Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KUALALUMPUR1731
2007-12-20 23:55:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Cable title:  

CATHOLIC CHURCH ANTI-TIP EFFORTS IN MALAYSIA

Tags:  PHUM PREL PGOV KWMN SMIG MY 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO7172
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHKL #1731/01 3542355
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 202355Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0401
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 0393
RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 001731 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP AND G/TIP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV KWMN SMIG MY
SUBJECT: CATHOLIC CHURCH ANTI-TIP EFFORTS IN MALAYSIA

REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 1640 - TRAFFICKING ON LABUAN


B. KUALA LUMPUR 1557 - POLICE DISCUSS TIP

KUALA LUMP 00001731 001.2 OF 002


Summary
-------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 001731

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP AND G/TIP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV KWMN SMIG MY
SUBJECT: CATHOLIC CHURCH ANTI-TIP EFFORTS IN MALAYSIA

REF: A. KUALA LUMPUR 1640 - TRAFFICKING ON LABUAN


B. KUALA LUMPUR 1557 - POLICE DISCUSS TIP

KUALA LUMP 00001731 001.2 OF 002


Summary
--------------


1. (SBU) The Catholic Church in Malaysia is taking a more
active role in providing shelter to suspected trafficking
victims and raising public awareness. The Church is raising
public awareness via Sunday homilies and public outreach, and
provides temporary shelter to women reportedly forced into
prostitution in East Malaysia. Beyond trafficking, the
Church has assisted migrant workers, including a group of 300
Bangladeshi migrant workers stranded in Malaysia. In Sabah,
the Church, in cooperation with the International Catholic
Migration Commission (ICMC),developed an anti-trafficking
program with the objective to build trust and cooperation
between state and local leaders in Sabah and Indonesia's East
Kalimantan province. Post strongly supports Department
funding for the ICMC project. End Summary.

Church Takes More Active Role
--------------


2. (SBU) The Catholic Church in Malaysia is taking a more
active role is assisting victims of trafficking and
increasing public awareness. Beginning in September, parish
priests began focusing Sunday homilies on the plight of
refugees, migrant workers, and victims of trafficking.
Articles in Catholic newspapers, such as the weekly Herald,
also regularly include articles highlighting human rights and
trafficking issues. The Church also is actively working with
local NGOs and diplomatic missions to assist in the
sheltering of victims while they await repatriation.

Archdiocese in Sarawak Concerned About Labor Trafficking
-------------- --------------


3. (SBU) Poloff met in October with Bishop John Ha, whose
diocese covers the southern third of Sarawak. Father Simon,
who oversees the diocese human rights outreach program, also
participated in the meeting. Sarawak is a Malaysian state
located on Borneo and suspected traffickers reportedly use
border crossings there to transit persons from Indonesia.
Bishop John, while admitting not to be an expert, said he

suspects local "gangsters" working in loose business
partnerships with organized syndicates within source
countries, such as Indonesia and China, are the primary
traffickers. He voiced his concern that some unscrupulous
employment agents operated freely at land border crossings
and used deception to recruit people (ref B). Bishop John
believes that trafficking for the sex trade in Sarawak is
limited due to the state's low population (2,357,000 as of
December 2006) spread throughout 77,330 square miles, or
roughly 30 persons per square mile. He surmised that some
women transiting through Sarawak to West Malaysia and beyond
maybe trafficked into prostitution. Bishop John thought that
trafficking to meet labor demands of logging camps and
plantations might be a greater problem in Sarawak, as
workers sometimes become bonded laborers and lose their
freedom to change or leave jobs.


4. (SBU) Fr. Simon stated that the diocese assists suspected
trafficking victims on an ad hoc basis. When women are
brought to the Church's attention, a convent run by Sisters
of the Good Shepherd houses them until they are ready for
repatriation. Five Filipinas, repatriated in September,
represented the most recent cases of suspected TIP victims
safe-housed at the convent. The Bishop is not concerned
about retaliation from "gangsters" because the number of
suspected TIP-victims safe-housed remains comparatively small
and does not substantially economically affect illicit
syndicates.

