14 December 2018: On the eve of the sixth anniversary of the enforced disappearance of Lao civil society leader Sombath Somphone, we, the undersigned organizations, reiterate our calls for the Lao government to conduct an independent, impartial and effective investigation to reveal his fate and whereabouts.

Sombath was last seen at a police checkpoint on a busy street of the Lao capital, Vientiane, on the evening of 15 December 2012. Footage from a CCTV camera showed that Sombath’s vehicle was stopped at the police checkpoint and, within minutes, individuals forced him into another vehicle and drove him away in the presence of police officers. CCTV footage also showed an unknown individual driving Sombath’s vehicle away from the city center. The fact that police officers were present at and witnessed Sombath’s abduction and failed to intervene strongly indicates state agents’ involvement in, or acquiescence to, human rights violations committed against Sombath, which include the crime of enforced disappearance. Later that evening, witnesses reportedly saw Sombath at a police holding facility in Vientiane yet to date officials have provided no information about what he was doing there and subsequently what happened to him.

For the last six years, the Lao government has failed to provide any credible answers with regard to the disappearance of Sombath Somphone. In its most recent pronouncements, made during the review of Laos’ initial report by the Human Rights Committee (CCPR) in July 2018, the Lao government said it had been “trying very hard” to investigate Sombath’s fate and whereabouts. However, this statement has been contradicted by the government’s refusal to accept international assistance in conducting the investigation and to provide any details about the progress of its investigation. Lao authorities have failed to disclose any new findings from their investigation of Sombath’s case to the public since 8 June 2013 and have met with his wife, Shui Meng Ng, only twice since January 2013.

Despite the government’s recent claim that police had the “capacity and techniques” to reveal Sombath’s fate and whereabouts, we remain extremely concerned by the lack of progress in the investigation by Lao authorities into his case and reiterate our call for Vientiane to allow international assistance towards conducting an independent, impartial and thorough investigation according to international law and standards.

The Lao authorities have international legal obligations to conduct such investigations and to bring persons responsible for serious violations to justice under treaties to which they are party, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture.

We also urge the Lao government to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which Laos signed in September 2008, to incorporate the Convention’s provisions into the country’s domestic legislation, and implement it in practice.

Until Sombath Somphone’s fate and whereabouts are revealed, we will not stop demanding that Sombath be safely returned to his family and we will continue to ask the Lao government: “Where is Sombath?”

107 organizations

11.11.11 Belgium
Action from Ireland (Afri)
Addison Road Community Centre Organisation (ARCCO)
All India women Hawker Federation
Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma)
Amnesty International
Armanshahr/OPEN ASIA
ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR)
Asia Pacific Movement for Debt and Development (APMDD)
Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD)
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia)
Attac France
Bangladesh Working Group on External Debt (BWGED)
Bank Information Center
Borneo Dayak Forum International
Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino - BMP (Workers Solidarity Philippines)
Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR)
Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC)
Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)
CCFD-Terre Solidaire
Centre for Environmental Justice
China Labour Bulletin
Christian Development Alternative (CDA)
CLEAN (Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network)
CNCD-11.11.11
Coalition against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific
Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS)
Community Action Network (CAN)
Community Resource Centre Foundation (CRC)
Corner House
EarthRights International
Ecologistas en Acción
Environics Trust
Equitable Cambodia
Europe Solidaire Sans Frontières (ESSF)
Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND)
FIAN International
FIDH - International Federation for Human Rights
Finnish Asiatic Society
Focus on the Global South
Fresh Eyes — People to People Travel CIC
Function 8
Fundacion Solón
Global Justice Now
Human Rights Commission Pakistan (HRCP)
Human Rights in China (HRIC)
Human Rights Watch
Indian Social Action Forum - INSAF
International Coalition Against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED)
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
International Peace Bureau
International Rivers
Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw)
Jagaran Nepal
KATARUNGAN (Kilusan para sa Repormang Agraryo at Katarungang Panlipunan)
Kesatuan Nelayan Traditional (KNT)
Keshav Gore Smarak Trust
KRuHA - People’s Coalition for The Right To Water
Labour Education Foundation
Land Watch Thai
League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI)
Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center—Kasama sa Kalikasan/Friends of the Earth
LILAK (Purple Action for Indigenous Women’s Rights)
Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture (MADPET)
Maldivian Democracy Network
Manushya Foundation
MARUAH
Migrant Forum in Asia
National Hawker Federation
Network for Transformative Social Protection
New Trade Union Initiative
NGO Forum on ADB
Nomadic Livestock Keepers’ Development Public Fund (NLKDF)
Nouveaux Cahiers du Socialism
Odhikar
Pakistan Bhatta Mazdoor Union
Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee
Participatory Research Action Network- PRAN
Peace Union of Finland
People’s Health Movement
People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy(PSPD)
People’s Watch
Progressive Labour Federation
Progressive Voice
Project SEVANA South-East Asia
Project X
Resonant Strategic
Rural Poor Institute for Land and Human Rights Services, Inc. (RIGHTS, Inc.)
Solidarité des Jeunes Lao
South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE)
Stiftung Asienhauses
Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)
Sustainability and Participation through Education and Lifelong Learning (SPELL)
Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR)
Tameer Nau Women Workers Association
Thilak Kariyawasam, Sri Lanka Nature Group
Think Centre
Timor-Leste Institute for Development Monitoring and Analysis
Transnational Institute
Ulu Foundation
Union Syndicale Solidaires
Vietnam Committee on Human Rights (VCHR)
Woman Health Philippines
Women’s Legal and Human Rights Bureau (WLB)
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
World Rainforest Movement
York Psychotherapy Centre

Individuals

Ajaya Kumar Singh, India
Ame Trandem, The Netherlands
Andrew Nette, Australia
Anne-Sophie Gindroz, Switzerland.
Anuradha Chenoy, India
Chansophearet, Cambodia
Charlie Thame, Thailand
Chayan Vaddhanaphuti, Thailand
Christophe Aguiton, France
Colin Archer
Corazon Valdez Fabros, Philippines
Cristina Machado, Portugal
David Bruer, Canada
Edeliza P. Hernandez, Philippines.
Elenita Daño, Philippines
Glenn Hunt, Australia
Jenina Joy Chavez, Philippines.
Kamal Chenoy, India
Kirsten Han, Singapore
Maria Elena Grace D. Katigbak, Philippines
Mary Ann Manahan, Philippines
Mika Levesque
Miriam Lang, Ecuador
Mu Sochua, Cambodia
Murray Hiebert, U.S.
Nicolaas Bakker, Portugal
Paul-Emile Dupret, Belgium
Radhika Balakrishnan, USA
Raffy Simbol, Philippines
Rajeev Patel, USA.
Randall Arnst, USA
Rosanna Barbero, Australia
Saturnino M. Borras Jr., The Netherlands
Soren Sondergaard, Denmark
Tony Salvador, Philippines
Walden Bello, USA
William H. Dangers, USA