News

Laos gov’t denies kidnapping missing activist

By
Published December 20, 2012 3:13pm ET
Add Washington Examiner on Google
Laos gov’t denies kidnapping missing activist
FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2005 file photo, Sombath Somphone of Laos, the winner of Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 2005, poses with the bust of the late Philippine president prior to receiving his award in ceremony at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila. The respected social activist has gone missing in Laos, and a colleague involved in the search for him said that he saw evidence that police had taken him into custody. A statement issued Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012 on behalf of 61 Thai nongovernmental organizations said Sombath disappeared Saturday afternoon in the Lao capital, Vientiane, where friends last saw him getting into his car to drive home from the development agency he founded. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is one of Asia's top civil honors. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File) | Bullit Marquez

BANGKOK (AP) — The government of Laos on Thursday disavowed responsibility for the disappearance of a respected social activist and suggested he had been kidnapped over a personal dispute. The statement did little to allay fears he is being held by government security forces.

Sombath Somphone, 60, is believed to be in state custody after police CCTV footage showed him being detained by police, his car driven away and then him being driven away separately in the company of two unidentified men. He has not been seen or heard from since the incident Saturday.

Already a print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.

Tag:

World