<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><a href="https://tradejusticeedfund.org/press-memo-most-asean-countries-are-not-appropriate-partners-for-the-worker-centered-ipef-agreement-biden-seeks/" class="">https://tradejusticeedfund.org/press-memo-most-asean-countries-are-not-appropriate-partners-for-the-worker-centered-ipef-agreement-biden-seeks/</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">
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<div class="column"><p class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal;" class=""><b class="">PRESS MEMO
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<div class="column"><p class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt;" class=""><i class="">As ASEAN Summit Starts in DC, What Will the Biden Administration Say
about the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)?</i></span></p></div></div></div></div><div class=""><h1 class="entry-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 36px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.3em; font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Most ASEAN Countries Are Not Appropriate Partners for the ‘Worker-Centered’ IPEF Agreement Biden Seeks</h1><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 18px; vertical-align: baseline; caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif;" class=""><span class="published" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">May 10, 2022</span> | <a href="https://tradejusticeedfund.org/category/press-releases/" rel="category tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none;" class="">Press Releases</a></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div class="et_pb_column_3_4 et_pb_css_mix_blend_mode_passthrough et_pb_column_1_tb_body et_pb_column" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 18px; vertical-align: baseline; background-size: cover; float: left; position: relative; z-index: 2; min-height: 1px; width: 851.4674072265625px; caret-color: rgb(2, 2, 2); color: rgb(2, 2, 2); font-family: Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; mix-blend-mode: unset !important; background-position: 50% center; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"><div class="et_pb_post_content et_pb_post_content_0_tb_body h3-size et_pb_module h2-size" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-size: cover; position: relative; animation-timing-function: linear; animation-duration: 0.2s; background-position: 50% center; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;"><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">WASHINGTON, D.C. — With severe labor rights abuses documented by U.S. government agencies year after year, many members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are inappropriate partners for the new “worker-centered” trade policy the Biden administration seeks to establish through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). </span></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">The Biden administration hosts the U.S.-ASEAN summit in Washington, D.C on May 12 and 13 amidst growing anticipation of a formal announcement regarding which countries will join the IPEF negotiations. </span></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore are the most likely ASEAN countries to be invited to join IPEF, according to an April brief by the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), with the Philippines and Thailand in <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/regional-perspectives-indo-pacific-economic-framework" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class="">a second tier</a>.</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""> As detailed below, the U.S. State and Labor Departments’ annual country reports document serious human rights concerns in almost every ASEAN nation. </span></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">The first step in developing a new, worker-centered trade model is partnering with nations committed to upholding core labor and human rights standards. The ongoing rights abuses in most ASEAN countries would undermine IPEF’s goal of establishing a new model for international commercial ties and trade that prioritizes working people over corporate interests.</span></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">Labor rights abuses among the ASEAN members considered the most likely to join IPEF include, but are not limited to, the following:</span></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">MALAYSIA</b></div><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 23px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; line-height: 26px;" class=""><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.6em;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">Malaysia was downgraded to the lowest-possible tier in the U.S. State Department’s most recent report on human trafficking, which found, “The Government of Malaysia </span><a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-trafficking-in-persons-report/malaysia/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">does not meet the minimum standards for elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so</b></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">.”</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""> Few nations’ abuses are so dire as to trigger a “tier three” rating.</span></li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.6em;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">Among other problems, the State Department found that the Malaysian government “did not adequately address or criminally pursue credible allegations from multiple sources alleging </span><a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-trafficking-in-persons-report/malaysia/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">labor trafficking, including in the rubber manufacturing industry and palm oil sector</b></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">, with the government owning 33 percent of the third largest palm oil company in the world.”</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""> </span></li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.6em;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">Beyond agricultural and rubber-related industries, </span><a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-trafficking-in-persons-report/malaysia/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">trafficked labor was also documented in Malaysia’s export-heavy electronics and garment sectors</b></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">.</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""> </span></li></ul><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">VIETNAM</b></div><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 23px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; line-height: 26px;" class=""><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.6em;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">Vietnamese law </span><a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/vietnam/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">does not allow workers to elect their own union officials</b></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""> and prohibits strikes in what it deems “essential services,” including oil and gas production, telecommunications and air transportation.</span></li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.6em;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">The U.S. State Department finds that “The Government of </span><a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-trafficking-in-persons-report/vietnam/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">Vietnam does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking</b></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">,” with both forced labor and child forced labor found in the garment industry.</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""> Vietnamese law also does not prohibit debt bondage.