EMBASSY BANGKOK COMMENT ON DOL DRAFT LIST FOR

UNCLAS BANGKOK 000147 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR DRL/ILCSR JUNK AND MITTELHAUSER, AND G/TIP STEINER AND TAYLOR LABOR FOR ILAB RIGBY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EIND ELAB ETRD PHUM SOCI KTIP TH SUBJECT: EMBASSY BANGKOK COMMENT ON DOL DRAFT LIST FOR TVPRA REF: A. SECSTATE 3075 ¶B. 08 BANGKOK 1756 ¶C. 08 SECSTATE 43120 1.(SBU) Embassy Bangkok appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Department of Labor's (DOL) draft Trafficking Victims Protection Act report (ref a),which includes a draft list of goods DOL has reason to believe are produced by forced labor or child labor in violation of international standards. While post has no additions or deletions to recommend to the draft list of goods, we believe it is important that, in rolling out the publication of its final list, DOL highlight important contextual information such as provided in ref b, particularly regarding the level of incidence within an industry. ¶2. (SBU) Post notes that two of the industries presented in DOL's draft list were not mentioned in our response cable to DOL's original information request (ref c). As such, we request that DOL provide to post the evidence for including these additional goods on the list, including the sources of the evidence. While we will of course protect the confidentiality of sources as appropriate, only with an accurate understanding of the evidence can we manage both the potentially negative public relations fallout and work effectively with host country officials and industry leaders to resolve the problems identified. ¶3. (SBU) This Embassy would also appreciate the opportunity to work with DOL to develop additional activities called for in the relevant legislation, namely "to work with persons who are involved in the production of goods on the list and...to create a standard set of practices that will reduce the likelihood that such persons will produce goods using child or forced labor." JOHN