SINGAPORE: TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 SINGAPORE 000401

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE PASS AID, STATE FOR G/TIP, G, INL, DRL, PRM, AND
EAP/RSP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN SMIG KRFD ASEC PREF ELAB SN
SUBJECT: SINGAPORE: TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (TIP) REPORT
SUBMISSION (PART 1 OF 3)

REF: STATE 202745


1. (U) This is the first of three messages relaying Embassy
Singapore's 2007 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report
submission. The Embassy point of contact is:

Christopher Kavanagh
Phone: (65) 6476-9182
Fax: (65) 6476-9389
Email: kavanaghcr@state.gov


2. (U) Per the request in para 26 of Reftel, to date the
Embassy has spent the following time on the TIP report: COM:
3 hours; FE-MC: 5 hours; FS-2: 10 hours; FS-2: 160 hours.


3. (U) Begin text of submission:


I. OVERVIEW

-- A. Is the country a country of origin, transit, or
destination for internationally trafficked men, women, or
children? Provide, where possible, numbers or estimates for
each group; how they were trafficked, to where, and for what
purpose. Does the trafficking occur within the country's
borders? Does it occur in territory outside of the
government's control (e.g. in a civil war situation)? Are
any estimates or reliable numbers available as to the extent
or magnitude of the problem? What is (are) the source(s) of
available information on trafficking in persons or what plans
are in place (if any) to undertake documentation of
trafficking? How reliable are the numbers and these sources?
Are certain groups of persons more at risk of being
trafficked (e.g. women and children, boys versus girls,
certain ethnic groups, refugees, etc.)?

Singapore is a destination country for a limited number of
women and girls trafficked for the purpose of prostitution
and, in rare instances, foreign domestic workers who
voluntarily come to Singapore to work but are subsequently
subjected to conditions that may rise to the level of
trafficking. Singapore is not a country of origin for
trafficked persons, either for sex or labor. There is no
internal trafficking in persons. Post is not aware of any
cases of trafficking victims transiting through Singapore.
Singapore authorities do not consistently screen the several
million transit passengers who pass through the transit
lounge at Changi Airport each year. U.S. Immigrations and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials at post do not believe
Singapore is a major hub for people smuggling, a circumstance
that further reduces the likelihood that there are a large
number of undetected trafficking victims in transit.

There are no numerical estimates of the magnitude of
trafficking in Singapore. The number of cases that the
Embassy has identified through discussions with the
government, NGOs, and foreign Embassy consular contacts is
under 100; however, given that Singapore has a sizable sex
industry (prostitution per se is not illegal),it is possible
that the total number of victims exceeds 100. Estimates of
the numbers of women who may have been trafficked are based
primarily on police interviews with women involved in the sex
trade and anecdotal evidence of local NGOs. While these
organizations are reliable, they rely heavily on voluntary
disclosure by victims, and may therefore underestimate the
number of persons trafficked. Most NGOs, government
contacts, source country consular officials, and U.S. law
enforcement officials working in Singapore agree that the
overall number of trafficking victims is probably small.

-- B. Please provide a general overview of the trafficking
situation in the country and any changes since the last TIP
Report (e.g. changes in direction). Also briefly explain the
political will to address trafficking in persons. Other items
to address may include: What kind of conditions are the
victims trafficked into? Which populations are targeted by
the traffickers? Who are the traffickers? What methods are
used to approach victims? (Are they offered lucrative jobs,
sold by their families, approached by friends of friends,
etc.?) What methods are used to move the victims (e.g., are
false documents being used?).

Local NGOs say that the number of trafficking victims in 2006
may have declined compared to 2005, due to a decrease in the
number of foreign prostitutes in Singapore. The local NGOs

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say the immigration authorities are allowing fewer foreign
prostitutes to enter the country, particularly from China,
and have enhanced anti-vice enforcement in non-traditional
"red light" areas. In June, the police announced tougher
regulations for massage parlors, requiring them to, inter
alia, register with the police, conduct their business in
full view of the public, and cease having their employees
solicit business. The new measures came after public
complaints about massage parlors' opening in public housing
estates, outside of traditional "red light" areas. At the
same time, however, the GOS reported that 60 females under
the age of 18 were arrested for prostitution, up from 48 in

2005. (Note: Post has requested more detailed data from the
Ministry of Home Affairs on arrests for prostitution. End
Note.)

