Fresh detail emerges about abduction of Lao activist

 

 

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/connect-asia/fresh-detail-emerges-about-abduction-of-lao-activist/1146166

Updated 14 June 2013, 16:50 AEST

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.

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.

EWART: Can I ask you a little bit more about the gunman in this video, do we know why there would have been a gunman there? You say there was a shot fired, was it aimed at Sombath or what, is it not clear?

ABBOTT: No the gunshot was fired in the air and of course we can’t be sure why that gunman was there. What happened was that Sombath was stopped at a police post by police, he got out of his car, his car was then driven off by someone. He was then taken into a car with flashing lights that arrived. Then a motorcycle appeared before that car with flashing lights, the passenger on the motorcycle fired the gun into the air and drives off and the car appears to then follow the motorcycle and drives off as well. And the gunshot may have been fired as a warning, that it was time to go, as a threat to potential witnesses, it’s hard to say. But what is clear is that cannot be normal for someone to be firing a gunshot in the air at a police post on a busy road in central Vientiane, the capital of Laos. And for the police to say that the situation was normal is looking more and more absurd.

EWART: Now you talked about your attempts to hold meetings with Lao officials, I suppose it’s not exactly unusual for the Lao government to refuse to meet and talk to people like yourselves about this sort of case or indeed about much else that’s going on inside Laos. Should we be talking about a conspiracy theory here or should we believe that they are as a government investigating even if they’re not prepared to go public about it?

ABBOTT: Well the police have released reports over the last few months as to where their investigation is going, what they’re found, really showing the investigation’s been inadequate. I mean they haven’t even mentioned this gunman at the scene for example, as I say he did fire a gunshot into the air. But also it’s six months on now, Laos’ reputation is taking a real battering over this and the matter’s not going to go away. So to not accept assistance for reasons of national pride for example is looking worse and worse really. Laos probably doesn’t have the technical capacity that other countries such as the US can offer to analyse this footage. This is as good evidence of a disappearance as you’re ever going to find. The fact it was caught on a traffic camera and then the family then managed to get a copy of. So for the authorities to be refusing assistance is really concerning, and Amnesty International would suggest that it’s looking like a cover-up in that regard.

EWART: And the fact that the family do have a copy of the video and I presume that was, for want of a better term, leaked to them, does that suggest there are those within the Lao authorities who perhaps know more than the government are prepared to let on and are concerned about this?

ABBOTT: Well the family was able to get a copy of the video, and just to be clear this is a video recorded on a mobile phone or similar devices from the screen. That’s why the video that’s available online that anyone can view is a bit blurry. So what’s required is for the authorities to release the original footage, and the family are asking for that, but also to allow others to provide that technical assistance to analyse that original footage, which would not be so blurry. What happened was that the family went to the police station soon after Sombath had disappeared and came across this footage and were allowed to copy it. I think it suggests that not everybody in the Lao authorities is involved, indeed we’re not suggesting that this necessarily comes as an order from the top. But the fact that police were there, they did nothing to stop him being taken away, suggests that the authorities are involved in some way. So I think it was more a case the police on duty at the time, the family then were given a copy of the video probably didn’t know what had happened and didn’t know that perhaps they were meant be part of a cover up.

EWART: And as far as the investigation is concerned, this is as I understand it doesn’t need to be confined to Laos anyway because of the nature of what has happened here it is possible for other countries to get involved?

ABBOTT: Well that’s right, the onus is on Laos to investigate this properly. In our report, Caught on Camera, the recommendations we made to the Lao government, well find him, order, demand his release that anyone in the Lao authorities who has him to release him. But setup a new commission to investigate what’s happened, find out where he is, why he was taken and make sure he’s released and returned safely to his family and bring to justice those who are responsible for taking him. The current commission has clearly done an inadequate investigation, it’s a police commission investigating police at the scene, so let’s setup an independent commission to do these investigations and do them properly. But you’re absolutely right, an enforced disappearance, that’s a disappearance, someone being abducted if you like with the involvement of the authorities, as well as being a very serious human rights violation, is also unlike some human rights violations, considered a crime under international law, which means that other countries under international law can actually undertake investigations and exercise universal jurisdiction and bring to justice those suspected of being responsible for this abduction. So that is something open to other countries, to the international community and something we set out in this report that they should consider moving forward if the Lao government will not do these investigations properly and find him.

Laos must ensure return of disappeared civil society leader

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/laos-must-ensure-return-disappeared-civil-society-leader-2013-06-13

13 June 2013

Sombath Somphone with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, in Laos, 2006. © http://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 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

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.”

“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.

Sombath’s disappearance was caught on camera – closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage that his family was able to record.

The footage shows that Sombath was stopped at a police post in the Lao capital Vientiane. After he left his car to speak with police, his car was driven away. Three men including Sombath then got into a pick-up truck with flashing lights, which drove away behind a motorcycle from which the passenger seemingly fired a gunshot into the air.

“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,” said Abbott.

