GOB TALKS THE TALK ON GETTING TOUGH WITH HUMAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 001132

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, G/TIP; PACOM FOR FPA; USDOL FOR ILAB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/24/2014
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ELAB SMIG BM
SUBJECT: GOB TALKS THE TALK ON GETTING TOUGH WITH HUMAN
TRAFFICKERS

REF: A. RANGOON 882


B. RANGOON 310

C. PHNOM PENH 1288

Classified By: DCM Ron McMullen for Reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) Summary: According to senior GOB police officials,
Burma has undertaken a plethora of activities in recent
months to combat trafficking of persons. We see ample
evidence that the GOB continues to demonstrate a growing
political will to combat trafficking and to improve
cooperation with UN agencies and NGOs, especially with regard
to the trafficking of women and children. However, paltry
resources, under trained staff, an inability or unwillingness
to target corrupt and complicit officials, and indifference
over the gravity of forced labor practices will continue to
stymie overall progress on TIP issues. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Rangoon P/E Chief met in late August with Police
Brigadier General Wynn Myiang, Burma's third-highest ranking
police official and the country's lead authority on TIP
issues, and Police Lt. Colonel Rallyan Mone, head of a new
Anti-Trafficking Unit, to discuss ongoing efforts to combat
trafficking in persons. Our discussion followed a July 9
meeting between the COM and the Minister of Home Affairs,
during which we pressed for a more regular dialogue on TIP
issues (ref A). According to General Wynn Myiang, there have
been a number of recent TIP developments:

--On October 27-29 Burma will host the Coordinated Mekong
Sub-regional Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking
(COMMIT),where the six countries of the region plan to
finalize a multilateral MOU on trafficking (refs B and C).
The UN Interagency Project on Trafficking in Women and
Children (UNIAP) will join the GOB in co-sponsoring this
regional TIP forum.

--Burma will host a TIP workshop September 6-7 co-sponsored
by the Asia Regional Cooperation to Prevent People
Trafficking (ARCPPT) and UNIAP. According to the UNODC
resrep in Rangoon, the UNODC's Chief of Human Trafficking,
Burkkard Damman, will attend "to help move Burma's draft law
on trafficking closer to promulgation." (Note: The Minister
of Home Affairs says that PM Khin Nyunt has endorsed the law,
but the GOB is going slowly in order to avoid problems that
occurred with "hastily" issued money laundering legislation
last year - ref B. End note).

-On March 30, Burma acceded to two protocols of the 2000 UN
Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNCTOC):
one protocol to prevent, suppress, and punish trafficking in
persons, especially women and children; and a second protocol
against the smuggling of migrants by land, sea, and air (a
third protocol on arms is still "under review").

--The police force's new Anti-Trafficking Unit, set up in
April 2004, has now established field offices in the border
towns of Myawaddy, Tachilek, Muse, Lweje, and Kawthaung to
"prevent and intercept trafficking" to Thailand and China.
ARCPPT will complete training of 40 police officers for the
unit by December 2004 for deployment in early 2005.


3. (U) GOB officials estimate that they intercept
approximately 1,000 trafficking victims per year. "However,"
added Rallyan Mone, "we believe there are an additional 2,000
undetected victims per year." Since establishing a
"Preventative Working Committee for TIP" in July 2002,
authorities have arrested 795 offenders (resulting in 335
convictions) and intercepted 2,181 victims (about half of
whom were women). In 2003, the only year for which there is
full-year data, there were 377 arrests, 184 convictions
(including two cases that resulted in life imprisonment),and
932 victims identified. Through July 2004, police have
arrested 255 offenders and intercepted 706 victims. GOB
investigations, however, have not revealed the complicity of
GOB officials or military personnel. "We are unable," General
Wynn Miang said, "to identify any regional officials who may
turn a blind eye to trafficking activities."

4. (SBU) The GOB continues to cooperate with international
organizations and NGOs to repatriate trafficking victims
(principally women engaged in prostitution in Thailand).
Over the past three years, these operations have included
efforts led by Save the Children-UK (145 victims
repatriated),World Vision (115 victims),and UNIAP (26
victims). In July, the Home Affairs Ministry processed 20
women repatriated from Thailand, about half of whom appear to
have been victims of the Burma-Thailand sex trade (Note: The
GOB exploits many of these exercises by parading victims
before the local press for photo-ops of GOB officials
lecturing the young women and providing them with token
resettlement packages. End note.)

5. (C) Comment: Our meetings with GOB officials over the
past two months lead us to conclude that our assessment in
the latest annual TIP report remains valid (ref B): the GOB
continues to demonstrate a growing political will to combat
trafficking and improve cooperation with UN agencies and
NGOs, especially with regard to the trafficking of women and
children. However, paltry resources, under trained staff, an
inability or unwillingness to target corrupt and complicit
officials, and indifference over the gravity of forced labor
practices will continue to stymie overall progress on TIP
issues. End Comment.
Martinez