Sombath Somphone missing for a month after stopping at a police roadblock, however, officials denied knowledge of his whereabouts
Although rarely achieved international headlines, Laos has been in the spotlight during the past month. One of the most respected activists disappeared after stopping at a police roadblock. His death led the Lao government to suggest that it was "kidnapped", but human rights groups to suspect they were removed after campaigning against land grabbing.
Sombath Somphone, 60, disappeared on the night of December 15 in the capital, Vientiane, and was last seen by his wife, Ng Shui Meng, who passed him as the couple returned to house separate cars. CCTV footage shows the activist to stop at a police station, leaving his car and jeep driven by another person. Later, a truck arrives with its lights flashing Sombath between him and two other men go.
Sombath Although he has not seen or heard from him since the checkpoint arrest, the government insists that it has nothing to do with her disappearance.
In an official statement carried by the state news Sombath agency KPL disappeared shortly after, a government spokesman said it was "hijacked perhaps due a personal conflict or conflict in the business, "and is concerned that the van was driven by two men" can not be identified. "Your vehicle, the statement said," went to a unknown location. "
Family
Sombath and friends say he had no such conflict and no ransom has been requested.
As founding director and former training center Laos Participatory Development, an NGO that works with civil society and government in the community development and poverty reduction, Sombath campaigned for human subsistence farmers land at a time when land grabbing is becoming more common. According to the Lao Movement for Human Rights, extensive concessions were granted to foreign and domestic companies. Much is mining, and activists warn that concessions lead to increasing levels of poverty and environmental degradation.
Sombath
neighbors and the EU, the UN and the United States put pressure on the communist government party to investigate the fate of Sombath.
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