BURMA: ENHANCING TIP COOPERATION WITH CHINA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 000957

SIPDIS

STATE FOR INL/HSTC; EAP/MLS; G/TIP
DEPT OF LABOR FOR ILAB
GENEVA FOR LABOR ATTACHE
BANGKOK FOR LABOR/TIP OFFICER
PACOM FOR FPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/23/2018
TAGS: PHUM KWMN KCRM KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB SMIG BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: ENHANCING TIP COOPERATION WITH CHINA

REF: RANGOON 575

RANGOON 00000957 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Economic Officer Samantha A. Carl-Yoder for reasons 1.4
(b and d)

Summary
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1. (C) On December 22, the Burmese and Chinese Governments
opened a second bilateral liaison office (BLO) on the Burma
side of the border in Lwe Je, Kachin State. The GOB had
planned to open three additional BLOs along the Thai-Burma
border in 2008-2009, but this plan is now on hold until the
new Thai Government signs the draft Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) for bilateral cooperation on trafficking
issues. Police Col. Sit Aye, Director of the Burmese
Anti-Trafficking Unit, requested USG assistance to urge the
new Thai Government to focus on improving coordination with
the GOB on trafficking in persons (TIP). End Summary.

Improving Burmese-Chinese TIP Coordination
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2. (SBU) During the past two years, the GOB has taken steps
to address the trafficking of Burmese persons, both within
Burma and across borders. Col. Sit Aye, Director of the
police-led Anti-Trafficking Unit (ATU),which falls under the
Ministry of Home Affairs, told us the ATU has increased
monitoring of movements of people over the Thailand-Burma and
China-Burma borders. However, the ATU's staff is limited and
cannot cover the entire porous border, he admitted.
Consequently, the GOB has made it a priority to establish
BLOs along the borders with China and Thailand to enable the
governments to share information about trafficking,
narcotics, and other transnational crimes (Reftel). The
first Burma-China BLOs were established in Muse, Burma and
Ruili, China in July 2007. According to Col. Sit Aye, BLO
staff in 2007 successfully assisted more than 25 Burmese
women and children who were being trafficked into China.


3. (SBU) The Burmese and Chinese Governments on December 22
inaugurated a second BLO on the Burma side of the border in
Lwe Je, Kachin State. According to Col. Sit Aye, six Burmese
staff from Customs, Immigration, the ATU, and the
Anti-Narcotics Task Force will operate the Lwe Je BLO. The
Burmese police will teach Chinese to the six officials,
although Col. Sit Aye noted their Chinese counterparts based
in Ruili speak fluent Burmese. Using Chinese cell phones,
computers with internet, and motorbikes provided by China,
Burmese law enforcement officials plan to coordinate with the
Chinese officials to improve detection and repatriation of
trafficking victims, as well as prevent narcotics smuggling.
In 2007, the Burmese ATU in Kachin State assisted in the
repatriation from China of 14 Burmese trafficking victims
(Reftel). Col. Sit Aye expressed confidence the new BLO will
assist additional Burmese victims and help prevent
trafficking across the Chinese-Burma border.

Still No MOU with Thailand
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4. (C) While the ATU estimates that the number of Burmese
trafficked to China increases annually based on the number of
cases they investigate (official numbers are unavailable),
Thailand remains the primary destination for Burmese
trafficking victims, according to Col. Sit Aye. Although the
GOB wants to open BLOs in Tachilek in Shan State, Myawaddy in

RANGOON 00000957 002.2 OF 002


Kayin State, and Kauthaung in Taninthayari Division ) the
three main crossing points for Burmese into Thailand - Col
Sit Aye stated that the Government of Thailand first wants a
formal MOU outlining law enforcement cooperation procedures.
According to Col. Sit Aye, after more than a year of
negotiation, the previous Thai Government approved the final
version of the MOU in September. The Burmese and Thai
Governments were to sign the MOU in October until Thai
politics derailed the signing ceremony, he noted.


5. (C) Col. Sit Aye requested that the USG urge the new
Thai Government to make coordination on trafficking in
persons with the GOB a priority.

Comment
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6. (C) The primary trafficking concerns in Burma relate to
military-perpetrated forced labor and child soldier
recruitment, where considerable problems remain. In
contrast, the Burmese police force appears committed to
preventing and responding to the trafficking of Burmese
citizens across borders and even within the country. The
ATU, with justification, cites the opening of an additional
BLO as further demonstration of this commitment. While the
new BLO along the China border is a positive development, the
Burmese ATU will need to improve coordination with the Thai
Government, since the majority of Burmese victims are
trafficked to Thailand for both employment and sexual
exploitation. The ATU will continue to coordinate informally
with Thai authorities, but we agree that a formal mechanism
with Thailand would give the ATU additional tools --
including the ability to create new BLOs -- to combat
trafficking into Thailand.
VAJDA