SINGAPORE PREMIERE OF TRAFFIC: AN MTV EXIT SPECIAL

UNCLAS SINGAPORE 002161 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KWMN PHUM SOCI ELAB SN SUBJECT: SINGAPORE PREMIERE OF TRAFFIC: AN MTV EXIT SPECIAL ¶1. (U) MTV-Asia hosted the Singapore premiere of "Traffic: An MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking) Special," a joint project of the U.S. Agency for International Development, MTV Networks and the MTV Europe Foundation. "Traffic" is a documentary about human trafficking, hosted by UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Lucy Liu. The documentary includes a look at Singapore's Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME),a shelter for mistreated and abused foreign workers in Singapore. "MTV networks offer a unique opportunity to reach hundreds of millions of people in a region that accounts for many of the world's trafficking victims," Oliver Carduner, Regional Mission Director for USAID in Asia told the premiere audience on November 20. DCM, Public Affairs Counselor and Poloff participated in the event. The documentary was broadcast on MTV Asia every day through the last week of November, and MTV EXIT has established a website for easy information access. MTV Asia DJ Denise Keller noted, "Raising awareness of the issue is the first step in ending this trade in human beings." ¶2. (U) Simon Goff, MTV EXIT Campaign Director explained to the audience and press how MTV became involved in the fight against exploitation and trafficking. "Many of the victims fall within MTV's 15-29 age demographic, which makes the MTV EXIT campaign critically important to MTV's audience," he said. ¶3. (U) Bridget Lew, founder and president of HOME, spoke about her experiences in combating trafficking in the region. She shared with the audience her belief that we can each be part of the solution and encouraged viewers of the program to speak up when they see domestic workers mistreated and to call an anti-trafficking organization to make them aware of problems. While noting that HOME receives no GOS funding, Lew said that HOME works closely with the GOS to repatriate foreign workers who seek shelter with HOME and to pursue prosecution of abusive employers. ¶4. (U) Saleemah Ismail, President of the National Committee for UNIFEM, Singapore, reiterated Lew's call for action. Over the past couple of years, Ismail has advocated for the Government of Singapore to pass legislation to criminalize child sex tourism, which was included this year in a a comprehensive revision of the Penal Code. Ismail told the audience, "We were told it would take five years to enact such a law; but look at what we were able to accomplish because we didn't know it was impossible." Ismail also urged that citizens of ASEAN countries use the inclusion of human rights in the ASEAN Charter as a way to hold ASEAN governments accountable for their human rights records. Visit Embassy Singapore's Classified website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/singapore/ind ex.cfm HERBOLD