[CTC] Labor, Congress speak out on Malaysia trafficking white-wash

Mon Jul 27 11:53:34 PDT 2015

A few more statements below…

Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826

Dingell Statement on Malaysia Upgrade in Annual Trafficking Report

July 27, 2015
Contact:
Hannah Smith
202-315-8446
Hannah.smith at mail.house.gov <mailto:Hannah.smith at mail.house.gov>

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) released the following statement today after Malaysia was upgraded from the Tier 3 to the Tier 2 Watch List in the U.S. Department of State’s 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report <http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/245365.pdf>.

“It is deeply concerning that the Administration has upgraded Malaysia’s status in today’s Trafficking in Persons Report, despite Malaysia’s continuing record of human rights abuses.  In recent months, we have seen shocking reports of migrants forced to live in barbed wire cages and the discovery of 139 graves of suspected human trafficking victims in the Malaysian jungles. 

“Politics – such as trade negotiations – have no place in this critical assessment of human trafficking practices across the globe.  It is unconscionable to turn a blind eye to Malaysia’s human rights abuses in order to further a trade agenda that fails to live up to our country’s values.”

###
 For Immediate Release                                                                   Contact: Marianne von Nordeck

July 27, 2015                                                                                                               202-429-1000

AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders Statement on the Removal of Malaysia from Human Trafficking Blacklist

WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders issued the following statement on the State Department’s removal of Malaysia from its human trafficking blacklist.

“In late May, the world was horrified to learn of the discovery of 139 graves which held the remains of migrant workers who had been enslaved in Malaysia and who died from starvation and disease. 

“On the heels of this discovery, the State Department released its annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which assesses the efforts of countries to fight forced labor.  Today’s report rewards Malaysia with an upgrade in its status from the worst tier to the watch list, despite the heartbreaking discovery in May. 

“The Malaysian government evidently believed that it did not have to improve its human trafficking record in order to win trade preferences from the U.S.  We should not prove them right.”

# # #

 AFSCME’s 1.6 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in hundreds of different occupations — from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers — AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services, and prosperity and opportunity for all working families.

http://www.citizen.org/documents/press-release-tpp-malaysia-trafficking-tier-2.pdf <http://www.citizen.org/documents/press-release-tpp-malaysia-trafficking-tier-2.pdf>

For Immediate Release:                                              Contact: Symone Sanders (202) 454-5108
July 27, 2015                                                               ssanders at citizen.org <mailto:ssanders at citizen.org>

Obama Administration’s Cynical Bid to Salvage the TPP by Turning a Blind Eye to Malaysia’s Trafficked Persons’ Mass Graves Will Only Fuel Criticism of the Pact

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a cynical bid to salvage the already-controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Obama administration today removed Malaysia from a list of the world’s most flagrant violators of basic human trafficking norms – two months after the discovery of mass graves <http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/05/26/inside-the-malaysian-jungle-camps-where-139-suspected-graves-found/> for human trafficking victims in Malaysia, Public Citizen said. 

In its annual Trafficking in Persons Report <http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/245365.pdf> released today, the U.S. Department of State ignored TPP member Malaysia’s documented deterioration <http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/09/uk-usa-malaysia-trafficking-exclusive-idUKKCN0PJ00D20150709>of human trafficking enforcement and upgraded the country’s human trafficking compliance status. Members <http://thehill.com/policy/finance/247322-menendez-worried-obama-will-upgrade-malaysia-in-trafficking-report> of Congress <http://thehill.com/policy/finance/247406-dem-reported-upgrade-for-tpp-country-deeply-disturbing>, religious groups <http://www.networklobby.org/news-media/press-release-religious-groups-oppose-state-department%E2%80%99s-proposed-upgrade-malaysia%E2%80%99s-traf> and leading U.S. and Malaysian human rights organizations <https://soundcloud.com/global-trade-watch/press-call-tpp-malaysia-trafficking-tip-report> have rightly lambasted the decision as an indefensible maneuver to avoid a U.S. law that prohibits Fast Tracking the TPP as long as a country  on the blacklist, like Malaysia, is a party to the pact.

