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."


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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

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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