Nearly all of the known or suspected trafficking cases in
2006 involved sex trafficking, in part because of vigorous
government efforts to better protect domestic workers. None
of the sex trafficking victims appears to have been confined
by the traffickers or subjected to physical violence.
Consular officials from Embassies of source countries report
that the cases they encounter usually involve women who come
to Singapore voluntarily to work in the sex trade or
elsewhere who then face some sort of coercion, usually
psychological, not physical, by agents or pimps. Typical
stories involve women who were told they could find jobs here
in a restaurant or bar, but arrived to find that legitimate
work was not available or paid very poorly. Now alone in
Singapore, and often having borrowed money for their travel
expenses, they do not want to or cannot go home empty handed,
and enter the sex trade either of their own volition or at
the urging of a recruiter. Consular officers and NGOs report
that few such women are physically threatened or abused. For
the few maids who face severe abuse that may rise to the
level of trafficking, all come to Singapore willingly to work
but are ultimately exploited by their employers -- through
nonpayment of wages, illegal confinement, and physical or
psychological abuse.

The Government of Singapore is committed to combating
trafficking in persons, as it is committed to stamping out
all kinds of organized crime and corruption. Singapore
leaders place great stress on achieving a very low crime rate
and maintaining extremely tight immigration controls.
Singapore has strengthened its already tough immigration
controls since 2001. While it adopted these controls
primarily for security reasons and to prevent a large influx
of undocumented workers, the controls also effectively serve
to prevent large-scale trafficking in persons into Singapore.
Singapore also has allowed employers to legally bring in
large numbers of domestic and unskilled workers, and at
relatively low wages (Singapore does not impose a minimum
wage); with ready access to inexpensive foreign labor through
legal channels, few employers wish to risk draconian
penalties by hiring illegal employees or exploiting
trafficking victims.

At the 2007 ASEAN Summit in Cebu, which Prime Minister Lee
Hsien Loong attended, Singapore endorsed the ASEAN
Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of
Migrant Workers. Under the Declaration, receiving states are
obligated to intensify efforts to protect the fundamental
human rights, promote the welfare and uphold the dignity of
migrant workers; promote fair and appropriate employment
protection, payment of wages, and adequate access to decent
working and living conditions for migrant workers; and
provide migrant workers who may be victims of discrimination,
abuse, exploitation, or violence with adequate access to the
legal and judicial system.

Local NGOs report that the Police, Ministry of Community
Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS),and Ministry of
Manpower (MOM) have continued to increase their efforts to
work in concert with them and other civic groups to promote
public education about trafficking (through school programs
and publicity campaigns, for example) and to improve
enforcement efforts. One NGO reported that the MCYS Minister
encouraged them to submit a proposal for a shelter and the
GOS would provide the facility. NGO contacts and consular
officials here say the authorities fully investigate any
allegations of trafficking and are anxious to prosecute
traffickers. In fact, a common complaint is that
investigations are so thorough that they often take months,

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requiring witnesses and victims to remain in Singapore. The
consensus among Embassy contacts in civil society and
diplomatic circles is that Singapore is willing to devote
whatever resources are necessary to combating these crimes.

-- C. What are the limitations on the government's ability
to address this problem in practice? For example, is funding
for police or other institutions inadequate? Is overall
corruption a problem? Does the government lack the resources
to aid victims?

The government has both the will and the resources to combat
trafficking in persons; the largest limitations on its
ability to address the problem are the generally
uncooperative nature of the victims and the difficulty of
obtaining evidence. Overall, the Police, NGOs, and
source-country embassies tell us that the women involved in
prostitution do not often allege force or coercion. The vast
majority of the women do not face any criminal or immigration
charges and generally choose to tell the Police they were
acting of their own free will in order to be allowed to
return home immediately rather than remain in Singapore for
months. When women do allege trafficking, they are often not
able to provide many details about their traffickers, and the
police and NGOs tell us that their stories are often
difficult to verify, particularly when contradicted by their
coworkers. Also, the trafficking rings themselves do not
appear to be physically present in Singapore, but operate out
of source countries with (at most) a few low-level agents or
pimps present in Singapore. As a result, the actual
traffickers are generally beyond the reach of the Singapore
Police. Some embassies remove victims from Singapore to
pursue an investigation in the source country rather than
press charges in Singapore.

-- D. To what extent does the government systematically
monitor its anti-trafficking efforts (on all fronts --
prosecution, prevention and victim protection) and
periodically make available, publicly or privately and
directly or through regional/international organizations, its
assessments of these anti-trafficking efforts?

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) keeps extensive records on
persons passing through border checkpoints, as well as
records on all detentions, arrests, investigations,
prosecutions and convictions, and publishes an annual report
on crime in the first quarter of each year. More detailed
information on crime statistics is available upon request;
local NGOs tell us that MHA has been forthcoming in response
to their requests for such information. The Ministry of
Manpower (MOM) keeps records on all allegations of maid abuse
and the outcomes of their investigations, as well as other
violations of the regulations governing employment of foreign
workers. MOM makes information on abuse allegations and
prosecutions as well as violations by employment agencies
available on its website. The Ministry of Community
Development, Youth and Sports keeps records on all cases
where it has provided access to shelter or medical or
psychological care.

