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TELL IT AS IT IS
US trafficking report: When doing the right thing just ain't enough
Pornpimol Kanchanalak
Special to The Nation

BANGKOK: -- We are very surprised by this year's report, which seems to be making blatantly political decisions that we consider will have a really detrimental impact on both the integrity of the report and progress in the global fight to end modern slavery."

No, this response to the US State Department's 2015 Report on Trafficking in Persons (TIP) did not come from the government of Thailand. It came from Melysa Sperber, director of the Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking.

"I would say that this year had the biggest cases where politics seem to have gotten involved," commented David Abramowitz, vice president for Policy and Government Relations at Humanity United. "Here are some cases where there are really serious and significant concerns that the Department seems to be ignoring in order to pursue other interests."

"Disappointed," chimed in Democrat Senator Bob Menendez from New Jersey. "The Administration turned a blind eye to the facts."

In Bangkok, Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha offered a dignified response to a TIP ranking that puts Thailand in the same league as North Korea, Libya, Syria, Russia, Algeria and other 18 backwater countries.

"It's their report, not ours," he said, "They can do whatever they want. We, for our part, will continue to do our very best in combating human trafficking. Some facets of the problem can be rectified quickly, some not."

Deputy Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai echoed those words:

"Regardless of the view of the US, Thailand will continue to fight human trafficking. It's not doing what the US wants, it is doing the right thing."

To be fair, the current government, in its short time in office, has done more than all its predecessors combined to combat this crime against humanity. For the first time, high-ranking and influential government officials have been arrested for aiding and abetting the traffickers. The war on human trafficking has been made a national priority. Existing laws have finally been enforced, resulting in a spike on prosecutions. New laws have been promulgated to tighten the noose on traffickers. A registration process for migrant workers is finally in place, so that the 1.6 million foreign labourers are now legally entitled to the same protection as Thai workers. The government has enacted and enforced regulatory measures in the fishing industry to close loopholes for human trafficking. It has sought cooperation with neighbouring countries, both bilaterally and regionally, to arrive at concerted and effective measures and action plans for human rights protection.

Still, the US State Department insisted that Thailand had not "fully complied" with the minimum standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act's, and was not making significant efforts to do so.

Meanwhile, Washington quite expediently upgraded certain countries with blatant human trafficking problems, making them eligible to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which the US is championing as the new framework for trade across the Pacific. The reason for the push can be found in a remark President Obama made to Congress when he underscored that if the US is not the one writing the rules, "China will".

An epiphany, isn't it?

The TIP Report is not unlike its obnoxious older brother, the "Section 301" trade sanctions: On paper it sounds right and fair, but in practice it is being used for the self-serving political purposes of the US administration. These sanctimonious rules, written by the US, have had their legitimacy and credibility crushed by the Master of the Universe itself after it realised that they do not serve its other international interests.

Thailand has fallen out of favour with Washington ever since the military coup last year. The singular focus of the US and the West was on elections, which they blindly equate with democracy. They ignored the facts and the dreadful national state of affairs that led up to the events of May 22. We were indisputably on the brink of becoming a "failed state".

Punch drunk amid an onslaught of political and economic challenges, Thailand did not join the TPP talks. Spurned by the West, we ran straight into the arms of China. The Eagle and the Elephant have downgraded their ties from "estranged" to "divorced". The new Silk Route is now our road to who-knows-where.

The US has forgotten that right after 9/11, tanks rolled onto the streets of upscale Georgetown in Washington while naval ships patrolled the Potomac River, ordered to shoot on sight any suspicious craft. The security threat was dire for the US, and the government did what it had to do to maintain public safety and peace. In Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993, the US sent Black Hawk helicopters to hunt down notorious terrorist suspects. So, it seems disproportionate - even a case of double standards - for Washington to harshly condemn a military takeover in Thailand that produced precisely no casualties, and to continue to chastise and penalise the country with every tool at its disposal.

While Washington placed Thailand on the lowest rung of the human-trafficking ladder, the Global Slavery Index 2013 called the US - a self-appointed Tier 1 member - a major destination country for internationally trafficked individuals. In this report on 162 countries, the US was ranked 134th for the prevalence of slavery, with 60,000 people enslaved.

Should those in Washington ever want a more accurate reflection of their behaviour towards Thailand, we would like to recommend Peter Schweizer's 2005 book, "Do as I Say (Not as I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy".

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/US-trafficking-report-When-doing-the-right-thing-j-30265517.html


-- The Nation 2015-07-30

[Plutojames88]

Busting a high ranking general , works if your an elected Government ...not a military one.

It's like being in a gang and handing over a member then asking for a good character reference from the sheriff ......

All it does is confirm the gang was involved .

