disappearED-Asia is working directly on the issue of involuntary or enforced disappearances in Asia. Enforced disappearance is a most cruel form of human rights violation where the victim is illegally held by state actors and put outside the protection of the law. The victim's families, friends and community do not have any information on his whereabouts thereafter.
This podcast aims to educate the public on the various aspects of the issue of enforced disappearance especially from the perspective of the victim-families.
Despite strong evidence of his abduction, Sombath was nowhere to be found and the police denied any involvement on the case. Sombath case is one among the many rights defenders who fell victim to enforced disappearance.
A most heinous crime under international law until today, human rights defenders are harassed and persecuted when the laws are weaponized to stifle civil liberties. Justice remains elusive to most cases of enforced disappearance. Impunity has kept this phenomenon prevalent in Asia." — Joey Faustino