SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 000626 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; INR/NESA; INR/B; RRU-NEA IIP/G/NEA-SA WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC SECDEF FOR OASD/PA USCINCCENT FOR POLAD LONDON FOR SREEBNY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KTIP ELAB KCRM PHUM PREL AE OIIP KMDR SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT ON UAE REF: ABU DHABI 622 ¶1. Summary: Media coverage by UAE Arabic and English daily newspapers of the State Department's Trafficking in Persons report generally did not extend beyond reprinting the official Emirates News Agency (WAM) release. The release quoted Dr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs and Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, rejecting the Department's report and describing it as disappointing, distorted, and failing to accurately assess the status of anti-trafficking efforts by the UAEG. An Editorial in Dubai-based English daily Gulf News published on June 18 agreed with Dr. Anwar Gargash's viewpoint and questioned whether the report was produced as "a political tool to be used to serve U.S. agenda." Both Abu Dhabi TV and Dubai TV carried Dr. Gargash's statement in their local news bulletins. End Summary. ¶2. Headlines: -- Main front-page headline in Abu Dhabi-based Arabic semi-official daily "Al-Ittihad" (circulation 65,000),06/17: "UAE national Committee for Combating Trafficking in Humans: U.S. human trafficking report is disappointing and lacks objectivity and accuracy" -- Dubai-based English daily Gulf News (circulation 95,000), front-page headline on 06/17: "U.S. report on anti-trafficking efforts 'distorted', says UAE" -- Front-page headline in Sharjah-based Arabic daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000) on 06/17: "UAE: U.S. human trafficking report lacks accuracy" -- Dubai-based Arabic daily "Al-Bayan" (circulation 85,000) and Dubai-based tabloid-like Arabic daily "Emarat Al Youm" (circulation 20,000),headline: "Anwar Gergash: U.S. human trafficking report lacks objectivity and accuracy" -- Front-page headline in Abu Dhabi-based English daily The National (circulation 65,000 on 06/17: "Government calls U.S. criticism over trafficking 'disappointing'; UAE is reinstated to official watch list of rights violators" -- Front-page headline Dubai-based English daily Khaleej Times (circulation 80,000)on 06/17: " Human Trafficking Report by U.S. Distorted and Disappointing: UAE" ¶3. Under the headline "U.S. report on trafficking appears biased", Dubai-based English daily Gulf News editorialized: "Any report that assesses a certain situation in a given country should be looked at within its appropriate context if an objective conclusion is to be reached. The recently released U.S. State Department report on human trafficking, to a great extent, lacks the crucial element of neutrality. The report criticizes the UAE for allegedly consistently infringing on human rights. Dr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs and Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, was right to express disappointment at the report's subjective content. 'The UAE made significant progress in its efforts to fight this crime [human trafficking] in 2008. In its last report, the U.S. State Department identified the UAE as a "model in the region",' said Dr. Gargash. Hence, it is only reasonable to question the report's objectivity and validity. Could it have been produced as a political tool to be used whenever it suits the U.S. agenda? The UAE's human rights record should be looked at in its entirety since the country has never been shy about discussing the problems it faces in combating human trafficking. And instead of criticizing the UAE, the U.S. should target other nations whose records of atrocious abuse have gone unmentioned. As a matter of fact, the U.S. has no mandate to interfere in the affairs of other nations under the guise of monitoring human rights. It is undeniable that the UAE has been taking progressive steps to improve its human rights record. At least it has tried to be transparent and direct in highlighting the issue and addressing its problems. It is high time that the U.S. adopted a similar approach when discussing the issue." ABU DHABI 00000626 002 OF 003 ¶4. Television On June 16, 2009, both satellite channel Abu Dhabi TV (viewership 50 million) and satellite channel Dubai TV (viewership 50 million) broadcast Dr. Gargash's statement during their local news bulletins. ¶5. Under the headline "U.S. Human Trafficking Report Disappointing and Distorted: UAE", official Emirates News Agency (ENA/WAM) released the following statement on 06/16 (same text included in reftel): "The UAE on Tuesday termed as 'disappointing and distorted' a U.S. State Department report that failed to accurately assess the status of anti-trafficking efforts during the last year. 'The UAE government is deeply disappointed by the subjective and inaccurate assessment in this report,' Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Gargash said. In contrast to the U.S. report, the Annual Report 2008, released earlier this month by the UAE National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking (NCCHT),indicated that over 20 cases of human trafficking were registered last year, compared to 10 cases in 2007, doubling the number of cases prosecuted under Federal Law 51 in a period of 12 months. Similarly, the NCCHT report added that the number of prosecutions and the severity of punishments issued by UAE courts also increased significantly this year, with convictions in six cases and two people receiving life sentences. Citing these figures, Dr. Gargash said, 'The UAE made significant progress in its endeavor to fight this crime in 2008. In its last report, the State department identified UAE as "a model in the region." It is indeed disturbing to note that this year's report has failed to view our transparent efforts and results objectively.' The minister, who is also the chairman of the NCCHT, criticized the parameters applied to measure human trafficking cases. 'It appears that the U.S. definition of human trafficking varies every year depending on the nature of debate on this issue in its domestic environment. It is incongruous to equate alleged labor rights violations, which are a critical but separate issue, to the coercive and unacceptable sexual exploitation of women for profit. This report lumps all these issues together in a manner that is generalized and unconstructive. Changing goal posts has unfortunately become a feature of these trafficking reports and they have thereby lost credibility as a constructive measuring tool of anti-trafficking efforts around the world.' Citing one of the many inaccuracies, the minister questioned the veracity of the State Department report which alleges that a member of the ruling family was arrested in a Belgian court on criminal charges, a claim the UAE refutes and describes as an unwarranted and appalling display of stereotyping Arabs and the Middle East. 'This accusation alone indicates that the U.S. prefers to rely more on sensationalized media reports in compiling its report rather than verify its facts,' Dr. Gargash said. 'The UAE monitors all international reports and assesses them objectively. It welcomes constructive criticism and help, but reserves the right to determine the agenda to tackle its problems in a manner that it deems appropriate. The fact that the report does not take into account the facts on the ground devalues and undermines how seriously it is taken,' he added. 'The government realizes that like in many other countries, the challenges pertaining to human trafficking are numerous. We are committed to fighting this crime and will continue to do so diligently,' the minister said. The UAE continues to implement its four-pillar action plan that includes legislation, enforcement, victim support, as well as bilateral agreements and international cooperation. During the last year the government ratified the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children; and in order to increase the government's effectiveness, the Council of Ministers expanded the size and scope of the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking ABU DHABI 00000626 003 OF 003 by including public prosecutors and law enforcement officers as its members. Additionally, workshops and training sessions were conducted frequently throughout the year, in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration, to improve the skills of UAE law enforcement officials. A new website was launched to serve both as an official information source, as well as a forum for interaction between the public and government. In terms of victim support efforts, the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children continues to mature and provide excellent psychological and physical care for victims of trafficking and other forms of abuse - in 2008 43 cases were admitted. The newly established Abu Dhabi shelter handled 15 trafficking victims, who also aided police in the investigations of the criminals who exploited them. 'The UAE is pursuing traffickers aggressively and they will be severely punished under the UAE's anti-trafficking law. The UAE's commitment to this issue is part of its national agenda as well as a shared responsibility as a member of the community of nations.'" OLSON