The State of Human Trafficking in Asia Pacific, NTS Bulletin, July 2016
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
www.rsis.edu.sg/research/nts-centre July 2016 CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENTAL The State of Human Trafficking in Asia Pacific SECURITY AND NATURAL DISASTERS page 4 ——————————- ENERGY SECURITY page 4 ——————————- FOOD SECURITY page 5 ——————————- HEALTH SECURITY page 6 ——————————- Courtesy of Flickr account of FAMSI and used under a creative commons license. PEACE, HUMAN The official release of the annual addition, the recognition of stateless- SECURITY AND Trafficking In Persons (or TIP, see box ness, with particular mention of the plight DEVELOPMENT 1) Report by the US State Department in of the Rohingya people, and the page 6 June this year has once again resulted significant lead up to greater risks of in the issue making the news. While the being trafficked, were also highlighted. ——————————- majority of the coverage has been Lastly, the recognition of human reactions to and questions around the trafficking, which occurs in conflict and TRANSNATIONAL index where countries are ranked from CRIME Tier 1 to Tier 3 (see box 2), there are page 7 some notable developments and trends, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. Box 1. What is Trafficking in Persons (TIP)? ——————————- Highlights from the Report “Trafficking in persons” and “human traffick- HUMANITARIAN Based on the report, from a global ing” are used as umbrella terms for the act of ASSISTANCE AND perspective, 2015 was a good year in recruiting, harbouring, transporting, provid- DISASTER RELIEF the world’s collective fight against ing, or obtaining a person for compelled la- page 8 human trafficking. On average there bour or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. The Trafficking were more prosecutions, convictions, Victims Protection Act of 2000 describe this ——————————- and identification of victims than any compelled service using a number of differ- single year in the past. There was also ent terms, including involuntary servitude, WATER SECURITY an improvement in the number of new slavery or practices similar to slavery, debt page 9 and amended legislation with regard to bondage, and forced labour. trafficking in persons. People may be considered trafficked victims For 2016, the report highlighted and regardless of whether they were born into a recognised some important issues and state of servitude, were exploited in their trends. The recognition of the hometown, were transported to the exploita- refugee/migrant crisis in Europe, the tive situation, previously consented to work overburdened asylum system, and the for a trafficker, or participated in a crime as a resultant large incidences of trafficking direct result of being subjected to trafficking. involved were brought to light. In 1 www.rsis.edu.sg/research/nts-centre JulyJune 2016 2016 ed to Tier 3 (largely due to the poor handling of the Rohingya Box 2. TIP Report Tier Placements crisis) while Thailand was The TIP Report places each country into one of four tiers. This placement is upgraded from Tier 3 to Tier 2 (for based more on the extent of government action to combat trafficking than the government’s work in trying to address the forced labour issues on the size of the country’s problem. in their seafood industry). Critics While Tier 1 is the highest ranking, it does not mean that the specific coun- have argued that the decision for Myanmar was long overdue, while try has no human trafficking problem or that it is doing enough to address the upgrading of Thailand might be the problem. Rather, a Tier 1 ranking indicates that the government has too premature. There have also acknowledged the existence of human trafficking, and has made efforts to been criticism for not further address the problem. Each year, governments need to demonstrate appre- downgrading Malaysia despite the ciable progress in combating trafficking to maintain a Tier 1 ranking. mass graves uncovered in a remote forested area the past Some factors, which influence a country’s tier placement, include: year. Enactment of laws Other notable developments include the downgrading of Hong Criminal penalties Kong and Macau to Tier 2. Both Implementation of trafficking laws have officially questioned and Proactive victim identification publicly rejected the study with Funding for victim rehabilitation accusations of the report being politically motivated rather than Efforts towards victim protection (legal, social) factual. Similar rejections were also communicated by Algeria and Sudan, both downgraded to Tier 3. natural disaster settings was given terms of being a major source, due attention. destination, and transit nodes in On a more positive note, the complex system. Singapore, South Korea and Sri The region The majority of ASEAN countries Lanka became signatories and The Asia Pacific, Southeast Asia remained fixed in the respective state parties to the Protocol to in particular, has consistently been tier placements vis-à-vis the TIP Prevent, Suppress and Punish flagged as one of