The Lao government’s deliberate silence on Sombath is part of a strategy that aims at consigning to oblivion the heinous crime of enforced disappearance. Regrettably, all other ASEAN member states have remained conspicuously silent on the issue of Sombath’s disappearance. Our organizations believe that ASEAN member states, as well as the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), must break the silence on this matter.

 

Instead of invoking the principle of non-interference into one another’s internal affairs, ASEAN member states must act as responsible members of the international community and uphold the 10-nation bloc’s key tenets enshrined in the ASEAN Charter, which recognizes the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms among the bloc’s purposes and principles.

 

As a result, we, the undersigned organizations, call on ASEAN member states to raise the issue of Sombath’s disappearance with the Lao government in all bilateral and multilateral fora. We also urge AICHR to exercise its power to “obtain information from ASEAN member states on the promotion and protection of human rights” in order to shed light on the disappearance of Sombath.

 

Sombath was last seen on the evening of 15 December 2012 in Vientiane. Lao public surveillance CCTV footage revealed that police stopped Sombath’s car at a police post. Within minutes after being stopped, unknown individuals forced him into another vehicle and drove away. Analysis of the CCTV footage shows that Sombath was taken away in the presence of police officers who witnessed the abduction and failed to intervene - a fact that strongly suggests government complicity.

 

Sombath’s enforced disappearance is not an isolated incident. To this day, the whereabouts of nine people arbitrarily detained by Lao security forces in November 2009 in various locations across the country remain unknown. The nine had planned peaceful demonstrations calling for democracy and respect of human rights. The whereabouts of Somphone Khantisouk are also unknown. Somphone, the owner of an ecotourism guesthouse, was an outspoken critic of Chinese-sponsored agricultural projects that were damaging the environment in the northern province of Luang Namtha. He disappeared after uniformed men abducted him in January 2007.

 

Our organizations urge ASEAN member states and the AICHR to call on the Lao government to immediately conduct competent, impartial, effective, and thorough investigations into all cases of enforced disappearances, hold the perpetrators accountable, and provide reparations to the victims and their families.

 

Signed by:

1.    Adventist Development and Relief Agency Lao PDR

 

2.    Ain O Salish Kendra

 

3.    Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma)

 

4.    Amnesty International

 

5.    ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights

 

6.    ASEAN SOGIE Caucus

 

7.    Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact

 

8.    Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances

 

9.    Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)

 

10.  Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition

 

11.  Association of Human Rights Defenders and Promoters

 

12.  Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM)

 

13.  Boat People SOS

 

14.  Burma Partnership

 

15.  Cambodian Civil Society Working Group on ASEAN

 

16.  Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC)

 

17.  Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)

 

18.  Cambodian Volunteers for Society

 

19.  Center for Human Rights and Development

 

20.  China Labour Bulletin

 

21.  Coalition to Abolish Modern-day Slavery in Asia

 

22.  Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS)

 

23.  Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative

 

24.  East Timor and Indonesia Action Network

 

25.  Equality Myanmar

 

26.  Equitable Cambodia

 

27.  FIDH - International Federation for Human Rights

 

28.  Finnish Asiatic Society

 

29.  Focus on the Global South

 

30.  Forum for Democracy in Burma

 

31.  Fresh Eyes – People to People Travel

 

32.  Gender and Development Initiative-Myanmar

 

33.  Globe International

 

34.  Hawaii Center for Human Rights Research & Action

 

35.  Human Rights and Development Foundation

 

36.  Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

 

37.  Human Rights Watch

 

38.  Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation

 

39.  Indonesian Human Rights Monitor (IMPARSIAL)

 

40.  INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre

 

41.  Initiatives for International Dialogue

 

42.  Interfaith Youth Coalition on Aid in Myanmar

 

43.  International Rivers

 

44.  Judicial System Monitoring Programme

 

45.  Justice and Peace Network of Myanmar

 

46.  Justice for Peace Foundation

 

47.  Justice for Women

 

48.  Kachin Peace Network

 

49.  Kachin Women Peace Network

 

50.  Khmer Kampuchea Krom for Human Rights and Development Association

 

51.  Korean House for International Solidarity

 

52.  Lao Movement for Human Rights

 

53.  Law and Society Trust

 

54.  League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran

 

55.  LICADHO Canada

 

56.  LILAK (Purple Action for Indigenous Women’s Rights)

 

57.  Madaripur Legal Aid Association

 

58.  MARUAH

 

59.  National Commission for Justice and Peace

 

60.  Network for Democracy and Development

 

61.  Odhikar

 

62.  Olive Branch Human Rights Initiative

 

63.  People’s Empowerment Foundation

 

64.  People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy

 

65.  People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights

 

66.  People’s Watch

 

67.  Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates

 

68.  Potahar Organization for Development Advocacy

 

69.  RTCC Research and Translation Consultancy Cluster

 

70.  Sehjira Foundation for Persons with Disabilities

 

71.  SILAKA

 

72.  Social Action for Change

 

73.  STAR Kampuchea

 

74.  Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)

 

75.  Taiwan Association for Human Rights

 

76.  Task Force Detainees of the Philippines

 

77.  Think Centre

 

78.  Transnational Institute

 

79.  United Sisterhood Alliance - Cambodia

 

80.  Vietnam Committee on Human Rights

 

81.  Women Peace Network Arakan

 

82.  World Rainforest Movement