The Lao government has issued an official statement about the disappearance of Sombath Somphone. It says: "After having received a notice on the mission of Mr. Sombath Somphone and received the CCTV footage on the incidence from his wife, the authorities concerned of the Lao PDR have checked the initial information obtained, and therefore would like to inform as follows:
On 15 December 2012, the traffic police were conducting their routine random checks on cars at the police outpost on Thadeu road in the vicinity of Watnak village, Sisattanak district, Vientiane Capital. According to the CCTV footage, at 6:00 pm the traffic police stopped the Jeep of Mr Sombath in order to check for driving license and car documents as normal procedures. Being stopped, Mr Sombath walked out from his car to the police to present documents. After the police had checked the documents they returned them to Mr Sombath and continued their duty of checking other cars. Then, a man came on a motorbike parked it near Sombath's car and rushed to the police outpost direction. A little while after, a man walked to Sombath's car and was driving it away slowly, according to statement of the Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Missing of Mr. Sombath Somphone, on 19 December.
About 10 minutes later, a pickup truck came with hazard lights flashing. The pickup truck stopped near the police outpost. One man entered the pickup truck and shortly after that another person got on and then got off the pickup truck and then got on the vehicle again. There was no sign of these two men being forced while getting on the vehicle and it was not possible to identify who they were. Then the pickup truck went away to an unknown destination.
Following the preliminary assessment of the incidence from the CCTV footage, the authorities concerned viewed that, it may be possible Mr. Sombath has been kidnapped perhaps because of a personal conflict or a conflict in business or some other reasons and at this stage the authorities are not in a position to say exactly what has actually happened, why Mr. Sombath has gone missing and who have been involved in the incidence.
In this connection, the authorities concerned are currently and seriously investigating the incidence in order to find out the truth and whereabouts of Mr Sombath." Read the statement here: http://kpl.net.la/english/news/edn7.htm
update:
UN: Abduction of Laos activist tied to rights work
Posted: Dec 21, 2012 12:16 PM CET
Updated: Dec 21, 2012 12:16 PM CET
GENEVA (AP) - The U.N. human rights office says missing Laotian human rights activist Sombath Somphone appears to have been kidnapped because of his human rights work.
A spokesman for the office, Rupert Colville, says "we are highly concerned for his safety."
Colville urged authorities Friday to do everything possible to find Somphone, 60, last seen on Dec. 15 in video footage from a police post where he detained and driven away in a car by men in civilian clothes. The government of Laos on Thursday disavowed responsibility for the disappearance, suggesting he was kidnapped over a personal dispute.
Somphone won 1 of Asia's top civil awards in 2005 for his work reducing poverty and promoting education at a training center he founded.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
i was readed all comment this wave block , i was amazing with some lao persons what have topic about thailand and lao inter they are talk very not nice they are let me down, they have nothing good ideas for comment just talk studpid thing, all the news have good or bad they never think be for to talk , i readded this wave site everyday but i never seen good comment from them, and this time i look this topic with some laos person comment,i can,t accep of it and pls don,t say i am a laos inter because thats not true , i am staying in paklay north of lao , i am a not best person but sometime i think befor to talk , and i think i have better ideas more than some laos person in this wave bord ,i,m sorry if my english not good..
Where is Dr. khampheuy Panmalaythong now ? Why the corrupted high ranking Lao government officers are always been protected and the good people who care about the country and people have always been vanished ?
Where is Dr. khampheuy Panmalaythong now ? Why the corrupted high ranking Lao government officers are always been protected and the good people who care about the country and people have always been vanished ?
ຢ່າເວົ້າກ່ຽວກັບເຣື້ອງສໍ້ຣາຊບັງຫຼວງຫຼືເປີດໂໞປງຄວາມຊົວຂອງພັກລັດ ຈະຖືກເກັບຄືຄົນດີຫຼາຍຯ ຄົນທີພານມາ style ດຽວກັນກັບ Joseph Stalin ຈັດການຄູ້ໞແຄ່ງ
He is already dead. Only the corrupted people has been protected and covered up for them but good people will be vanished . What would happen to Dr. Khampheuy Panmalaythong if he........??????? What had he done ? Did he break any law ? Where is he now ? Any body know ????
to anonymous i was wrote already i did not good english , if you you a smart and good eye i hope you will understand and seen it,whant i wrote . you don,t need to know where i was learn english and i don,t need to tell you , and hope you will understand well,
What is happening to Dr. Khampheug Panmalaythong also ?
Now what is going on, has the LPDR leadership gone MAD or what ? Can you provide more info and/or the source of this news ? The lao stalinist secret police had many successes in silencing low profile dissidents, but so far they have not tasted the consequences of attacking high profile cases. Their arrogance or miscalculation will definitely affect the lao standing as an ASEAN member and her WTO status.
I heard that many people gone like Mr somebat....!