Sombath Somphone
HRD, Founder and Executive Director
Participatory Development Training Centre (PADETC)
Sombath Somphone is the founder and executive director of the Participatory Development Training Centre (PADETC), which trains young people in order to promote sustainable development. For his community development work he was awarded one of Asia's most prestigious civil awards, the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership, in 2005.
Sombath Somphone was abducted in Vientiane on 15 December 2012. CCTV footage shows that he was stopped by police and then taken away, but the Lao Government has denied responsibility for his disappearance.
