topped the list with 625 cases, followed by Indonesia, 163, and Thailand, 81. Continue reading “ASEAN: More progress needed on the ratification of ICPPED”

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Laos : Le Gouvernement se moque de l’examen des droits de l’homme de l’ONU

FIDH-MLDH: 03 Juillet 2015

MLDH LMHR-LogoParis, 30 Juin 2015 : Le refus du Gouvernement Lao d’accepter les recommandations clé formulées lors de son dernier Examen Périodique Universel (EPU) a tourné en farce le processus de révision des Nations Unies, ont déclaré aujourd’hui la FIDH et son organisation membre, le Mouvement Lao des Droits de l’Homme (MLDH).

“L’attitude défensive du gouvernement lao et ses refus généralisés ont fait de son EPU une mascarade. Le dernier EPU du Laos a clairement montré l’absence de volonté de Vientiane à résoudre les sujets importants en matière des droits de l’Homme » , a souligné le Président de la FIDH M.Karim Lahidji.

FIDH-LogoLe 23 juin, le Laos a accepté 116 des 196 recommandations préconisées lors de son second EPU en janvier 2015. Selon Thongphane Savanhphet, le représentant permanent du Laos, auprès de l’Office des Nations Unies à Genève, les autres 80 recommandations « n’ont pas recueilli le soutien total » du gouvernement.

La réponse du gouvernement a été particulièrement insuffisante sur le sujet des disparitions forcées. Le gouvernement a rejeté l’ensemble des huit recommandations qui appelaient à mener une enquête pour toutes les allégations de disparitions forcées dans le pays, considérant ces allégations comme « non conformes à la réalité ». Par un tour de passe- passe incongru, le gouvernement a reconnu la disparition du proéminent leader de la société civile Sombath Somphone, mais a accepté seulement quatre des dix recommandations appelant à enquêter sur sa disparition. Dans les explications évoquées pour le rejet des six recommandations relatives au cas de Sombath, le gouvernement a livré une propagande désuète et n’a pas fourni d’informations nouvelles concernant ses prétendues tentatives pour déterminer le sort de Sombath. Le gouvernement a déclaré que le Comité d’Investigation était « ouvert à tout avis ou toute suggestion des parties intéressées » et l’enquête menée par les autorités concernées était « toujours en cours ». Continue reading “Laos : Le Gouvernement se moque de l’examen des droits de l’homme de l’ONU”

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Laos: Government mocks UN human rights review

MLDH LMHR-LogoFIDH-LMHR: 30 June 2015

Paris, 30 June 2015: The Lao government’s failure to accept key recommendations received during its latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) has turned the UN-backed review process into a farce, FIDH and its member organization, the Lao Movement for Human Rights (LMHR), said today.

“The Lao government’s defensive attitude and blanket denials have made its UPR a farce. The latest Laos UPR has clearly shown that Vientiane is unwilling to address important human rights issues,” said FIDH President Karim Lahidji.

FIDH-LogoOn 23 June, Laos accepted 116 of the 196 recommendations it received at its second UPR in January 2015. [1] According to Thongphane Savanhphet, the Lao government’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, the remaining 80 recommendations “did not enjoy the full support” of the government.

The Lao government’s response was particularly inadequate with regard to the issue of enforced disappearances. The government rejected all eight recommendations that called for investigations into all allegations of enforced disappearance in the country and dismissed such allegations as “not true.” In an incongruous twist, the government acknowledged the disappearance of prominent civil society leader Sombath Somphone, but accepted only four of the 10 recommendations that called for an investigation into his disappearance. In its explanation of the rejection of the six recommendations related to Sombath’s case, the government churned out stale propaganda and provided no new information regarding its purported attempts to determine Sombath’s fate or whereabouts. The government stated that its Investigation Committee was “opened to views or suggestions from all interested parties” and that concerned authorities were “still thoroughly conducting the investigation.” Continue reading “Laos: Government mocks UN human rights review”

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FIDH-LMHR: Conduct investigation, ratify ICCPED, stop forced relocation

FIDH-LogoFIDH-LMHR: 25 June 2015

Human Rights Council – 29th session, Point 6: Adoption of the report on the Lao PDR UPR – Oral statement

Mr. President,

FIDH and its member organization, the Lao Movement for Human Rights, regret that the Lao PDR refused to accept recommendations made by many states in several key human rights areas during its second UPR in January 2015.

LMHR-LogoWe urge the Lao PDR government to implement the numerous recommendations made to address cases of arbitrary arrest and enforced disappearances in the country. All victims of enforced disappearance and their families must receive justice. They include 12 individuals arrested and disappeared between 1999 and 2009 for their call in favor of democracy and respect for human rights. The Lao PDR must also conduct, as a matter of priority, an independent and thorough investigation into the disappearance of prominent civil society leader Sombath Somphone, with assistance from the international community. We demand that the Lao PDR establish a timeline for the ratification and implementation of the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances. Continue reading “FIDH-LMHR: Conduct investigation, ratify ICCPED, stop forced relocation”

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800 Days Missing: Global human rights group asks Laos to step up probe on Sombath disappearance

InterAksyon: 24 February 2015

Sombath-012

MANILA – An international human rights group on Monday asked the Laos government to hasten its investigation into the enforced disappearance of prominent civil society leader Sombath Somphone, who has been missing since 2012.

Sombath was a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for community development. The award is Asia’s version of the Nobel Prize.

In its website, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) said the Laos government must turn words into action and step up the investigation into the enforced disappearance of Somphone.

“The Laos government must also publicly disclose the findings,” FIDH and its member organization, the Lao Movement for Human Rights (LMHR), said on Monday.

The two organizations made the call to mark 800 days since Sombath’s disappearance on the evening of 15 December 2012 in Vientiane, FIDH said.

The group said that at the second Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Laos, held in Geneva on January 20, 2015, government representative Phongsavath Boupha said that authorities were “still thoroughly conducting” an investigation into Sombath’s disappearance.

“Phongsavath also declared that the investigation committee was “ready to receive suggestions from any interested parties with regard to the ongoing investigation,” FIDH said.

Despite the Lao government’s claim of an ongoing investigation, Vientiane has failed to provide any update on the probe since June 2013, the group said.

“For too long, Vientiane has dragged its feet on Sombath’s disappearance. It’s time for the Lao government to fulfill its international obligations and implement the UPR recommendations concerning enforced disappearances,” said FIDH President Karim Lahidji.“The government must also keep its word and accept international technical assistance in the investigation.” Continue reading “800 Days Missing: Global human rights group asks Laos to step up probe on Sombath disappearance”