The Military Governments involvement - means the rating was correct

Edited July 29, 2015 by Plutojames88

[ChrisY1]

"high-ranking and influential government officials have been arrested"

I'm only aware of one......but maybe I'm wrong........however, there's been no prosecutions, that I am aware of, which in any case, will likely take years as influentials will lobby and protest their mates are being victimised.........

[Searat7]

There should probably be 4 tiers....not three. I don't think Thailand belongs in the same class as some other countries in Tier 3 but much progress made was late in the measurement period and much more must be done before Thailand belongs in Tier 2.

[clockman]

They have had a decade of abuse and slavery. The reuters report said it all. Hundreds of people involved. Police, Military, government officials. They all have blood on there hands!.

[dominique355]

While Washington placed Thailand on the lowest rung of the human-trafficking ladder, the Global Slavery Index 2013 called the US - a self-appointed Tier 1 member - a major destination country for internationally trafficked individuals. In this report on 162 countries, the US was ranked 134th for the prevalence of slavery, with 60,000 people enslaved.

It is of course much easier to discredit the witness when his testimony is unfavorable, but it would perhaps help much more to get information and facts first. Yes, the USA in in Tier 1, but - as the US government says itself:

"While Tier 1 is the highest ranking, it does not mean that a country has no human trafficking problem. On the contrary, a Tier 1 ranking indicates that a government has acknowledged the existence of human trafficking, made efforts to address the problem, and complies with the TVPA’s minimum standards. Each year, governments need to demonstrate appreciable progress in combating trafficking to maintain a Tier 1 ranking."

It probably also helps to acknowledge that this years TIP report is based on what a country has done between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015.

I wonder how many of these self appointed critics have actually read the TIP report about Thailand. It paints a dark picture of human trafficking not only of migrant workers but also of Thai citizens in Thailand and abroad. I can only recommend reading it.

[retarius]

What a terribly biased article. The negative comments from the US related to the upgrade of Cuba, which some US politicians disagree with because they are courting Cuban votes in Florida, a key state in any Presidential election.

What about this gem? "To be fair, the current government, in its short time in office, has done more than all its predecessors combined to combat this crime against humanity. For the first time, high-ranking and influential government officials have been arrested for aiding and abetting the traffickers."

Thailand was put on Tier 3 only last year shortly after the coup...and before saying how fantastically the job has been done, lets see some 'high-ranking and influential government officials' actually convicted and given long prison sentences before cheering. We all know that such folk will not see the insides of a prison cell but will be on never ending bail while appealing if they ever wind up getting convicted.

[gandalf12]

They have had a decade of abuse and slavery. The reuters report said it all. Hundreds of people involved. Police, Military, government officials. They all have blood on there hands!.

Let's not look at America or Europes past history. It doesnt stand scrutiny

Edited July 30, 2015 by gandalf12

[Lorraine678356]

Regardless of the view of the US, Thailand will continue to fight human trafficking. It's not doing what the US wants, it is doing the right thing."

( brave comments! hope other countries can take some words from this)

"If the US is not the one writing the rules, "China will".

(Might not be too bad of an idea. Why is America always taking charge of the rules. Is this the only country in the world who thinks they have a brain? Why does everything always smell political with bullying tactics?)

[Emster23]

"Thailand will continue to fight human trafficking. It's not doing what the US wants, it is doing the right thing." As I recall US said should have freedom of press and speech to expose those powerful ones, citing trial in Phuket journalists for reprinting article implicating the navy....

"US has forgotten that right after 9/11, tanks rolled onto the streets of upscale Georgetown in Washington..." this is such a reach, such a ridiculous analogy it beggars belief. Admittedly Bush had some brush to clear in Crawford and didn't think terrorism was all that important, but we did lose some folks and costly real estate.... and if paranoid (a little bit?) could consider that he did profit from that, but not at all like human trafficking with cash flowing up the food chain of power.

[Linzz]

Regardless of the view of the US, Thailand will continue to fight human trafficking. It's not doing what the US wants, it is doing the right thing."

( brave comments! hope other countries can take some words from this)

"If the US is not the one writing the rules, "China will".

(Might not be too bad of an idea. Why is America always taking charge of the rules. Is this the only country in the world who thinks they have a brain? Why does everything always smell political with bullying tactics?)

You seriously think China could write up some rules with it's record of human rights abuses built into an undemocratic one party state oppressive political system?

[rijb]

Thailand is famous for "doing the right thing."

[Plutojames88]

Busting a high ranking general , works if your an elected Government ...not a military one.

It's like being in a gang and handing over a member then asking for a good character reference from the sheriff ......

All it does is confirm the gang was involved .

The Military Governments involvement - means the rating was correct

The next hurdle in October will be interesting ......given the military have house slaves in media reports