CHILD LABOR AND TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) DIGEST-JULY

UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000839 SIPDIS G/TIP - RACHEL OWEN WHA/PPC - MIKE PUCCETTI LABOR FOR ILAB - DONNA CHUNG JUSTICE FOR OPDAT - BOBBY LIPMAN SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB ECON PHUM SOCI KCRM GY SUBJECT: CHILD LABOR AND TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) DIGEST-JULY 2006 The following is a digest of child labor and Trafficking in Persons (TIP) related news events as reported in Guyanese media outlets in July 2006: ¶1. NGO in project to combat child labor in Region Three ¶2. Shadick: TIP Networks to be established countrywide ¶3. Indigenous group calls for intervention by people trafficking unit in Region Seven ¶4. Shadick taps Amerindian Captains, Councillors for TIP training ¶5. Shadick Under Fire for Comments on Alleged Pornography Ring ¶6. Concern about Acting Police Commissioner -------------- -------------- NGO in project to combat child labor in Region Three -------------- -------------- ¶1. (U) Partners of the Americas launched a planning session for child labor eradication in Region Three (Essequibo Island/West Demerara) on July 12. The three-and-a-half year, US$2.4M project, entitled "EDUCARE Guyana", is being funded by the United States Department of Labor and is being executed by Partners of the Americas. Speaking at the formal session, EDUCARE Guyana Project Director Ed Denham urged the Regional Education Department and the schools of Region Three to be involved. Studies have shown that a significant child labor problem exists in Region Three. Denham noted that preliminary figures also show low attendance and high drop-out rates from schools in the region. The study also revealed a high degree of "Worst Forms of Child Labor" in all regions of Guyana. Denham said that the program will encompass raising awareness of child labor, institutional strengthening and policy development, and strengthening of the education systems. The first step in the program's implementation will be the creation of a database of children who have dropped out of primary schools in the last two to three years. Contact will then be made with the parents of these students and the needs of these families will be identified. Following this the project will provide mechanisms to surmount the barriers that keep these children from assessing education. (Source: Stabroek News, July 17, 2006) -------------- TIP Networks to be established countrywide -------------- ¶2. (U) Community-level Trafficking in Persons (TIP) networks will be established countrywide in the Guyana's effort to lift Guyana from a Tier Two country to Tier One and place more emphasis on TIP prevention. According to Minister within the Ministry of Labor, Human Services and Social Security Bibi Shadick, the issue is one that is still being given significant emphasis by the Government and training of persons to establish these networks will commence in early August 2006. Among the areas to benefit from the program, which is partly funded by the U.S. Department of State and the International Organization for Migration (IOM),are the Amerindian communities in Region Five, Six and Eight. Minister Shadick also noted that six members of the Guyana Police Force and two officers of the Anti-TIP unit within the Ministry recently participated in a two-week training workshop in the Bahamas. The workshop focused extensively on the ways to investigate TIP and other measures to be taken in the fight. The minister also noted that the Guyana Police Force has already organized a training program for Police Officers to deal with the crime. Officers of the TIP unit recently met with the Chif Justice Carl Singh requesting that a Magistrate e designated to handle all matters relating to TP and for the matters to be brought before the Gorgetown Court. The decision was taken as a resul of the lengthy time taken for the completion of a earlier case against perpetrators. (Source: Guyna Chronicle, July 18, 2006) -------------- --- Indigenous grou calls for intervention by people trafficking unit in Region Seven -------------- --- ¶3. (U) The Guyana Organizatio of Indigenous People (GOIP) says there is need or intervention with regard to Trafficking in Persons (TIP) among other issues in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). The Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford said there is need for more intervention from the Trafficking in Persons unit at the Ministry of Labor, Human Services and Social Security as some girls who were recently sold for prostitution purposes at Itaballi were later diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases. The Regional Chairman said more indigenous citizens need to address this issue and pursue the establishment of an institution for women as they recover from their ordeal. It is noted that indigenous persons are part of the problem and changes in their attitudes are needed if their vulnerability to this type of exploitation is to stop. This group needs to actively force themselves out of the cycle of poverty and dependency and inform themselves about conditions laid out in the Revised Amerindian Act. (Source: Source: Stabroek News, July 25, 2006) -------------- -------------- Shadick taps Amerindian Captains, Councillors for TIP training -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) Minister within the Ministry of Labor, Human Services and Social Security, Bibi Shadick announced July 25 that Captains and Councillors of Amerindian Villages countrywide are next in line to be trained in the fight against TIP. The Minister noted that the training of volunteer social workers (VSWs) in communities across the country has proven very fruitful. Shadick said that more than 400 people have been coursed on how to identify and seek ways of preventing the crime at the community level. The TIP unit in the Ministry of Labor, Human Services and Social Security continues to receive reports daily from members of the public and VSWs throughout the country about cases that need to be investigated. However, Guyana remains a signatory to the United Nations Convention against Nationally Organized Crimes and the Supplemental Protocol to prevent, suppress and to punish those guilty of TIP. (Source: Guyana Chronicle Guyana Chronicle, July 26, 2006) -------------- -------------- Shadick Under Fire for Comments on Alleged Pornography Ring -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) GOG point person on Trafficking in Persons issues, Bibi Shadick, has come under fire for comments related to an alleged rape/pornography ring that made headelines in mid-July. The independent, tabloid-style Kaieteur News reported victims' accounts of being drugged and forced to engage in sexual activity by sons of prominent Georgetown families, who then distributed photographs of the incident on the internet and on a Video-CD "Guyana Girls Gone Wild". One of the men in the video is Shadick's nephew. Widespread outrage prompted the Guyanese police force to arrest employees at video stores peddling pornographic videos made in Guyana, but the investigation did not extend to store owners or the producers and distributors of the video. When asked to comment on the incident, Shadick reportedly said on the basis of two still photographs that the victims appeared to be "willing participants" and that the photographs in question appeared to depict consensual sexual activity. The comments prompted several letters of condemnation in local media outlets. Meanwhile, Shadick confided to EmbOff in late August that, while her West Bank Demerara/Essequibo Islands constituency is virtually guaranteed to vote her back into Parliament in the August 28 election, she is not certain if she will retain her current position in the Ministry of Labor, Human Services and Social Security. -------------- Concern about Acting Police Commissioner -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Crime Chief Henry Greene was elevated to Acting Police Commissioner following the retirement of Police Commissioner Winston Felix on July 24. The appointment marks a setback for victim sensitization efforts. Of particular relevance to the TIP community: Police sources report Greene has sexually assaulted several police women during his tenure as a senior officer, and he has used his rank to prevent victims from pursuing charges. Post is concerned about Greene's disposition toward the Guyana Police Force's anti-TIP and victim protection/advocacy efforts should he ultimately be confirmed as Police Commissioner. ¶7. Post point of contact on Trafficking in Persons matters is Edward Luchessi, Economic/Commercial Officer, tel: 011-592-226-4309, e-mail: LuchessiEP@state.gov. THOMAS