US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI3742

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 003742 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, INL, DRL, NEA/RA, AND NEA/ARP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/14 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, TC, PK 
SUBJECT: CHILD CAMEL JOCKEY DEATH UNCOVERS MORE CHALLENGES 
 
 
Classified by Richard A. Albright, Charge d'Affaires, a.i. 
reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (U) SUMMARY:  The death of an underage camel jockey 
trafficked to the UAE from Pakistan has highlighted the fact 
that trafficking problems remain in the UAE.  Despite 
regulations passed to prohibit the use of foreign children as 
camel jockeys, there are a number of factors that hamper 
implementation of the prohibition. These range from spotty 
implementation in the UAE to trafficking networks in source 
countries.  In an unusual disclosure, the Pakistani Embassy 
has told us that powerful interests in Pakistan have had a 
significant influence in furthering the practice of 
exploiting and trafficking of their native children here in 
the UAE. END SUMMARY 
 
TRAGIC DEATH OF YOUNG BOY 
------------------------- 
 
2.  (U) In an October 8 story in the "Pakistan Tribune" 
newspaper, human rights organization Ansar Burney Welfare 
Trust International (ABWTI) announced that the body of a 
five-year-old Pakistani boy who was killed from injuries 
sustained while working as a camel jockey would be returned 
to Pakistan on October 15.  The child, Mohammed Kaleem, 
fell off a camel during training in Al Ain on September 15. 
The camel trampled him, causing serious head and body 
injuries that caused a coma and ultimately his death on 
September 28. 
 
3.  (SBU) Poloff's contact at the Ministry of Interior would 
not comment on specifics of the case, but he emphasized that 
this particular case was a "wake-up call" and had motivated 
the UAEG to conduct a full investigation on all aspects of 
the case.  The MOI islooking for a "sustainable solution to 
this problem", and is researching alternatives to using 
children as camel jockeys, based on models used in Australia 
and the United States. 
 
4.  (C) Poloff met with Pakistan Embassy Consular Officer 
Imran Haider (PLEASE PROTECT) on October 13 to verify the 
details of the report and received a substantive assessment 
of Pakistan Embassy view and their perspective on the road 
ahead to combat this trafficking-in-persons issue.  Haider 
has been working on the camel jockey issue for the last 
three years.  He claimed that his work has been responsible 
for the safe return of 158 underage child camel jockeys to 
date, and that he is in the process of returning 86 more. 
When asked by Poloff if his embassy was satisfied with UAEG 
cooperation on this issue, he said that the UAEG was making 
progress, although it still had a long way to go.  He 
recognized that while President Sheikh Zayed and other 
leaders were firm in their desire to outlaw exploitation of 
children in camel races, he realized that upholding the 
laws and regulations was difficult.  He stated further that 
problems continue due to some shortfalls in his own 
government's processes. 
 
PROBLEMS IN PAKISTAN CONTRIBUTE TO TRAFFICKING CRISIS 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
5.  (C) Haider explained that while the official Pakistani 
government stance is to enforce the law against the 
exploitation of children, there are powerful interests in 
his country that have significant influence and turn a 
blind eye to the practice of exploiting and trafficking of 
their native children.  This makes for a complicated 
political environment, he said.  Pakistani immigration 
officials receive bribes in exchange for issuing improper 
travel and identification documents that allow children who 
are accompanied by parents (or those posing as their 
parents) to enter the UAE illegally. 
 
6. (U) The desperate poverty in Pakistan is a fertile 
environment for the violations of these laws, Haider added, 
noting that many children are bought from their parents for 
25,000 rupees (427USD), with the promise of being trained 
to work in palaces.  They are sold to the smugglers at a 
very young age for 250,000 rupees (4,270USD) and brought to 
the UAE.  According to Haider, once a child is trained as a 
camel jockey, he becomes priceless, since his work can earn 
huge awards for camel owners who win races.  However, these 
children are often abused and underfed in order to keep 
their weight down.  While a jockey's age should not be less 
than 15 years, per the September 2002 presidential decree 
banning the use of foreign children as camel jockeys, 
Haider stated that children as young as 2 years old are 
brought into the country illegally. 
 
7.  (C) Haider believes that there are significant holes in 
the Pakistani immigration process that contribute to the 
problem of human trafficking.  In a separate conversation on 
October 16, Ambassador met with the Pakistani Ambassador and 
confirmed this assessment. The Pakistani Ambassador stated he 
had become aware of the issuance of false passports to 
underage boys at the Pakistani consulate in Dubai.  As a 
result, Islamabad is sending an inspection team to the UAE to 
investigate his Consulate General in Dubai, their immigration 
procedures, and the possibility of corruption. 
 
THE HEARTBREAKING TALE CONTINUES 
--------------------------------- 
 
8.  (U) When asked why it took so long to get the boy's 
body back to Pakistan, Haider told Poloff that he had been 
quietly negotiating with the UAE government.  He stated 
that he could not take the body back until the owner of the 
camel stable released custody of the deceased boy's 
brother, also a fully trained camel jockey.  After much 
resistance, the stable owner acquiesced. This case had very 
high visibility in the Pakistani media.  Haider then 
brought in the brother to introduce to Poloff. The brother 
looked to be a small, underfed 8 year old.  His passport 
stated he was 17 years old, confirming a forgery of his 
birth date.  The young boy was staying in the embassy while 
waiting to return to Pakistan, destined for foster care. 
He did not know who his real parents were. 
 
ALBRIGHT