Laos urged to look into missing activist

Laos urged to look into missing activist

Non-governmental activists in Thailand on Tuesday urged the Lao government to look into the disappearance of a Magsaysay Award winner going missing for almost a week.

• Published: 18/12/2012 at 07:16 PM
• Newspaper section: topstories

In a letter sent to the Lao government, parliament and some embassies, they expressed concern about the safety of Sombath Somphone and called for Lao authorities to take action on the case.
"We, civil society organisations in Thailand, urge concerned Lao authorities to take every urgent action with regard to Mr Sombath's disappearance. We look forward to hearing that all immediate and necessary efforts are made to search his whereabouts and investigate the cause of his disappearance," said the letter released by NGO-COD, an umbrella comprising 61 organisations.

A file picture of Sombath Somphone, a Magsaysay Award winner who disappeared on Saturday in Vientiane.

The letter has been sent to the Thai and Singapore embassies in Vientiane and to Surin Pitsuwan, secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
Mr Sombath, aged 60, won the award in 2005 for community service. He is founder of the Participatory Development Training Centre in Laos aimed at social development.
He disappeared last Saturday while he was driving home from his office in Vientiane, according to the statement.
A source close to him said he left his office around 5pm on that day to meet his wife, Shui Meng, a Singaporean, for dinner.
His wife checked all hospitals hours after he did not return home that night and reported to police, the source said.
The news about his disappearance has been spreading in social networks including blogs.
His disappearance shocked activists in Laos and Thailand, the source added.
Mr Sombath is a renowned social worker and environmentalist in Laos.