4th December 2018

Manila: The Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) expresses concern over the enforced disappearance of Sombath Somphone and the continued denial of the Lao government in bringing forth the truth about him.

Sombath Somphone was a community development worker from Laos who was disappeared on 15th of December 2012 in Vientiane. Since then, the family of Sombath has been running a campaign called ‘Return Sombath Campaign’ to know the truth about what happened to him and seek justice from the Lao government.

It has been 6 years since Sombath was disappeared by the police. The incident has been captured in street CCTV cameras in Vientiane. The video footage shows Sombath’s jeep being stopped at a police check point. He was then bundled into a white truck and taken away. The Lao authorities have insisted that the investigations are on yet there is no information about what happened to him.

Sombath’s disappearance came as a consequence of his challenging the Lao Government development model of transforming land to capital which led to massive land deals negotiated by the government and private investment companies that had left thousands of rural Lao villagers landless and with little compensation. In 2016, activists Somphone Phimmasone, Lodkham Thammavong and Soukan Chaithat were detained for criticizing the policies of the Lao government on social media and staging a peaceful protest outside the Lao embassy in Bangkok. This points to the fact that Lao government does not allow any space for dissent and criticism, that are essential for a flourishing democracy.

Sombath’s wife has relentlessly demanded to know the truth about her husband but has faced slandering by the Lao authorities. During the meeting of the UN Human Rights Committee on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on 11th and 12th of July 2018, the Lao authorities directed derogatory remarks towards Sombath’s wife Shui Meng calling her his “so-called wife”

The Lao government has been delaying the investigations in the Sombath disappearance case. Despite proof that he was taken away at a police post, there are no answers from the authorities. This procrastination is also the denial of the right to truth, justice and reparation for the family of Sombath.

The Lao authorities must answer questions and come forth with the truth. AFAD urges the Lao government to make known the truth about Sombath and ensure that justice is done.

Signed by:

KHURRAM PARVEZ                           MARY AILEEN D. BACALSO

Chairperson                                          Secretary-General