Abduction of Sombat Somphone has aid workers 'terrified'

The abduction in Laos of one of Asia's most respected activists has sent a wave of fear through the aid-worker community, forcing some to flee the country.

Laotian national Sombat Somphone is still missing more than two weeks after apparently being detained at a police check point in the capital, Vientiane.

Video footage obtained by Ng Shui Meng, Sombat's Singaporean wife, showed the abduction was a highly co-ordinated job. First traffic police stopped him, ostensibly to check his documents. Soon after, he was taken to a jeep with flashing lights and driven away.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' only response has been to speculate that "business conflicts" could be behind the disappearance. Colleagues have rejected this argument, pointing out he had no business interests or personal enemies.

At least one analyst has linked the disappearance to Sombat's role in conducting a recent nationwide survey of attitudes towards governance.

Sombat, the quietly spoken founder of the non-profit Participatory Development Training Centre, was a pioneer of participatory development and supporting the enforcement of land rights for poor farmers. He was also featured in the BBC TV documentary about the environment and development in Laos.