the biggest report index from last year. Trafficking in Persons, especially ‘hotspots’ for human trafficking Myanmar was however downgrad- women and children, supplement- activities in the world. This is in ing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Table 1. Human Trafficking in the region at a glance Country TIP Report Tier Cate‐ Compared to previous gory Main role of country in TIP year (2014‐2015) (2015‐2016) Brunei Tier 2 = Transit Cambodia Tier 2 = Source, Transit Hong Kong SAR Tier 2 Watch List ↓ Desnaon, Transit Indonesia Tier 2 = Major Source Laos Tier 2 Watch List = Source, Transit Macau Tier 2 Watch List ↓ Desnaon Malaysia Tier 2 Watch List = Desnaon, Source Myanmar Tier 3 ↓ Major Source Philippines Tier 1 = Major Source Singapore Tier 2 = Desnaon, Transit Thailand Tier 2 Watch List ↑ Source, Desnaon, Transit Timor Leste Tier 2 = Source Vietnam Tier 2 = Source, Desnaon Source: Adapted from Trafficking in Persons Report June 2016 2 www.rsis.edu.sg/research/nts-centre JulyJune 2016 2016 Table 2. Global Data on Law Enforcement in Trafficking in Persons (figures for Asia Pacific) Year Prosecuons Convicons Vicms Idenfied New/amended legislaon 2008 5,212 2,983 30,961 26 2009 5,606 4,166 49,105 33 2010 6,017 3,619 33,113 17 2011 7,909 3,969 42,291 15 2012 7,705 4,746 46,570 21 2013 9,460 5,776 44,758 58 2014 10,051 4,443 44,462 20 2015 18,930 (3,281) 6,609 (1,730) 77,823 (13,900) 30 (10) Source: Trafficking in Persons Report June 2016 Crime (also known as the Palermo primarily assesses the role of state and victims between Southeast Protocol, Trafficking Protocol, or parties in combatting and working Asian countries could also go a the UN TIP Protocol). This brought against TIP, still far too little has long way. Lastly, efforts to ensure the total number of signatories to been done in terms of enactment and guarantee protection as well 117 and State Parties to 169. of laws, criminal penalties, as immunity from criminal prose- Moving forward proactive victim identification and cution for the victims will have to protection. It is thus hoped that be institutionalised and well com- Now that the U.S. State governments, particularly in the municated to the masses in order Department’s annual report has region, will address this particular to tackle this problem from the been published, President Obama transnational issue with better ground up . has 90 days (since the date of monitoring and greater internation- publication) to decide whether to al cooperation than what is already impose restrictions and sanctions in operation. on Tier 3 countries. Based on past One potential and relatively simple experience this is highly unlikely, step forward would be for primarily for geopolitical reasons. governments in the region to work Taking a macro and longer-term more closely with local as well as perspective, the deep and international NGOs and extensive scale of the problem will organisations, which have been affect positive resolutions in the proactive on trafficking issues. region or the world in the near fu- Better information sharing on Courtesy of Flickr account of ture. Based on the report, which known and suspected traffickers Imagens Evangélicas and used under a creative commons license. Suggested Readings: US Department of State (2016). Trafficking in Persons Report. June 2016. Courtland Robinson, 2016. “Anti-human trafficking in Thailand”. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Pub- lic Health. Emmaire Huetteman, “U.S. criticises Myanmar over human trafficking”, The New York Times, 30 June 2016. “An annual demand to end human trafficking around the world”. The Washington Post, 4 July 2016. “Hong Kong losing the fight against human trafficking, US report finds”. South China Morning Post, 1 July 2016. 3 www.rsis.edu.sg/research/nts-centre JuneJuly 2016 2016 CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY AND NATURAL DISASTERS NEWS & COMMENTARIES U.S. ready for climate South-east Asian fires change cooperation in 2015 break carbon Xinhuanet emissions record: Sci- 6 June 2016 entists Climate change is mak- Reuters, Today ing calendars run amok 29 June 2016 U.S. ready for climate Indonesia faces envi- change cooperation ronmental time bomb Karen Emslie, after coal bust National Geographic Fergus Jensen, Courtesy of Flickr account of United Nations Photo and used under a 7 June 2016 The Jakarta Globe creative commons license. 29 June 2016 Govt assists regions in climate change fights What Brexit means for Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, addressing climate SELECTED PUBLICATIONS The Jakarta Post change 25 June 2016 Justin Worland, The social- Singapore’s climate ac- tion plan: A climate- Time psychological determi- ‘Ocean farmer’ helps resilient Singapore, for 30 June 2016 nants of climate change tackle climate change a sustainable future Sarah C. Baldwin, Spark- risk perceptions, atti- Ministry of the Environment news, tudes, and behaviours: and Water Resources 2016 The Straits Times A national study 25 June 2016 Sander van der Linden, Environmental Education Insurers’ pledge to help Research, Vol.