US embassy cable - 04RANGOON1132

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 001132 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV, G/TIP; PACOM FOR FPA; USDOL FOR ILAB 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/24/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, ELAB, SMIG, BM, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: GOB TALKS THE TALK ON GETTING TOUGH WITH HUMAN 
TRAFFICKERS 
 
REF: A. RANGOON 882 
 
     B. RANGOON 310 
     C. PHNOM PENH 1288 
 
Classified By: DCM Ron McMullen for Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
1. (C) Summary:  According to senior GOB police officials, 
Burma has undertaken a plethora of activities in recent 
months to combat trafficking of persons.  We see ample 
evidence that the GOB continues to demonstrate a growing 
political will to combat trafficking and to improve 
cooperation with UN agencies and NGOs, especially with regard 
to the trafficking of women and children.  However, paltry 
resources, under trained staff, an inability or unwillingness 
to target corrupt and complicit officials, and indifference 
over the gravity of forced labor practices will continue to 
stymie overall progress on TIP issues.  End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) Rangoon P/E Chief met in late August with Police 
Brigadier General Wynn Myiang, Burma's third-highest ranking 
police official and the country's lead authority on TIP 
issues, and Police Lt. Colonel Rallyan Mone, head of a new 
Anti-Trafficking Unit, to discuss ongoing efforts to combat 
trafficking in persons.  Our discussion followed a July 9 
meeting between the COM and the Minister of Home Affairs, 
during which we pressed for a more regular dialogue on TIP 
issues (ref A).  According to General Wynn Myiang, there have 
been a number of recent TIP developments: 
 
--On October 27-29 Burma will host the Coordinated Mekong 
Sub-regional Ministerial Initiative Against Trafficking 
(COMMIT), where the six countries of the region plan to 
finalize a multilateral MOU on trafficking (refs B and C). 
The UN Interagency Project on Trafficking in Women and 
Children (UNIAP) will join the GOB in co-sponsoring this 
regional TIP forum. 
 
--Burma will host a TIP workshop September 6-7 co-sponsored 
by the Asia Regional Cooperation to Prevent People 
Trafficking (ARCPPT) and UNIAP.  According to the UNODC 
resrep in Rangoon, the UNODC's Chief of Human Trafficking, 
Burkkard Damman, will attend "to help move Burma's draft law 
on trafficking closer to promulgation." (Note: The Minister 
of Home Affairs says that PM Khin Nyunt has endorsed the law, 
but the GOB is going slowly in order to avoid problems that 
occurred with "hastily" issued money laundering legislation 
last year - ref B.  End note). 
 
-On March 30, Burma acceded to two protocols of the 2000 UN 
Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNCTOC): 
one protocol to prevent, suppress, and punish trafficking in 
persons, especially women and children; and a second protocol 
against the smuggling of migrants by land, sea, and air (a 
third protocol on arms is still "under review"). 
 
--The police force's new Anti-Trafficking Unit, set up in 
April 2004, has now established field offices in the border 
towns of Myawaddy, Tachilek, Muse, Lweje, and Kawthaung to 
"prevent and intercept trafficking" to Thailand and China. 
ARCPPT will complete training of 40 police officers for the 
unit by December 2004 for deployment in early 2005. 
 
3. (U) GOB officials estimate that they intercept 
approximately 1,000 trafficking victims per year.  "However," 
added Rallyan Mone, "we believe there are an additional 2,000 
undetected victims per year."  Since establishing a 
"Preventative Working Committee for TIP" in July 2002, 
authorities have arrested 795 offenders (resulting in 335 
convictions) and intercepted 2,181 victims (about half of 
whom were women).  In 2003, the only year for which there is 
full-year data, there were 377 arrests, 184 convictions 
(including two cases that resulted in life imprisonment), and 
932 victims identified.  Through July 2004, police have 
arrested 255 offenders and intercepted 706 victims.  GOB 
investigations, however, have not revealed the complicity of 
GOB officials or military personnel. "We are unable," General 
Wynn Miang said, "to identify any regional officials who may 
turn a blind eye to trafficking activities." 
4. (SBU) The GOB continues to cooperate with international 
organizations and NGOs to repatriate trafficking victims 
(principally women engaged in prostitution in Thailand). 
Over the past three years, these operations have included 
efforts led by Save the Children-UK (145 victims 
repatriated), World Vision (115 victims), and UNIAP (26 
victims).  In July, the Home Affairs Ministry processed 20 
women repatriated from Thailand, about half of whom appear to 
have been victims of the Burma-Thailand sex trade (Note: The 
GOB exploits many of these exercises by parading victims 
before the local press for photo-ops of GOB officials 
lecturing the young women and providing them with token 
resettlement packages.  End note.) 
5. (C) Comment:  Our meetings with GOB officials over the 
past two months lead us to conclude that our assessment in 
the latest annual TIP report remains valid (ref B):  the GOB 
continues to demonstrate a growing political will to combat 
trafficking and improve cooperation with UN agencies and 
NGOs, especially with regard to the trafficking of women and 
children.  However, paltry resources, under trained staff, an 
inability or unwillingness to target corrupt and complicit 
officials, and indifference over the gravity of forced labor 
practices will continue to stymie overall progress on TIP 
issues.  End Comment. 
Martinez