II. PREVENTION

-- A. Does the government acknowledge that trafficking is a
problem in the country? If not, why not?

The government of Singapore acknowledges that a small number
of the foreign prostitutes in Singapore have probably been
forced or coerced into the sex trade. The government also
acknowledges that it continues to have a maid-abuse problem.
Although it prosecutes all cases of abuse, it does not
classify severe cases of abuse as trafficking. The GOS's
assessment -- shared by this Embassy -- is that trafficking
in persons is not widespread. Authorities remain vigilant
and continue to take actions that directly or indirectly
reduce the likelihood of trafficking. The government also
does not describe as "trafficking" some cases that we would
so classify: these cases include 16- and 17-year olds
wittingly and willingly engaged in prostitution, and "work
disputes" involving women who entered Singapore for the
purpose of prostitution. Despite these definitional
differences, the government prosecutes the vice operators
involved in these cases when it has prosecution witnesses.
As part of a comprehensive revision of the Penal Code, the
government will raise the age of consent for commercial sex

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to 18. The government has indicated that the revisions will
be submitted to Parliament in the first half of 2007.

-- B. Which government agencies are involved in anti-
trafficking efforts and which agency, if any, has the lead?

Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority controls
the borders and looks for illegal immigrants, including
trafficking victims, and for persons who employ or harbor
illegal immigrants.

The police monitor the sex industry, including through the
use of informants, street patrols (uniformed and undercover),
and electronic surveillance. They interview women detained
for public solicitation and pimps (both public solicitation
and pimping are illegal) and look for coercion. Police also
investigate allegations or suspicions of maid abuse. Until
shortly before trial, the police are responsible for law
enforcement-related interaction with witnesses in criminal
cases, including trafficking-related ones.

The Attorney General's Chambers prosecutes both trafficking
and domestic abuse cases.

The Ministry of Manpower investigates complaints by foreign
workers about pay or working conditions, attempts to resolve
problems through mediation or enforcement action, works with
employment agencies to improve business practices and
encourage the industry to police itself, and carries out
education efforts among both employers and employees.

The Ministry of Community Development, Youth, and Sports
assists victims with counseling and obtaining temporary
shelter, if required, and is involved in public education
campaigns to raise awareness of trafficking crimes such as
child prostitution.

-- C. Are there, or have there been, government-run
anti-trafficking information or education campaigns? If so,
briefly describe the campaign(s),including their objectives
and effectiveness. Do these campaigns target potential
trafficking victims and/or the demand for trafficking (e.g.
"clients" of prostitutes or beneficiaries of forced labor)?

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has continued and expanded its
information campaign that aims to raise awareness among
foreign workers, including maids, of their rights and the
resources available to them. Since February 2006, it has
printed information on employees' rights and police hotline
numbers for maids on prepaid phone cards (popular with
foreign workers). In October 2006, MOM started a newsletter
that is mailed directly to foreign domestic workers. The
newsletter includes information on their rights and
responsibilities, as well as on the importance of workplace
safety. In December 2006, MOM mailed an information booklet
to employers of foreign domestic workers which explained
their rights and responsibilities and noted the criminal
penalties that can and have been imposed in cases of abuse.
In addition, the government highlights Singapore's tough laws
against abuse of domestics or harboring illegal immigrants.
Government-linked media run regular features on domestic
worker abuse and exploitation and widely publicize
convictions. Prominent examples include an employer who was
sentenced in October 2006 to nine months in jail for scalding
and hitting her maid and another employer who was sentenced
in February 2007 to one year and nine months in jail for
physically abusing her maid. Public shaming is considered a
significant part of the justice system's punishment and
deterrence efforts; NGO contacts say that press coverage
given to abuse cases and other foreign worker issues,
combined with Singapore's regulations and efforts to
publicize those regulations, has had a positive impact on the
welfare of the foreign workers here.

-- D. Does the government support other programs to prevent
trafficking? (e.g., to promote women's participation in
economic decision-making or efforts to keep children in
school.) Please explain.

This question seems addressed to countries that are origin
countries for trafficking victims; Singapore is not a victim
origin country. Singapore has a first-world economy and has
legally protected women's equal rights to education,
employment and independence since 1961. Education is

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compulsory.

-- E. What is the relationship between government officials,
NGOs, other relevant organizations and other elements of
civil society on the trafficking issue?

