TIP: CHARGE PUSHES MFA ON CHILD CAMEL JOCKEYS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 004622 SIPDIS STATE FOR G/TIP, INL, DRL, NEA/RA, AND NEA/ARPI PASS TO USTR DOUG BELL E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/2009 TAGS: PHUM PREL TC SUBJECT: TIP: CHARGE PUSHES MFA ON CHILD CAMEL JOCKEYS REF: ABU DHABI 4418 (U) Classified by Richard A. Albright, Charge d,Affaires, a.i., reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On December 18, Charge raised trafficking of underage child jockeys to the UAE with MFA Under Secretary Abdullah Rashid Al Noaimi. Charge briefly reviewed G/TIP Reports Officer Feleke Assefa,s December 10-13 visit to the UAE, including Assefa,s favorable assessment of the UAEG,s new rehabilitation center for rescued camel jockeys, and his concern about camel farms that continue to employ boys illegally. Al Noaimi asserted that Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed and Minister of Interior Sheikh Saif bin Zayed were both personally involved in this. He said that &Abu Dhabi8 was in constant discussion with Dubai authorities to solve the problem. He added that a new anti-trafficking law to be adopted in 2005 would give police, prosecutors, and other law enforcement officials more authority to act against those responsible for child trafficking and the camel farms that employ and abuse the children. He stressed, however, that the lack of a law would not prevent the UAEG from acting. ¶2. (C) Charge praised the UAEG,s commitment to address the problems, but urged the UAEG to act quickly to stop the practice and to document and publicize its efforts. ¶3. (U) A more detailed account of Assefa,s visit will follow septel. ALBRIGHT