Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03KUWAIT1927
2003-05-08 11:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

(C) TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS: SOURCE COUNTRY

Tags:  PHUM PREL PGOV SOCI KU 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 001927 

SIPDIS

DEPT ALSO PASS USAID/W
DEPT FOR G/TIP, NEA/RA, NEA/FO, NEA/ARP
DEPT FOR INL, DRL, PRM, IWI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/07/2013
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV SOCI KU
SUBJECT: (C) TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS: SOURCE COUNTRY
EMBASSIES OPPOSE TIER III STATUS FOR KUWAIT

REF: A. KUWAIT 1772

B. KUWAIT 1759

Classified By: (U) AMBASSADOR RICHARD H. JONES; REASON: 1.5 (B,D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 001927

SIPDIS

DEPT ALSO PASS USAID/W
DEPT FOR G/TIP, NEA/RA, NEA/FO, NEA/ARP
DEPT FOR INL, DRL, PRM, IWI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/07/2013
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV SOCI KU
SUBJECT: (C) TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS: SOURCE COUNTRY
EMBASSIES OPPOSE TIER III STATUS FOR KUWAIT

REF: A. KUWAIT 1772

B. KUWAIT 1759

Classified By: (U) AMBASSADOR RICHARD H. JONES; REASON: 1.5 (B,D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Reftels reported on GOK's efforts to address
the issue of
trafficking in persons, an issue on which it is increasingly
engaged. This
message provides an update on GOK initiatives as well as a
snapshot of opinions
of source country embassies in Kuwait voiced during a May 7
lunch at the
Ambassador's residence. Although all countries involved
agreed that Kuwait
has a problem with its domestic servants, all want to avoid
public
condemnation being used as the tool for change, fearing it
will complicate
their own efforts. END SUMMARY.

(C) SOURCE COUNTRY VIEWPOINTS
--------------

2. (C) The Ambassador hosted a lunch May 7 for
representatives of source
countries for domestic labor, in order to inform them of the
upcoming
Trafficking in Persons Report and to seek their views on the
situation of
domestic workers in Kuwait. The ambassadors of India, Sri
Lanka and Indonesia
attended, along with the Philippine labor attache and a
Bangladeshi
counterpart. Due to the sensitivity of this issue to the
source countries,
the very purpose of the gathering should be treated as
classified.


3. (C) Indian Ambassador Singh (protect throughout) said the
problem of
exploitation of domestics in Kuwait affects only a "very
small" percentage (of
what is, however, a very large population: hundreds of
thousands of
individuals). He stressed that his own government takes the
problem of
exploitation very seriously. At one point, Indian women had
been prohibitied
from seeking work in Kuwait, but this ban had proved
counter-productive.
Now, the GOI limits work permits for Kuwait to women over 30
years of age
and discourages women outside of a few specific states known
for their
conservative social mores from working in Kuwait. Such steps
had reduced
past problems markedly. Asked about his personal experience

in working
through cases with the GOK, he said that he has alway found
Kuwaiti
officials to be "helpful and responsive." For instance,
about six months
ago, at MFA's instigation, the GOK opened a conciliation
center attached to
the Dasman police station that processes domestics who face
deportation.
The center was off to a slow start, but it was a step in the
right direction,
in his view. He remarked that the Kuwaitis feel "very
embarrassed" by reports
of exploitation, because they are very sensitive about their
international
reputation. As a result of working collaboratively with the
GOK since his
arrival fifteen months ago, he added, the situation of Indian
domestics has
improved to the point that his embassy has been able to close
its safehaven.


4. (C) Drawing on his own experience, Singh recommended that
the USG avoid a
confrontational approach: it is not necessary, and would
likely be
counter-productive. He thought cooperative engagement by the
USG could be very
supportive of bilateral efforts by India and other source
countries, whereas
public embarrassment of Kuwait could undermine the source
countries' ongoing
efforts. In his view, given that Kuwait has not been
mentioned in the TIP
Report before, it would be "a bit unfair" to place it in Tier
III this year; a
year from now, if there is no substantial improvement, we
would be much more
justified in taking a hard line. The ambassadors of Sri
Lanka and Indonesia,
and the representative of the Bangladesh embassy, all agreed.


5. (C) Philippine labor attache Angelo Jimenez (protect
throughout) assessed
the exploitation problem as much more common in his
community: about 30
percent of Filipina domestics reported some problem, such as
underpayment,
overwork, lack of rest, lack of adequate food, or restriction
on their
freedom of movement. (This latter complaint, Singh
commented, contains a
large culture-clash component: by Kuwaiti standards, it is
normal and prudent
(even a duty) to restrict women's movements for their own
protection in a
country with a very large population of unaccompanied male
workers; Filipinas,
on the other hand, are used to much more freedom of movement,
Jimenez
acknowledged.) Jimenez estimated that for every domestic who
registered a
complaint with his embassy, there was at least one more who
did not have the
opportunity to do so. Six percent of the complaints filed
with the Philippine
embassy involve sexual abuse. In his experience, Kuwaitis'
first response
to information about abuses is denial that any Kuwaiti could
behave so badly,
but he has found that if he persists, they eventually accept
the painful
truth and support corrective action. The Philippine Embassy
continues to
operate a shelter at the embassy for runaway domestics.
Despite his different
perception of the magnitude of the problem, he agreed with
Singh that GOK
officials were generally cooperative and that a Tier III
designation would
be counter-productive at this time.


6. (C) In sum, all countries represented agreed on some key
issues.
They agree Kuwait has a problem with its treatment of TCN
domestic servants.
They agree most of their Kuwaiti contacts are embarrassed by
the problem.
They agree Kuwaiti law needs to be amended to provide
protection to domestic
servants. They agree Kuwaiti officials are responsive when
specific cases
are brought to their attention. They agree further
engagement with the
Kuwaitis on the issue of trafficking in persons is key to
solving this
difficult issue, and that public embarrassment of the
Kuwaitis by the US
would not be helpful to the cause.

(U)GOK INITIATIVES
--------------

7. (C) MFA Americas Dept. Deputy Director Ayham al-Omar
confirmed to PolChief
May 7 that a newly-established inter-ministerial committee
had held its first
meeting this week, chaired by his boss, Americas Dept.
Director Amb. Khaled
al-Babtain, and including representatives of the Ministries
of Interior and
Social Affairs. The committee was considering opening a GOK
safehaven for
abused domestics, studying the question from all its aspects
-- to protect the
rights of employees and employers alike. Ayham claimed that
for the past year
or so, if any employer refuses to provide an airline ticket
home for a domestic
who has not served out her contract, the Ministry of Interior
pays for the
ticket but blacklists the employer, so that he cannot sponsor
any more
domestics. (Singh also mentioned such a blacklist.)


8. (C) Regarding the issue of camel jockeys, Ayham said the
Ministry of
Interior has told the Camel Racing Club that all jockeys must
be at least 18
years old (vice 15 "permitted by ILO Convention"). He added
that the Club has
been placed under the purview of the Ministry of Social
Affairs. (Note:
PolOff has a meeting scheduled with the Chairman of the
Kuwait Camel Racing
Club on May 13 and will discuss with him these new
regulations.)
JONES