<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">A few more statements below…<div class=""><br class=""><div apple-content-edited="true" class="">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; " class=""><div class="">Arthur Stamoulis</div><div class="">Citizens Trade Campaign</div><div class="">(202) 494-8826</div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span><br class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class="">Dingell Statement on Malaysia Upgrade in Annual Trafficking Report<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class=""> </span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">July 27, 2015<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">Contact:<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">Hannah Smith<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">202-315-8446<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="mailto:Hannah.smith@mail.house.gov" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">Hannah.smith@mail.house.gov</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">WASHINGTON, D.C.</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class=""> – <i class="">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 <a href="http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/245365.pdf" style="color: purple;" class="">2015 Trafficking in Persons Report</a>.</i><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">“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. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">“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.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">###<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; line-height: 16.866666793823242px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p class=""> </o:p><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; background-color: white;" class="">For Immediate Release Contact: Marianne von Nordeck</span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class="">July 27, 2015 202-429-1000<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><i class=""> </i><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; background-color: white;" class=""><b class="">AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders Statement on the R<span style="color: rgb(25, 25, 25);" class="">emoval of Malaysia from Human Trafficking Blacklist</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><b class=""> </b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class="">WASHINGTON – <span style="color: rgb(25, 25, 25);" class="">AFSCME President Lee Saunders issued the following statement on the State Department’s removal of Malaysia from its human trafficking blacklist.</span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(25, 25, 25);" class=""> </span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(25, 25, 25);" class="">“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. </span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(25, 25, 25);" class=""> </span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(25, 25, 25);" class="">“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. </span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(25, 25, 25);" class=""> </span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(25, 25, 25);" class="">“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.”</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; background-color: white;" class=""># # #<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; background-color: white;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center; background-color: white;" class=""> <i class="">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.</i><o:p class=""></o:p></div><p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;"> </p><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class=""><a href="http://www.citizen.org/documents/press-release-tpp-malaysia-trafficking-tier-2.pdf" style="color: purple;" class="">http://www.citizen.org/documents/press-release-tpp-malaysia-trafficking-tier-2.pdf</a><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><u class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> </span></u></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><u class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">For Immediate Release</span></u><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">: <u class="">Contact</u>: Symone Sanders (202) 454-5108<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">July 27, 2015 <a href="mailto:ssanders@citizen.org" style="color: purple;" class="">ssanders@citizen.org</a></span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><b class=""><i class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> </span></i></b></div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 12pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">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</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">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 </span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/05/26/inside-the-malaysian-jungle-camps-where-139-suspected-graves-found/" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">the discovery of mass graves</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> for human trafficking victims in Malaysia, Public Citizen said. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">In its annual </span><a href="http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/245365.pdf" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">Trafficking in Persons Report</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> released today, the U.S. Department of State ignored TPP member Malaysia’s </span><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/09/uk-usa-malaysia-trafficking-exclusive-idUKKCN0PJ00D20150709" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">documented deterioration</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">of human trafficking enforcement and upgraded the country’s human trafficking compliance status. </span><a href="http://thehill.com/policy/finance/247322-menendez-worried-obama-will-upgrade-malaysia-in-trafficking-report" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">Members</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> of </span><a href="http://thehill.com/policy/finance/247406-dem-reported-upgrade-for-tpp-country-deeply-disturbing" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">Congress</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">, </span><a href="http://www.networklobby.org/news-media/press-release-religious-groups-oppose-state-department%E2%80%99s-proposed-upgrade-malaysia%E2%80%99s-traf" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">religious groups</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> and </span><a href="https://soundcloud.com/global-trade-watch/press-call-tpp-malaysia-trafficking-tip-report" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">leading U.S. and Malaysian human rights organizations</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> 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.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">“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.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">The maneuver also will backfire, instead adding to the controversy surrounding the TPP.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">“If the Obama administration is willing to ignore </span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/05/26/inside-the-malaysian-jungle-camps-where-139-suspected-graves-found/" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">people-smuggling camps</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> in Malaysia, why should we believe it would not also ignore TPP member </span><a href="http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?year=2014&dlid=236426#wrapper" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">Brunei’s criminalization of homosexuality</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">, TPP member </span><a href="http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?year=2014&dlid=236490#wrapper" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">Vietnam’s widespread child labor</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> or TPP member </span><a href="http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/amaxwell/Letter%20re-%20Action%20on%20Peruvian%20Law%2030230.pdf" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">Peru’s rollback of environmental protections</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">?” Simmons said. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Today’s manipulation of Malaysia’s human trafficking record will only bolster criticism from </span><a href="http://www.hrw.org/news/2015/05/12/sure-tpp-win-win-unless-you-care-about-human-rights" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">human rights</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">, </span><a href="http://www.maryknollogc.org/article/us-should-lead-%E2%80%93-not-compromise-%E2%80%93-human-rights" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">religious</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">, </span><a href="http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2015/06/11/op-ed-dear-gay-ambassadors-be-straight-about-trade-deal" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">LGBT</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">, </span><a href="http://now.org/resource/issue-advisory-free-trade-and-feminism-how-the-tpp-will-hurt-women/" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">women’s</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">, </span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-tpp-needs-to-ensure-workers-rights/2015/05/08/97ab0a9e-f583-11e4-b2f3-af5479e6bbdd_story.html" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">labor</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> and </span><a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/compass/2015/05/far-progressive-trade-deal-trans-pacific-partnership-would-harm-our-environment" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">environmental</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> 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.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">###<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> </span></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;" class=""></span></div></div></div></div></body></html>