TAIWAN REACTION TO TIP DOWNGRADE: SUBDUED IN

UNCLAS TAIPEI 002486

SIPDIS

STATE PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CM PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG TW TIP
SUBJECT: TAIWAN REACTION TO TIP DOWNGRADE: SUBDUED IN
PUBLIC, DISAPPOINTED IN PRIVATE

REF: STATE 98061


1. (SBU) Public reaction to Taiwan's downgrade from "Tier 1"
to "Tier 2" in the 2005 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report
has been surprisingly subdued. Press coverage, in fact, was
so light that AIT did not proceed with inviting the Taiwan
media to a coffee with the Deputy Director on June 6. On
June 5, five Taiwan newspapers covered the Department's June
3 TIP report release. These articles were all "straight"
news reports without any commentary. Only two of the
articles mentioned Taiwan government reaction. Privately,
Taiwan officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)
and the Ministry of Interior (MOI) told AIT they did not
understand why Taiwan had been downgraded when Taipei had
done all that the USG had requested.


2. (SBU) Chinese language newspapers "China Times," "Liberty
Times," and "Apple Daily" all reported that Taiwan had been
downgraded because of insufficient protection for trafficking
victims, particularly for women and girls from the PRC. The
"China Times" article quoted Justice Minister Shih Mao-ling
as saying the PRC and Taiwan should put aside political
differences and work together to combat human trafficking
between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. The "Liberty
Times" article quoted a statement by Taiwan's Mainland
Affairs Council (MAC) that Taiwan regards human trafficking
as a very important issue and will continue to take
appropriate action to repatriate Chinese trafficking victims.
English language dailies "China Post" and "Taiwan News" did
not publish their own articles, but rather used international
wire services to report on the TIP report.


3. (SBU) AIT delivered the news of Taiwan's official
downgrade from Tier 1 to Tier 2 to MOFA and MOI on June 3,
about eight hours before the Secretary's scheduled
announcement in Washington. When AIT arrived, MOI Vice
Minister Chien Tai-lang said "I hope you are bringing good
news." Both Chien and MOFA North American Affairs Director
Victor Chin said they could not understand Taiwan's
downgrade, particularly since Taiwan authorities had been so
cooperative and done all that the USG had asked on TIP. AIT
used the talking-points from Washington (reftel) to explain
the issue of "inadequate protection," the primary reason for
the downgrade. AIT explained that the UN Protocol stipulates
that protection of trafficking victims who cooperate with
prosecutors means making residence permits available as an
alternative to sending victims back to countries where they
face retribution. Chien and Chin expressed doubt that Taiwan
could implement this policy, noting that if PRC citizens
learned that Taiwan grants TIP victims residence permits, the
flood gates of illegal immigration would open.

PAAL