CHANGING UZBEK LAW ENFORCEMENT ATTITUDES TOWARDS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 000477

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN, INL/AAE, AND G/TIP
ASTANA ALSO FOR USAID

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM SOCI KCRM KWMN UZ
SUBJECT: CHANGING UZBEK LAW ENFORCEMENT ATTITUDES TOWARDS
TRAFFICKING VICTIMS

Sensitive but unclassified. Please handle accordingly.


1. (SBU) Summary: The International Organization for
Migration kicked off an INL-funded project to assist Uzbek
law enforcement authorities to investigate and prosecute
trafficking-in-persons cases with a workshop for the heads of
regional Ministry of Internal Affairs countertrafficking
units. Participants expressed frustration with existing
legislation, which considers trafficking a "non-dangerous"
offense, and, in their reading of the law, does not
criminalize the recruitment of victims. They also noted that
responsibility for investigating trafficking offenses within
the Ministry falls to the same units charged with
investigating routine prostitution and other vice cases.
Emboffs were pleased to see that the participants were active
and engaged during the workshop; however, survey responses
and other comments made during the training demonstrate how
much work needs to be done in shifting the stereotypes of
trafficking victims prevalent among Uzbek law enforcement
authorities. End summary.


2. (U) The International Organization for Migration conducted
training February 22-23 for the heads of Ministry of Internal
Affairs counter-trafficking-in-persons units from 13
provinces of Uzbekistan. The Tashkent training represents
the kickoff of a two-year project, funded by Post's INL
program, designed to increase the capacity of Uzbekistan's
law enforcement and judicial officials to investigate and
prosecute trafficking-related offenses. The International
Organization for Migration will follow up on this training
with a seminar for front line police officers the week of
March 26.


3. (SBU) The February training focused on raising
participants' awareness of trafficking issues, and on
shifting stereotypes about victims using a combination of
lectures and interactive training techniques. Participants
also discussed problems with Uzbekistan trafficking-related
legislation and the way that the Ministry of Internal Affairs
is organized to handle trafficking cases. They expressed
frustration that trafficking is considered a "non-dangerous"
crime, meaning that perpetrators usually are eligible for
amnesty (and the chance to disappear) while awaiting trial
and after conviction. They also said that because the actual
criminal conduct in trafficking cases occurs outside of
Uzbekistan, there is often little they can do to stop
recruiters from operating here. (Comment: The participants
implied that recruiting victims, even if the recruiter knows
what will happen to them in the destination country, is not a
crime under Uzbek law. This represents a misunderstanding of
the law, and shows how little understanding even those
officers responsible for trafficking investigations have of
the issues involved. End comment.) The officers also noted
that trafficking investigations are handled by the Ministry
of Internal Affairs' Crimes Prevention Department, which is
also responsible for vice investigations. As a result, these
officers spend the majority of their time dealing with
"regular" prostitution cases, making it that much harder for
them to deal with trafficking cases appropriately.


4. (SBU) The training demonstrated that a very high level of
prejudice towards trafficking victims, especially female
victims, exists among Uzbek police officers. In a survey
conducted during the workshop, 88 percent of the participants
agreed with the statement that trafficking victims were
responsible for their own fate because they wanted an "easy
life and big money" (with one participant writing: "They go
themselves, nobody forces them to do so"). Forty-seven
percent of the officers agreed that female victims are to
blame because they willingly left their homes to work as
prostitutes, while 70 percent said that victims all "wanted
to marry rich foreigners." Some participants also pointed
out that many female trafficking victims worked as
prostitutes in Uzbekistan even before they were trafficked,
and that these victims probably knew what kind of work they
would be expected to perform abroad.


5. (SBU) Comment: We were pleased to see the start of this
long awaited INL project, which was designed specifically to
complement USAID-funded work to raise public awareness of
trafficking issues and to assist victims. Emboffs in
attendance found the participants to be surprisingly engaged
and active in the training, and the International
Organization for Migration trainers reported that the
officers' attitudes towards trafficking victims appeared to

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soften somewhat over the course of the two days. However,
the survey results clearly show how much work remains to be
done.
PURNELL