U.s. Ambassador Summoned (again)

[cdnvic]

HUMAN TRAFFICKING: Thailand to plead its case

Published on Mar 2, 2004

US ambassador will be summoned over plan to lower country's ranking

The government will summon the US ambassador to Thailand to clarify what it believes will be Washington's significantly lower human-trafficking ranking for Thailand.

Noppadol Inna, deputy secretary-general to the prime minister, said Deputy Prime Minister Purachai Piumsombun would summon Ambassador Daryl Johnson to explain the implications for Thailand if it is downgraded to a tier-three country.

Although the US's annual "Trafficking in Persons Report'' has yet to be released, Thai officials believe the country's ranking will be lowered. Thailand has been lobbying the US not to lower its status for fear it will damage the country's international standing.

In response, the US might consider a new two-and-a-|half-tier category as a compromise, an informed source said.

According to US State Department criteria, tier-three countries are those whose governments do not fully comply with the minimum standards of combating human trafficking and are not making significant efforts to do so.

Tier-two countries may not fully comply with standards but are making significant efforts to combat human trafficking.

Tier-three countries could be subject to certain sanctions, notably the withholding of non-humanitarian, non-trade-related assistance.

Thailand has for decades been a prime destination for illegal migrants and victims of human trafficking from neighbouring countries. Many have been lured here to work in the sex industry, as well as back-breaking jobs shunned by most Thai nationals.

"The government has recognised for years that trafficking in persons is a problem, but the issue is still not among Thailand's top priories," the latest US report released in June last year said.

"Thailand needs to give more focus on persecution and increase the number of arrests and convictions of traffickers at home," the report said.

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So let's see.... tier 2.5 is for countries who don't want to take hard action to deal with the problem, but will whine and bitch about losing face?

cv

[Axel]

Highly interesting, but where in the report is the US-ranking? 2-tier? Probably or 3-tier? 2.5!

[cdnvic]

Highly interesting, but where in the report is the US-ranking? 2-tier? Probably or 3-tier? 2.5!

First tier in amount of citizens who travel abroad to take advantage of it, though to be fair their population has something to do with that. They caught a Canadian with a couple of young girls in Cambodia last week. If he's guilty I hope they hang him, or send him home and turn him over to the mounties.

cv