Who is he?

Sombath Somphone is a Lao agricultural and development economist and, in 1996, founded the nongovernmental organization PADETC, or the Participatory Development Training Center, which seeks to advance community education and training on sustainable development in Laos. In 2005, Sombath received the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership for his efforts in agriculture and development.

He was the oldest of eight children and grew up in rural Laos at the height of the Vietnam War. Sombath received a scholarship in the early 1970s to study at the University of Hawaii, where he studied education and then agriculture. He returned to Laos to work on development issues in 1979.

Sombath Somphone was recently abducted in Laos. Source: Sombath.org.

Why is he in the news?

Sombath went missing on December 15 in an apparent abduction just outside of the Lao capital of Vientiane. The Lao government denies taking him into police custody, but video and photographs from a security camera show him being pulled over at a traffic stop, and apparently being escorted away by what appears to be plainclothes officers.

The international community began raising concerns with the government shortly after his disappearance. U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland and EU Foreign Policy Chief Lady Ashton have both called for an explanation of Sombath’s whereabouts. The government maintains that his abduction could be over a personal or business dispute and that he was only stopped as part of a routine traffic stop. His family has created a website to raise concerns about his disappearance and has repeatedly called for his safe return.

What can we expect?

Sombath was relatively apolitical, making him an odd target for abduction. Laos, overall, has had a positive year in 2012, with substantial economic growth and gaining authorization to join the World Trade Organization. However, if the government is involved in Sombath’s disappearance, this could present a substantial challenge to Laos’ global standing.

A western diplomat told the Financial Times in a January 6 report that the next steps could include a diplomatic démarche by concerned governments. Until someone admits to holding Sombath, or evidence arises of his whereabouts, it is hard to predict what will happen next.