US embassy cable - 05KINGSTON1531

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINGSTON 001531 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAR (BENT) AND WHA/PPC (PUCCETTI) 
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP (OWEN) AND (ETERNO) 
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD AND J7 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM, KWMN, OPRC, PHUM, PREL, SMIG, JM, TIP 
SUBJECT: OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER DRIVING JAMAICA'S 
ANTI-TIP EFFORTS 
 
REF: A. STATE 097853 
 
     B. KINGSTON 001444 
     C. COWGER/BENT EMAIL 6/15/05 
 
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Summary 
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1. (U) Since the June 3 release of the 2005 Trafficking in 
Persons (TIP) Report (Ref A), the GOJ has not engaged Post on 
the issue, nor has there been any official reaction to the 
Tier 3 Action Plan delivered to the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT) on June 2.  However, 
following a week of sensational media coverage (Ref B) that 
reported (feigned) surprise and disbelief on the part of many 
GOJ officials, there are early signs that trafficking has 
been made a priority and that steps are being taken locally 
to combat TIP.  End Summary. 
 
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New GOJ TIP Coordinator 
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2. (SBU) During a previously scheduled meeting at the 
Ministry of National Security (MNS) on June 14, Poloff 
encountered Karl Hamilton of the Security, Intelligence, and 
Operations Division.  Hamilton was named in an April 14, 2005 
letter from the GOJ as "the focal point for issues relating 
to TIP," but was subsequently out of the office for one month 
preceding the June 3 publication of the 2005 TIP Report. 
Hamilton reported that, due to the timing of his recent 
vacation, his supervisor, Woodrow Smith, has taken over the 
lead role on TIP within MNS.  Hamilton further stated, "We do 
see a problem.  The report is good," adding that TIP in 
Jamaica has not been addressed to date because the Jamaica 
Constabulary Force (JCF) lacks resources and does not 
understand the issue.  He noted that TIP is currently a hot 
topic for the GOJ and that an "internal committee" is working 
on it.  Poloff responded that Post looks forward to working 
with the GOJ on this issue. 
 
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Prime Minister's Office Leading the Way 
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3. (SBU) In a follow-up telephone conversation with Poloff on 
June 15, Hamilton elaborated that, despite Smith's role in 
the process, it is the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT) 
that are currently leading the GOJ's efforts on TIP.  He 
explained that, thanks to the 2005 TIP Report, the GOJ has 
realized the broad scope and serious implications of human 
trafficking in Jamaica, and has escalated the issue 
internally.  Poloff again expressed Post's willingness to 
work together with the GOJ on TIP, urging immediate action in 
consideration of the August 1 deadline and the July 13-16 
visit by Department TIP representatives.  Poloff pointed out 
that the GOJ has not communicated with Post on TIP since the 
release of the Report almost two weeks ago, and that it is 
important for Post to be kept apprised of GOJ anti-TIP 
efforts in order to report progress to Washington.  Hamilton 
said that OPM and MFAFT were driving the issue, and that they 
would contact Post.  He added that "most of the Jamaican 
public seems to be on your side," based on recent media 
coverage of the issue. 
 
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Positive Developments for Local Children 
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4. (U) Extensive media coverage of the TIP Report, and the 
reporting of several TIP-related issues in major news outlets 
in recent weeks appear to indicate that the GOJ is responding 
seriously to the issue (Ref B).  On June 2, the "Jamaica 
Observer" daily newspaper included an article by the GOJ-run 
Jamaica Information Service titled "Report child abuse or 
face prosecution."  In some cases, media exposure of the 
issue may be pressuring the GOJ to take action.  On June 16, 
"The Gleaner" daily newspaper reported that one of four 
caregivers accused of sexually abusing children in a 
state-run children's home was charged in court, more than two 
years after the police reported their findings in the case to 
the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).  While neither 
case qualifies as trafficking in persons, both represent 
heightened government interest in protecting the rights of 
children. 
 
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Kingston Mayor Plans Massage Parlor Raids 
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5. (U) The Gleaner also reported on June 16 that the Kingston 
and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) intended to shut down "more 
than 200 illegal massage parlors" across the capital, in 
cooperation with the Public Health Department and the JCF. 
The three agencies plan to meet the week of June 20 to plan 
the operation against the unlicensed businesses, which Mayor 
of Kingston Desmond McKenzie implied also operate as 
brothels.  McKenzie publicly credited the 2005 TIP Report 
with "focusing attention on an issue that the KSAC has been 
grappling with for over two years."  Winston Bowen, Director 
of Programs at the Child Development Agency, commented to 
Poloff that his agency is prepared to assist in the action to 
ensure that any underage workers discovered in the raids are 
adequately protected. 
 
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GOJ Embracing NGOs and IOs on TIP? 
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6. (U) On June 13, Poloff learned from Betty-Ann Blaine, 
Director of People's Action for Community Transformation 
(PACT), a local NGO funded by USAID, that Jamaican 
immigration officers had on that day participated in a 
training session on trafficking issues at the request of the 
Immigration Department.  Similarly, on June 15, Bertrand 
Bainvel, UNICEF Representative, explained to Poloff that his 
organization is working with the GOJ to train service 
providers on the contents of the Child Care and Protection 
Act. 
 
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Post Forms TIP Working Group 
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7. In order to coordinate Post's efforts to address TIP in 
Jamaica, an internal Working Group has been formed that 
includes representatives from USAID, Pol/Econ, Public 
Affairs, Narcotics Affairs, and the Military Liaison Office, 
whose programs could be seriously affected by Tier 3 
sanctions.  The working group is mapping out a strategy for 
collaborating with the GOJ to achieve goals suggested in the 
Tier 3 Action Plan, and will seek to integrate anti-TIP 
activities into the planning of all relevant USG agencies at 
Post.  The Working Group will also brief, at their request, 
local representatives of international financial institutions 
whose programs may be subject to sanctions. 
 
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Comment 
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8. (SBU) Post is concerned at the lack of communication from 
the GOJ in the two weeks since the release of the TIP Report 
and delivery to MFAFT of the Tier 3 Action Plan.  This may in 
some measure by attributable to a determination by some of 
our GOJ interlocutors not to be seen as "answering to 
instructions from Washington."  With the clock running, we 
are left to inform ourselves largely through media reports, 
and have little idea at this point of the GOJ's specific 
plans to avoid Tier 3 sanctions.  However, media reports are 
encouraging, and Post is cautiously optimistic that the GOJ 
is preparing to take meaningful law enforcement action to 
combat TIP by raiding massage parlors.  It is clear that, as 
Kingston Mayor McKenzie said to the press, the TIP Report has 
"jerked this country" at the highest levels, including the 
Prime Minister's office, which is very likely the invisible 
hand behind many of the recent positive developments about 
which we have been reading.  End Comment. 
TIGHE