“Thailand is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking”, said the TIP, presented by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington. But Cuba and Malaysia were listed among 44 countries a notch up, on a Tier 2 Watch list comprised of nations that don’t meet standards but are working to better the situation.
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The upgrade removes a longstanding irritant between the former Cold War foes following the July 1 re-establishment of diplomatic relations, including reopening of embassies in each other’s capitals, after more than a half-century of estrangement.
Human rights advocates say Malaysia’s conviction rate has been failing over the past few years, while recent revelations have exposed the linkage between corruption and trafficking.
Cuba was upgraded, she said, because of progress by its government in addressing and prosecuting sex trafficking — as well as the commitments it has made to become compliant with the minimum standards. There are an estimated 20 million people around the world believed to be victims of human trafficking.
US President Barack Obama has 90 days after the publication of the report to take decisions on Tier 3 countries.
A former U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia characterizes the report as self-contradictory.
The State Department cited a government prohibition on forced labor of children in the 2014 cotton harvest, although it said government-compelled use of adults in the harvest remained “endemic”.
Other countries that moved up from the blacklist include Cuba, Papua New Guinea, and Saudi Arabia. “They have elevated politics over the most basic principles of human rights.” The nations are meeting in Hawaii this week, hoping to close the agreement after years of negotiations.
Even so, she said: “We remain concerned that low numbers of trafficking convictions in Malaysia is disproportionate to the scale of Malaysia’s human trafficking problem”.
“It is important that this report be a true reflection of the trafficking situation on the ground and that a country’s rating not be determined by political considerations but by the country’s record on this issue”, Rubio said, Roll Call reports.
It said Russian Federation lacked a national action plan and funds for trafficking prevention, and ‘prosecutions remained low compared with the scope of Russia’s trafficking problem.’.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal – which Malaysia is part of – needs final approval from US Congress.
Both countries have been criticised for not doing enough to combat trafficking particularly since the Rohingya migrants crisis saw thousands flee from Myanmar. “The government inconsistently implemented anti-trafficking laws, as many government officials continued to employ a narrow definition of human trafficking and domestic sex and labour trafficking victims and male victims of transnational labour trafficking were only marginally protected, often leading to repeated victimization”, reads the report.
Mr Robertson said that the decision to upgrade Malaysia does not make sense. The welfare of workers is at risk, and we must continue to push Malaysia to improve its anti-trafficking efforts rather than paving the way for it to participate in TPP.
The Thai Embassy in Washington “strongly disagreed” with its retention on tier 3.
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Sewall said the discovery of the mass graves in Malaysia happened nearly two months beyond the current reporting period that ended March 31.
