TIP REPORT NARRATIVE AND DEMARCHE DELIVERED

UNCLAS MANAMA 000940 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR INL/G/TIP, DRL/PHD, NEA/ARP, AND NEA/PI CAIRO FOR STEVE BONDY LONDON FOR ETHAN GOLDRICH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM KFRD KMPI KWMN PHUM PREF SMIG BA SUBJECT: TIP REPORT NARRATIVE AND DEMARCHE DELIVERED REF: A. SECSTATE 126730 ¶B. 03 MANAMA 3015 ¶1. POL/ECON Chief delivered ref a country narrative and talking points regarding the 2004 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Assistant Undersecretar Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa on June 15, 2004. Shaikh Abdul Aziz, who chairs the GOB interministerial TIP Committee, expressed satisfaction with Bahrain's Tier Two ranking. P/E Chief remarked that the report emphasized statistics on prosecution, prevention and investigation. Shaikh Abdul Aziz said he would convene GOB's inter-ministerial committee to highlight this characteristic and ensure that statistics are gathered for next year's report. ¶2. Shaikh Abdul Aziz mentioned that on June 14 the Lower Criminal Court heard abused housemaid Anita Verma's case and that her employer admitted that she physically abused Anita. (see ref b) Shaikh Abdul Aziz is hopeful that a conviction is forthcoming. The press reported that the court adjourned until July 4. ¶3. PolOff informed Shaikh Abdul Aziz that Post secured a MEPI-funded small grant to train worker abuse hotline telephone operators at the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA) and volunteers of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights Migrant Workers Group. This training is planned for Fall 2004. Shaikh Abdul Aziz told EmbOffs he was very pleased to see that MOLSA and the Migrant Workers Group will be trained together. WILLIAMSON