Civil society organizations involved in combating trafficking
in persons indicate that they continue to enjoy excellent
access and working relations with government agencies, most
notably the Police, Ministry of Manpower (MOM),and the
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).
This includes access at senior levels, up to and including
ministers. As noted above, the MCYS Minister encouraged one
organization to submit a proposal to establish a shelter and
agreed that the government would provide the facility. At
the working level, one NGO leader indicated that the police
were open and responsive to feedback on trafficking cases and
that officers in the Criminal Investigation Department and
its Anti-Vice Branch were readily accessible via mobile
phone. Several NGO leaders commented favorably on the
willingness of the police to investigate allegations of
physical abuse of foreign domestic workers and noted that the
police treat the workers with an increased level of
sensitivity and sympathy.

NGOs that work with sex-trafficking victims say that the
police have also consulted with them on several issues,
including ways to improve police interviewing techniques and
interaction with women who may have been victimized, and have
used NGOs information on how pimps and prostitutes operate to
successfully crack down on the vice trade. The police have
also given the NGOs advice on Singapore laws and tips on the
types of information and evidence that are most helpful in
police investigations so that the NGO workers can ask the
right questions when they encounter potential victims. NGOs
working with domestic workers say that MOM consults them on
policy changes and takes suggestions seriously, and has
implemented those it found to be workable. The government
also has excellent relations with the embassies of the
various source countries. Multiple foreign embassy officials
said that the Singapore authorities actively investigate
allegations they bring to the government's attention, whether
of sex-trafficking, maid abuse or work permit violations.

-- F. Does the government monitor immigration and emigration
patterns for evidence of trafficking? Do law enforcement
agencies screen for potential trafficking victims along
borders?

Singapore closely monitors its borders for any suspicious
behavior or evidence of criminal activities. Singapore has
one of the world's toughest immigration regimes, and the
Government further stepped up controls after September 11,

2001. These measures act as substantial barriers to illegal
immigration and to trafficking in persons as a subset of this
problem. Singapore maintains a record of all travelers who
enter and exit Singapore, including information on persons
they were traveling with and the vehicles they were in. It
checks all travelers' information against government-wide
lists of prohibited travelers, suspicious persons, and
immigration offenders before clearing them. NGOs and
source-country consular officials say the Singapore
government is attentive to all indications of trafficking and
thoroughly investigates when there is evidence of such
crimes.

In November 2006, the MOM launched a program of randomly
interviewing foreign domestic workers working in Singapore
for the first time. The interviews enable MOM to determine
how well they have adjusted to their working conditions and
to reinforce workers, knowledge of their rights,
responsibilities, and work place safety.

-- G. Is there a mechanism for coordination and communication
between various agencies, internal, international, and
multilateral on trafficking-related matters, such as a
multi-agency working group or a task force? Does the
government have a trafficking in persons working group or
single point of contact? Does the government have a public
corruption task force?

There is not a formal anti-trafficking task force; however,
Singapore is an efficiently run country and interagency
coordination within its small government is generally

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excellent. In addition, government agencies cooperate well
with foreign diplomatic representatives and NGOs in dealing
with the rare cases of trafficking and in implementing
measures that prevent trafficking from occurring. There is
an independent anti-corruption agency with broad powers,
which aggressively pursues cases of possible corruption
against government officials and private citizens.

-- H. Does the government have a national plan of action to
address trafficking in persons? If so, which agencies were
involved in developing it? Were NGOs consulted in the
process? What steps has the government taken to disseminate
the action plan?

The government does not have a specific national plan of
action to address trafficking in persons per se, given the
small number of cases and diverse nature of the crimes here.
Instead, it gives full authority to various agencies to
implement available laws and regulatory tools to combat the
various crimes that comprise "trafficking in persons." The
government consults with the public on draft legislation and
proposed regulatory changes. For example, in November 2006,
the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) made available for public
comment for one month an extensive series of proposed
amendments to the Penal Code. The Penal Code is Singapore's
primary criminal legislation and underwent its last major
review in 1984. The proposed amendments include
criminalizing prostitution involving a minor under 18 years
of age. In addition, the amendments would extend
extra-territorial jurisdiction over Singaporean citizens and
permanent residents who purchase or solicit sexual services
from minors overseas. The penalty would be imprisonment for
a term up to seven years and/or a fine. To further help
combat child sex tourism, the proposed amendments also make
organizing or promoting child sex tours a criminal offense.
The penalty would be imprisonment for a term up to 10 years
and/or a fine. After the Ministry reviews public feedback on
the proposed changes to the Penal Code, MHA expects to table
the amendments in Parliament in the first half of 2007.
HERBOLD