RI placed in Tier 2 in U.S. report on human trafficking<\/p>\n
Agencies
\nWashington\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia was placed in Tier 2 along with seven other Asian
\nnations in an annual U.S. report on human trafficking.<\/p>\n
"It is an indication that the country is making serious and
\nsustained efforts to meet minimum standards for the elimination
\nof human trafficking, but does not yet comply with all such
\nstandards," the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta said in a press release
\nsent to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The press release was made available to publicize the results
\nof the fourth annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which was
\nreleased U.S Secretary of State Colin Powell in Washington on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
Besides Indonesia, Tier 2 Asian nations comprised Afghanistan,
\nCambodia, China, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore and Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n
Japan is also among seven Asian nations placed on a U.S.
\n"watch list" of countries involved in human trafficking,
\nofficials said.<\/p>\n
A key destination for women and children trafficked for forced
\nlabor and sexual exploitation, Japan was relegated to a so-called
\nTier 2 watch list by the U.S. report for the year 2003.<\/p>\n
In the previous report, Japan was on Tier 2 but was relegated
\nto a special watch list with a warning that it could be
\ndowngraded further to Tier 3, of countries not making significant
\nefforts to combat human trafficking.<\/p>\n
Nations deemed to be complying with international efforts to
\nfight trafficking are placed in "Tier 1," while those making
\n"significant efforts" are placed in "Tier 2."<\/p>\n
For the first time in its four-year history, the report
\ncreated a Tier 2 watch list for countries that are not yet in
\ncompliance with U.S. legal standards and may be downgraded, but
\nhave promised to make or are in the process of making significant
\nefforts to meet the requirements, officials said.<\/p>\n
Aside from Japan, Asian nations on the watch list were India,
\nLaos, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.<\/p>\n
Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan are on Tier 1 while Tier 3
\nconsists of Myanmar, Bangladesh and North Korea.<\/p>\n
"Japan does not comply with the minimum standards," John
\nMiller, director of the State Department's office to monitor and
\ncombat trafficking in persons, told a media briefing.<\/p>\n
"We believe that there has been a tremendous gap in Japan that
\nhas a huge problem with slavery -- particularly sex slavery -- a
\ntremendous gap between the size of the problem and the resources
\nand efforts devoted to addressing the problem," he said.<\/p>\n
Japan's trafficking problem is "large," the report said,
\nadding that organized crime groups that operate internationally,
\nlike the Yakuza, are involved.<\/p>\n
"The Japanese government must begin to fully employ its
\nresources to address this serious human rights crime within its
\nborders," the report said.<\/p>\n
Last year, Japan's National Police Agency arrested 41 people
\nfor trafficking-related offenses, eight of whom were traffickers.
\nHuman trafficking victims around the globe are women and girls,
\nas young as six years old, forced into commercial sexual
\nexploitation, men trafficked into forced labor and children
\nforced to become soldiers.<\/p>\n
The report estimated that there were up to 800,000 cases each
\nyear of people being illegally transported across international
\nborders.<\/p>",
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