As we commemorate today the International Day of the Disappeared, we remember the thousands of people who have been victims of enforced disappearance-one of the worst, if not the worst of all human rights violations. We remember Somchai Neelapaijit, a human rights lawyer from Thailand, Sombath Somphone, a development leader from Laos, Jonas Burgos, a peasant organizer from the Philippines and thousands of others in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia and other countries across Asia who remain missing and have not been accounted for by those responsible for their disappearance.
FORUM-ASIA extends its solidarity with the families of these victims and all the groups and institutions, including the lawyers,doctors, psychologists, social workers and other professionals that work on their behalf.
We call on governments to put an end to enforced disappearances; to ratify and implement the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance; to respect the families’ right to know the fate of their loved ones and to help them get justice for the crime committed against the victims and their families.
We call on the international community to continue their support for the campaign to stop enforced disappearances and end impunity for this crime and in addressing the psychological, social, legal and financial needs of survivors and families of the disappeared.
