US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI2486

UNCLAS TAIPEI 002486 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS AIT/WASHINGTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CM, PGOV, PHUM, PREL, SMIG, TW, Human Rights/TIP 
SUBJECT: TAIWAN REACTION TO TIP DOWNGRADE: SUBDUED IN 
PUBLIC, DISAPPOINTED IN PRIVATE 
 
REF: STATE 98061 
 
1. (SBU) Public reaction to Taiwan's downgrade from "Tier 1" 
to "Tier 2" in the 2005 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report 
has been surprisingly subdued.  Press coverage, in fact, was 
so light that AIT did not proceed with inviting the Taiwan 
media to a coffee with the Deputy Director on June 6.  On 
June 5, five Taiwan newspapers covered the Department's June 
3 TIP report release.  These articles were all "straight" 
news reports without any commentary.  Only two of the 
articles mentioned Taiwan government reaction.  Privately, 
Taiwan officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) 
and the Ministry of Interior (MOI) told AIT they did not 
understand why Taiwan had been downgraded when Taipei had 
done all that the USG had requested. 
 
2. (SBU) Chinese language newspapers "China Times," "Liberty 
Times," and "Apple Daily" all reported that Taiwan had been 
downgraded because of insufficient protection for trafficking 
victims, particularly for women and girls from the PRC.  The 
"China Times" article quoted Justice Minister Shih Mao-ling 
as saying the PRC and Taiwan should put aside political 
differences and work together to combat human trafficking 
between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.  The "Liberty 
Times" article quoted a statement by Taiwan's Mainland 
Affairs Council (MAC) that Taiwan regards human trafficking 
as a very important issue and will continue to take 
appropriate action to repatriate Chinese trafficking victims. 
 English language dailies "China Post" and "Taiwan News" did 
not publish their own articles, but rather used international 
wire services to report on the TIP report. 
 
3. (SBU) AIT delivered the news of Taiwan's official 
downgrade from Tier 1 to Tier 2 to MOFA and MOI on June 3, 
about eight hours before the Secretary's scheduled 
announcement in Washington.  When AIT arrived, MOI Vice 
Minister Chien Tai-lang said "I hope you are bringing good 
news." Both Chien and MOFA North American Affairs Director 
Victor Chin said they could not understand Taiwan's 
downgrade, particularly since Taiwan authorities had been so 
cooperative and done all that the USG had asked on TIP.  AIT 
used the talking-points from Washington (reftel) to explain 
the issue of "inadequate protection," the primary reason for 
the downgrade.  AIT explained that the UN Protocol stipulates 
that protection of trafficking victims who cooperate with 
prosecutors means making residence permits available as an 
alternative to sending victims back to countries where they 
face retribution.  Chien and Chin expressed doubt that Taiwan 
could implement this policy, noting that if PRC citizens 
learned that Taiwan grants TIP victims residence permits, the 
flood gates of illegal immigration would open. 
 
PAAL