SYDNEY The U.S. government’s annual Trafficking in Persons report, published on June 30, generated the usual mix of emotions among countries named. In Asia, Myanmar responded angrily to its downgrading, while Thailand and the Philippines welcomed their upgrade in the influential rankings, which can affect a country’s standing as a U.S. trade partner and aid recipient. The report this year rated 190 countries, two more than last year. FRIENDLY MOVE? In a surprise move, the Philippines was upgraded to the top tier of countries for its efforts to counteract trafficking, despite having a “significant problem” with sex trafficking, according to the report. The upgrade puts it among a handful of countries deemed to “fully meet the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s (TVPA) minimum standards,” a level attained in Asia only by South Korea and Taiwan. The Philippines, a long-standing U.S. ally, recently elected as president Rodrigo Duterte, who has criticized the U.S. and said he would seek a rapprochement with China over their competing claims in the South China Sea. The surprise promotion of the Philippines — perhaps meant as a reminder from Washington about who Manila’s real friends are — echoes previous TIP assessments. Myanmar, for example, where forced labor and recruitment of children into the national army and local militias have been reported, received an upgrade under former President Thein Sein that was seen as motivated more by geopolitics than by considered analysis. But the 2016 report saw Myanmar demoted to Tier 3, the bottom rank, despite free and fair elections in 2015 that saw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy take power earlier this year. People from Myanmar migrating to Thailand and Malaysia “are subjected to forced labor, primarily in fishing and other labor intensive industries,” the report noted. Myanmar’s presidential spokesman said it was “very sad” the U.S. had not recognized efforts to counter trafficking. Thailand’s fishing industry has long been accused of utilizing virtual slaves, mostly illegal immigrants from Cambodia and Myanmar who are duped or trafficked into the industry. The grim discovery last year of trafficker camps and dozens of corpses of victims along the Thai-Malaysia frontier saw condemnation of both countries’ attempts to curb trafficking. Those revelations came too late to prevent Malaysia’s promotion to the Tier 2 “watch list” — a notch above bottom rank, which puts them on notice to make greater efforts — in the 2015 TIP rankings, a move broadly seen as linked to U.S.-led negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact. A country must be Tier 2 or above in the TIP rankings to gain free trade access to the U.S. market. Despite signing the pact, Malaysia remained on the Tier 2 watch list this year. CARROT AND STICK Another U.S. ally, Thailand, was thrown a lifeline of sorts this year — upgraded from the lowest ranking to the Tier 2 watch list. Another year for Thailand in Tier 3 could have resulted in possible sanctions and in turn prompted pressure for the EU to review access for Thailand’s $1 billion in annual fisheries exports to Europe. The promotion comes as the U.S. tries to coax Thailand’s junta into ceding power to a civilian government and was justified by Bangkok’s moves to step up arrests of traffickers and monitor fishing fleets. Sam Zarifi, Asia regional director at the International Commission of Jurists, said the U.S. is “using a carrot-and-stick approach with Thailand” and had just thrown it a big carrot. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry denied that the TIP report was influenced by politics. “There are some tough calls. In the end, they come down to an element of discretion, but not much,” he told media.
2016 Nikkei Inc.