</span></li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.6em;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: 700;" class=""><a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-trafficking-in-persons-report/vietnam/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class="">More than 5% of Vietnamese children may be victims of coercion</a></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""> and other exploitation related to human trafficking.</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""> </span></li></ul><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">INDONESIA</b></div><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 23px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; line-height: 26px;" class=""><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.6em;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">The Indonesian government recently </span><a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/10/15/indonesia-new-law-hurts-workers-indigenous-groups" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">rolled back previously-existing labor standards</b></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">, including in the areas of minimum wage, health care, maternity leave, severance pay and legal protections for employment contracts.</span></li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.6em;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">The U.S. Department of Labor documents child labor in Indonesia’s palm oil, tobacco, rubber, tin mining, gold mining and other industries and says that </span><a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/indonesia" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">the Indonesian government fails to enforce child labor laws</b></a> <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">throughout the country.</span></li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.6em;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">The U.S. State Department finds that “The Government of Indonesia </span><a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-trafficking-in-persons-report/indonesia/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking</b></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">,” with forced labor found in fishing, palm oil production, mining and manufacturing.</span></li></ul><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">PHILIPPINES</b></div><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 23px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; line-height: 26px;" class=""><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.6em;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">The International Trade Union Confederation reported </span><a href="https://www.ituc-csi.org/stand-for-filipino-workers-rights" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">at least 50 assassinations of Filipino labor leaders since 2019</b></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">, with still other labor officials arrested on “trumped up charges” or “red tagged as a communist insurgent.”</span></li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.6em;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">Beyond detailing “</span><a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/philippines/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">threats and violence against union members</b></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">,” the U.S. State Department also reports that Filipino employers are accused of utilizing short-term contracts and imported labor to “</span><a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/philippines/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">minimize unionization and avoid other rights accorded to ‘regular’ workers</b></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">.”</span></li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.6em;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">The U.S. Labor Department’s list of </span><a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor/list-of-goods" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">goods from the Philippines produced by child labor includes bananas, coconuts, fish, rubber, gold and fashion accessories</b></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">.</span></li></ul><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">THAILAND</b></div><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 23px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; line-height: 26px;" class=""><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.6em;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">According to the U.S. Statement Department, Thai law “</span><a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/thailand" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">does not protect union members against antiunion discrimination</b></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">” and “</span><a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/thailand" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">does not allow migrant workers to organize trade unions</b></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">.” The law further prohibits subcontracted labor and full-time workers from joining the same unions, and perhaps as a result, more than 45 percent of electronics and auto parts workers are subcontractors.</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""> </span></li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.6em;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">The U.S. Department of Labor reports </span><a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/thailand" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class=""><b style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">forced child labor in Thailand’s shrimp and garment production</b></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">, and forced labor in fishing.</span></li><li aria-level="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.6em;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">The U.S. State Department found, “The Government of </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-weight: 700;" class=""><a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-trafficking-in-persons-report/thailand/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class="">Thailand does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking</a></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">,” with trafficking in both agriculture and manufacturing.</span></li></ul><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">While labor rights abuses in Singapore are not as severe as in many other southeast Asian nations, Singapore is known for promoting some of the worst “digital trade” provisions for working <a href="https://www.actu.org.au/media/1449300/d49-actu-submission-australia-singapore-digital-economy-agreement.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class="">people in the world</a>.</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""> To protect the rights of gig economy workers and to limit the offshoring of service sector jobs, the so-called “Singapore model” must not become the basis of any U.S. trade agreement’s digital provisions.</span></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">Among ASEAN countries considered less likely to become IPEF partners, the U.S. Department of Labor has documented both child labor and forced labor in numerous industries within Cambodia and Myanmar;</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""> Brunei Darussalam recently made gay sex punishable by stoning;</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""> and Laos does not allow workers to join independent unions.</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class=""> </span></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" class="">A PDF of this memo is available <a href="https://149754478.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/PressMemo_ASEANCountriesInappropriateforIPEF_051022.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; transition: color 300ms ease 0ms; color: rgb(41, 35, 180) !important;" class="">here</a>.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div></div></div></body></html>