Sabah Archdiocese Proactively Fighting Trafficking
-------------- --------------


5. (SBU) Poloff met with Dominic Lim, Director of the Human
Development Committee for the Diocese of Kota Kinabalu, in
Sabah, Malaysia. The diocese is working with the
International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) to develop
bilateral cooperation between local Malaysian and Indonesian
authorities. The Archbishop and diocese leadership are
actively seeking new methods to curb trafficking activities
in Sabah. They want to engage state and local leaders in
Sabah and Indonesia's neighboring East Kalimantan province
with the objective to increase cooperation. The Diocese
believes that interstate cooperation is the most effective

KUALA LUMP 00001731 002.2 OF 002


method available to reduce trafficking.


6. (SBU) Mr. Lim stated that some migrant workers brought
into Sabah from East Kalimantan as cheap labor for
plantations and lumber camps fall victim to trafficking. Mr.
Lim noted traffickers are suspected of transporting Filipina
women into Sabah and onward to Labuan, West Malaysia, and
other regional destinations for prostitution (ref A). As in
Sarawak, the diocese uses a convent run by the Sisters of the
Good Shepherd's as a safehouse for suspected TIP victims.
Mr. Lim believes that as cooperation and trust are
established between the police and other agencies responsible
for implementing the new anti-TIP law, the shelter can assist
police by offering a secure place for victims willing to
testify in court. He said most victims are afraid to testify
because of possible retaliation from the criminal the
syndicates. (Note: Sabah's police commissioner lamented to
Poloff, during a subsequent meeting, about witnesses refusing
to testify. He stated this often resulted in police lacking
sufficient evidence to charge suspected "gangsters." End
Note.)


7. (SBU) For the last three years, the diocese has worked to
increase public awareness on the dangers of trafficking. Mr.
Lim explained there are instances when local women,
especially from rural areas, are "tricked" into leaving Sabah
for jobs offered in West Malaysia and Singapore; instead, the
women are forced into prostitution. The diocese is concerned
that some repatriated victims become social pariahs because
of prostitution's stigma. Rejected by their community as
"damaged goods", some return to "immoral activities." The
diocese hopes to get people talking about trafficking rather
than avoiding the topic.

Church Shelters Bangladeshi Workers
--------------


8. (U) Beyond trafficking, the Catholic Church also has
assisted migrant workers in need. Earlier this year, a group
of 300 Bangladeshi workers became stranded in Malaysia when
the jobs they expected to find failed to materialize. The
group paid employment agents in Bangladesh an average of
$3,430 (12,000 Ringgit) to secure well-paying jobs in
Malaysia, but arrived and found they had been duped. After
six months of trying to work and survive, the group went to
the Bangladeshi High Commission seeking help. Officials
there told them they lacked the resources to cope with their
problem. Tenaganita, a local NGO that assists migrant
workers and suspected TIP victims, called Father Leonard
John, parish priest for the Church of St. Jude after they
became aware of the workers' plight. Together with the
Parish Integral Human Development committee (PIHD),he
quickly coordinated temporary shelter for 82 workers, all
Muslims, on St. Jude's property while Tenaganita arranged for
housing that is more permanent while awaiting repatriation.


9. (SBU) Tenaganita reportedly pressured the Government of
Bangladesh to intervene on behalf of the stranded workers.
Because of Tenaganita's intervention, the GOB is ensuring
that employment agents reimburse each worker the money they
initially paid to secure the nonexistence jobs. In the wake
of this high profile case, the Bangladeshi High Commission
announced in December that it raised about $95,000 (300,000
Ringgit) to build and operate a shelter for migrant workers.

Comment
--------------


10. (SBU) The Catholic Church is concerned about trafficking
issues in Malaysia and is beginning to take a more active and
overt role in confronting the problem. The Church,
influential in Sabah and Sarawak with their majority
Christian populations, is well placed to influence civil
society in East Malaysia and build bridges on the state and
local level. Post strongly supports the ICMC proposal for
activities in Sabah and East Kalimantan and appreciates
Washington's efforts to fund this promising initiative.
KEITH