Foreign Affairs Ministry affirms nation's commitment to combating human traffic after issuance of latest TIP report

 

 

BANGKOK, 28 June 2017 (NNT) – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has affirmed Thailand’s commitment to combating the issue of human trafficking after the United States maintained the Kingdom’s status at Tier 2 on its latest Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report. 

The newest TIP report kept Thailand at Tier 2 for a second year while demoting China to Tier 3, grouping it with countries that include Iran, North Korea, Syria, Congo, Guinea and Mali. Thailand was originally at the bottom standing of Tier 3 and remained there 2 years before serious work by the current government helped to improve its situation. 

In a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the office characterized the latest TIP report as underlining Thailand’s determination to seriously combat human trafficking as well as its readiness to work with other organizations to constructively tackle the issue and improve its own capabilities against people smuggling. It noted nonetheless that the government’s work on human trafficking is not for an improved standing on any ranking but rather for the protection of Thailand and its visitors and for the preservation of human dignity.

The statement went on to say that the Tier 2 listing was not reflective of Thailand’s achievements against human trafficking over the past year, which extended from policy changes to concrete action against those involved and rehabilitation for victims. 

Ahead of the report’s issuance, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-ocha voiced an affirmation of Thailand’s determination to remedy human trafficking, a statement reiterated by Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, who elaborated the government’s work encompassed human trafficking as well as labor abuse in the fisheries sector, an aspect that is set to be reviewed by the European Union.

 

-- nnt 2017-06-28

"Foreign Affairs Ministry affirms nation's commitment to combating human traffic after issuance of latest TIP report"

Sure - Andy Hall comes to mind. 

do they use the exact same 'official statement' every year ?

Well, for once this is a complete true statement. Thailand has never had any commitment to combating human trafficking and never will.

Thats the third announcement today on the subject. Of course they don't care about the TIP rating

22 hours ago, webfact said:

The statement went on to say that the Tier 2 listing was not reflective of Thailand’s achievements against human trafficking over the past year, which extended from policy changes to concrete action against those involved and rehabilitation for victims. 

Thailand is currently on the Tier 2 Watch List and Thailand's placement there last year from Tier 3 is exactly correct BECAUSE of its actions against those involved and rehabilitation for victims. Otherwise Thailand would have been moved back to Tier 3.

 

TIER 2 WATCH LIST

Countries whose governments do not fully comply with the TVPA's minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards AND:

•  The absolute number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is very significant or is significantly increasing;
• There is a failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons from the previous year; or
• The determination that a country is making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with minimum standards was based on commitments by the country to take additional future steps over the next year.

Some of the Tier 2 countries: Japan, Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Malaysia

Some of the Tier 2 Watch List countries: Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Madagascar

https://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2015/243366.htm