“And the Lao police’s proposition that the situation was ‘normal’ is absurd when considering the facts, including that a gun appears to have been fired at the scene.”

The Lao authorities’ likely involvement in Sombath’s disappearance is further compounded by the failure of the police to conduct thorough investigations, which suggests a cover-up.

Offers of external assistance, including to analyze the original CCTV footage, have been rejected.

“The Lao government must act now to ensure the safe return of Sombath Somphone to his family – until it does, the criticism around his disappearance will not go away,” said Abbott.

Shortly before his disappearance, Sombath carried out a nationwide survey to measure happiness throughout Laos, and took part in organizing the country’s largest ever civil society event – the Asia-Europe People’s Forum (AEPF) in October 2012.

AEPF participants were harassed, and security officials confiscated copies of the document incorporating the findings of Sombath’s survey – “The Lao People’s Vision”.

Soon after, on 7 December 2012, the Lao government expelled an international development worker after she had highlighted the limited space for debate in the country and the repercussions for those who speak out.

“Sombath’s enforced disappearance appears to be a link in a chain of events designed to restrict civil society and freedom of expression in Laos,” said Abbott.

“The international community should take every opportunity to demand that the Lao authorities return Sombath Somphone and respect the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.”

Laos: End Cover-Up in Activist’s ‘Disappearance’

Six Months On, No Progress Locating Sombath Somphone

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source:  http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/06/14/laos-end-cover-activist-s-disappearance

June 14, 2013

(Bangkok) – Authorities in Laos have failed to seriously investigate or credibly explain the enforced disappearance six months ago of a leading social activist, Sombath Somphone, Human Rights Watch said today.

Sombath, 60, the 2005 recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership, was last seen by his wife on December 15, 2012, as they were driving separately from his office in the capital, Vientiane, to their home for dinner. A police security video shows him being stopped at a police checkpoint and taken into custody. He never arrived home.

“After six months, the Lao government’s failure to explain the abduction of a prominent social activist at a police checkpoint or account for his whereabouts raises the gravest concerns for his safety,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The Lao authorities should realize their cover story is fooling no one, and start telling the truth.”

Security camera footage from the Municipality Police Station, obtained by Sombath’s wife, Ng Shui Meng, shows police stopping Sombath’s jeep at the Thadeua police post at 6:03 p.m. on December 15. Unidentified men then took Sombath into the police post. A motorcyclist stopped at the police post and drove off with Sombath’s jeep, leaving his own motorcycle by the roadside. A truck with flashing lights then stopped at the police post. Two people got out of the truck, took Sombath into the vehicle, and then drove off.

On December 19, the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement confirming the incidents recorded on the security camera, but claimed that Sombath had been kidnapped for personal or business reasons.

In the six months since Sombath’s enforced disappearance, Lao authorities have told his family, foreign diplomats, and United Nations agencies that they have been investigating the case. However, on June 7, in the third and latest government news conference regarding the case, the deputy director general of the police, Col. Phengsavanh Tiphavongxay, said Sombath “has not yet been found” and provided no new information on his whereabouts, fate, or who was responsible for his abduction.

There was no indication that the authorities had made any follow-up inquiries into the actions recorded on the police security video. Instead, Phengsavanh said they had looked for Sombath in various villages where he helped set up community education and development centers, and that they had sought information about Sombath from INTERPOL, ASEANAPOL, and foreign governments.

“The Lao authorities say they have been looking for clues to Sombath’s disappearance in distant villages and overseas, but they have ignored all the video evidence of his kidnapping in downtown Vientiane,” Adams said. “The reality is that police failed to stop him from being taken away and the government has not shown any interest in conducting a real investigation so they can find Sombath and safely return him to his family.”

Enforced disappearances are defined under international law as the arrest or detention of a person by state officials or their agents followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty, or to reveal the person’s fate or whereabouts.

Enforced disappearances violate or threaten to violate a range of fundamental human rights protected under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Laos is a party, including prohibitions against arbitrary arrest and detention; torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment; and extrajudicial execution.

Laos in September 2008 became one of the first countries in Southeast Asia to sign the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. As a signatory, Laos is obligated under international law to refrain from acts that would defeat the object and purpose of the treaty.

Members of ASEAN, to which Laos belongs, should publicly raise their concerns about Sombath’s enforced disappearance, Human Rights Watch said. On February 19, Human Rights Watch sent a letter to each of the national commissioners of the ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), calling for them to investigate the case. The commission’s Terms of Reference give it the right “to obtain information from ASEAN Member States on the promotion and protection of human rights.”

Human Rights Watch has not received a response from any of the commissioners or the ASEAN Secretariat.  Brunei and Thailand attempted to raise Sombath’s disappearance for discussion at the AICHR, but those efforts were strongly opposed by other national commissioners, including Laos, sources who were at the meeting told Human Rights Watch.

“The silence of ASEAN’s human rights commission about Sombath’s case reflects this body’s fundamental inability to protect human rights,” Adams said. “Instead of trying to help the victims of abuses, ASEAN has chosen to hide behind the excuse of ‘non-interference’ and let human rights violations continue with impunity.”