“The administration knows that the TPP will have trouble in Congress, but turning a blind eye to Malaysia’s grave human rights violations in order to include Malaysia in the pact because it’s one of the few TPP countries we don’t already have a trade deal with and keeping the TPP on Fast Track so Congress’ oversight is limited is shameful,” said Alisa Simmons, deputy director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch.

The maneuver also will backfire, instead adding to the controversy surrounding the TPP.

“If the Obama administration is willing to ignore people-smuggling camps <http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/05/26/inside-the-malaysian-jungle-camps-where-139-suspected-graves-found/> in Malaysia, why should we believe it would not also ignore TPP member Brunei’s criminalization of homosexuality <http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?year=2014&dlid=236426#wrapper>, TPP member Vietnam’s widespread child labor <http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?year=2014&dlid=236490#wrapper> or TPP member Peru’s rollback of environmental protections <http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/amaxwell/Letter%20re-%20Action%20on%20Peruvian%20Law%2030230.pdf>?” Simmons said. 

Today’s manipulation of Malaysia’s human trafficking record will only bolster criticism from human rights <http://www.hrw.org/news/2015/05/12/sure-tpp-win-win-unless-you-care-about-human-rights>, religious <http://www.maryknollogc.org/article/us-should-lead-%E2%80%93-not-compromise-%E2%80%93-human-rights>, LGBT <http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/06/11/op-ed-dear-gay-ambassadors-be-straight-about-trade-deal>, women’s <http://now.org/resource/issue-advisory-free-trade-and-feminism-how-the-tpp-will-hurt-women/>, labor <http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-tpp-needs-to-ensure-workers-rights/2015/05/08/97ab0a9e-f583-11e4-b2f3-af5479e6bbdd_story.html> and environmental <http://www.sierraclub.org/compass/2015/05/far-progressive-trade-deal-trans-pacific-partnership-would-harm-our-environment> organizations that the TPP’s touted human rights, labor and environmental provisions are mere fig leaves that would fail to actually curb widespread abuses among TPP members.

###

* * * MEDIA RELEASE * * *

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27, 2015

MEDIA CONTACT
Lee Whack (202) 225-2111

Schakowsky Statement on Malaysia being upgraded in the State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report
WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Jan Schakowsky released the following statement in response to the State Department’s decision to upgrade Malaysia in the Trafficking in Persons Report, which was released today: 

“I am disappointed that the State Department has chosen to upgrade Malaysia in this year’s Trafficking in Persons Report.  This month, I joined 159 Members of Congress in writing to Secretary of State John Kerry to share our concerns about the situation in Malaysia, and reports that their status would be upgraded from Tier 3.  Unfortunately, today’s announcement confirms those reports.  

As noted in our letter, rather than working diligently to improve its record on human trafficking, Malaysia’s government has shown little interest in taking the steps necessary to help those harmed by human trafficking. While maintaining its Tier 3 status would have made Malaysia ineligible for participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, I firmly believe that Malaysia should remain ranked in Tier 3 until they fully address the serious issue of human trafficking is addressed.”   

For Immediate Release, July 27, 2015                    Contact: Gonzalo Salvador 202-637-5018

AFL-CIO Condemns State Department’s Upgrade of Malaysia on Trafficking List

Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on the U.S. Government upgrading of Malaysia on its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report

This decision is wrong and outrageous. It is a political decision that undermines the integrity of the TIP Report and signals that the U.S. is willing to turn a blind eye to modern slavery and grave human and labor rights abuses in order to advance its trade agenda.

The administration has had difficulty securing approval for fast track. Today's cynical upgrade of a nation where forced labor, human trafficking, and exploitation remain pervasive <http://www.aflcio.org/content/download/150491/3811471/file/TPPreport-NO+BUG.pdf>, undermines its promises on labor rights, human rights, and anti-corruption in trade deals and does not bode well for TPP passage. 
###

Statement online here:  http://www.aflcio.org/Press-Room/Press-Releases/AFL-CIO-Condemns-State-Department-s-Upgrade-of-Malaysia-on-Trafficking-List <http://www.aflcio.org/Press-Room/Press-Releases/AFL-CIO-Condemns-State-Department-s-Upgrade-of-Malaysia-on-Trafficking-List>

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