US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT1729

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 001729 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI AND G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, KCRM, KWMN, PGOV, PREL, KU 
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER: GOK SERIOUS ABOUT COMBATING TIP 
 
REF: SECSTATE 76897 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: The Ambassador demarched Foreign Minister 
Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Al-Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah on Department 
concerns regarding Kuwait's Trafficking in Persons (TIP) 
status (reftel).  While highlighting a strong U.S. desire to 
work with the GOK, the Ambassador raised specific concerns 
about domestic employees and child jockeys and urged the 
implementation of key steps that would strengthen Kuwait's 
efforts to combat and prevent trafficking and avoid 
designation as a TIP Tier Three country.  The Foreign 
Minister assured the Ambassador that Kuwait was very serious 
about confronting trafficking issues and pointed to several 
recent GOK initiatives designed to combat TIP.  He also 
expressed concern that a Tier Three ranking would send a 
message to the GOK that its efforts are not recognized by the 
U.S. The Ambassador provided the Minister a copy of the 
reftel talking points. End Summary. 
 
2. (C) During an April 27 meeting with Foreign Minister 
Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Al-Sabah, the Ambassador raised reftel 
concerns regarding Kuwait's status on Trafficking in Persons 
issues.  The Foreign Minister recognized that TIP problems 
exist in Kuwait and said the GOK is making serious efforts to 
respond to them.  He stated that the GOK is committed to 
resolving the problem and mentioned that these problems are a 
key reason that Kuwait has an elected Parliament; to deal 
with such issues openly and with transparency. 
 
3. (C) Shaykh Dr. Mohammed expressed frustration over the 
possibility of Kuwait being designated a Tier Three country. 
He reported that the April 24 protest by approximately 800 
Bangladeshi workers in front of the Bangladeshi Embassy and 
subsequent storming of the Embassy by one hundred 
Bangladeshis who claimed to have not received their salaries, 
some for up to five months, surprised the Cabinet Ministers. 
He explained that the GOK had recently set up a "cumbersome" 
and transparent system between employers and banks to ensure 
workers are not denied their salaries and to protect them 
from abuse.  He said that the Bangladeshi incident was 
discussed during the April 26 Cabinet meeting during which 
the Ministers asked themselves how the new policy could have 
gone wrong.  (Note: Six busloads of Bangladeshi workers 
staged a protest April 24 outside the Bangladeshi Embassy 
demanding the Embassy intervene in alleged disputes about 
non-payment of salaries.  A small group of them stormed the 
Embassy damaging furniture and equipment.  The Ministry of 
Social Affairs and Labor said that the cleaning company that 
employed many of the protesters promised to pay the unpaid 
Bangladeshi laborers over the next three days.  The Ministry 
is also filing a case against the cleaning company for 
violating the terms and conditions of its contract by not 
paying its employees. End Note.) 
 
4. (C) The Foreign Minister admitted that Kuwait still has 
TIP-related problems, but he pointed out that the GOK has 
allowed groups such as the licensed NGO, the Kuwait Human 
Rights Society, to serve as watchdogs to "alert and annoy" 
the Government when things go wrong.  He said the GOK doesn't 
mind discussing the issue, will continue to be transparent, 
and will work to prevent such abuses in Kuwait.  He asked 
that Kuwait be treated fairly and insisted that the GOK has 
taken some "enormous and forward-leaning actions" to counter 
trafficking.  He also mentioned that some in the GOK would be 
discouraged if Kuwait were ranked as a Tier Three country, a 
decision that would send the message that no matter what 
efforts the GOK undertakes, there would be no change in the 
result.  The Ambassador expressed appreciation for the GOK's 
commitment to continue working with the U.S. on combating 
TIP. 
 
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LEBARON