More North Koreans Hiding in Laos

More North Koreans Hiding in Laos

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source: http://thediplomat.com/asean-beat/2013/06/11/more-north-koreans-hiding-in-laos/

By Luke Hunt

June 11, 2013

Many fear that 20 North Koreans, hiding in South Korea’s Vientiane embassy, could be deported.

Shortly after the International Coalition to stop crimes in North Korea (ICNK) confirmed that Laos had handed back nine defectors, South Korean diplomatic sources made it known it was holding another 20 North Koreans seeking asylum in its embassy in Vientiane.

The 20 include children, people with physical disabilities, and cancer patients who have met lawmaker Kim Jae-won of the Saenuiri Party, who arrived in Laos last week. Most are in relatively good health.

While they remain within the reasonably safe confines of the embassy their future is far from certain, particularly given the treatment of the nine deported about two weeks ago.

Despite being within embassy walls, all will be interviewed by Lao immigration authorities and need to obtain travel permits and pay fines for illegally entering the country. The Laos government under Prime Minister Thongsing Thamavong has ignored mounting pressure over its human rights record and shown even less concern for people in distressing situations seeking help.

Of the nine already deported, all were barely adults, and were returned via China which has emerged as a principal investor in Laos and its ambitious infrastructure program, with billions of dollars earmarked for dams, bridges, airports and roads.

Objections to their forced repatriation were loud. It is thought to be the first time that Laos had bowed to Chinese demands and deported North Koreans back to the Hermit Kingdom.

The UN said it was extremely concerned for the nine, aged between 15 and 23, saying they were “at risk of severe punishment and ill-treatment” and had demanded independent access and guarantees for their safety. About 25,000 North Koreans have fled the Stalinist state since the end of the Korean War; 1,500 last year alone.

Travelling through China is the preferred route – overland by bus, through the mountains and into the jungles of northern Laos and often to Thailand where they usually hope to contact the South Korean embassy in Bangkok.

Tiny, landlocked Laos remains a highly secretive communist country which has maintained fluctuating relations with China since the Pathet Laos seized power in 1975. The nation has largely remained within the Vietnamese political realm, but differences over the construction of dams on the main stream of the Mekong River and Chinese investment pledges have sorely tested that relationship.

Its recent admission to the World Trade Organization (WTO) was overshadowed by last December’s disappearance of Sombath Somphone, an NGO worker who had championed local farmers and sustainable development.

CCTV footage obtained by relatives shows Sombath being pulled over along a busy road and later bundled into a police car, but authorities insist they know nothing of his whereabouts. Instead they have been boasting about winning “the World’s Best Tourist Destination 2013” by the European Council on Tourism and Trade, which is designed to encourage local entrepreneurs to improve their services.

The award left many long-term watchers bemused – a heartfelt congratulations seemed inappropriate.

Luke Hunt can be followed on Twitter at @lukeanthonyhunt.

Related Article

1. Laos Approved for U.S. $5 Billion Loan for Rail Project
2. Pressure Mounts on Laos Over Missing Activist
3. A Korean ‘War’ in Cambodia?
4. Laos’ Unethical Monkeys
5. WikiLeaks Exposes Kim Flab Jab

http://thediplomat.com/asean-beat/2013/06/11/more-north-koreans-hiding-in-laos/

For inquiries, please contact The Diplomat at info@the-diplomat.com

South Korean president warns North over returned refugees

South Korean president warns North over returned refugees

Click on the link to get more news and video from original source:  http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/03/south-korean-president-warns-north-over-returned-refugees/

By Agence France-Presse
Monday, June 3, 2013 7:25 EDT

Topics: north korea

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye warned North Korea on Monday that it would be held responsible for the safety of nine young asylum seekers forcibly repatriated after their capture in Laos.

“What’s most important is to ensure (their) lives and safety, and that they will not receive unfair punishment,” Park told a meeting of senior aides.

“Otherwise, North Korea cannot avoid international criticism and responsibility for their human rights,” she said.

The case of the nine escapees has garnered international attention, partly because of their youth and reports suggesting they are all orphans.

Confirming their arrest on May 10 for illegal entry, the Lao foreign ministry said Monday that all nine were aged between 14-18.

Two South Korean nationals were detained at the same time for alleged human trafficking and handed over to the South Korean embassy, a ministry statement said.

The nine were returned to China on May 27 and then flown back to Pyongyang the next day.

Most North Korean refugees begin their escape by crossing into China and then try to make it to third countries — often in Southeast Asia — where they generally seek permission to resettle in South Korea.

The foreign ministry in Seoul has come under fire after it emerged that its embassy in Vientiane had been aware of the refugees’ arrest but had been unable to prevent their return to China.

Describing the repatriation as a “very regrettable incident that should have never happened”, Park said her government would seek to ensure that “major defection routes” used by North Korean refugees remain open.

Laos had previously been seen as a relatively safe transit point.