US embassy cable - 05KINGSTON1784

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KINGSTON 001784 
 
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: DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS VISIT KINGSTON TO EVALUATE 
GOJ PROGRESS ON TIP 
 
REF: A. STATE 01444 
 
     B. KINGSTON 01611 
     C. SIEBENGARTNER-BENT EMAIL 7/20/05 
     D. KINGSTON 00211 
 
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Summary 
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1. (U) On July 14 and 15, G/TIP Reports Officer Rachel Owen 
and WHA/PPC Senior Labor Advisor Michael Puccetti visited 
Kingston to assess what actions the GOJ had taken to combat 
trafficking in persons (TIP) in the 60-day grace period 
following the June 1 publication of the 2005 TIP Report (Ref 
A).  Poloff accompanied Owen and Puccetti to all of their 
meetings, which included non-governmental and international 
organizations in addition to a meeting with National Security 
Minister Peter Phillips, the GOJ's TIP Task Force, and a 
visit to the office of the Jamaica Constabulary Force's newly 
formed TIP Unit.  Each meeting revealed recent or previously 
undocumented anti-TIP actions on the part of the GOJ, 
including police raids of several local establishments 
suspected of human trafficking.  Emboffs were very encouraged 
at the conclusion of the two-day visit.  End Summary. 
 
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Background to the Visit 
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2. (U) Jamaica was downgraded to Tier 3 status in the 2005 
TIP Report, eliciting strong negative reactions from senior 
GOJ officials.  Following some posturing and disingenuous 
finger-pointing, however, the GOJ appears to have begun 
taking significant steps toward combating trafficking in 
Jamaica.  G/TIP Reports Officer Rachel Owen and WHA/PCC 
Senior Labor Advisor Michael Puccetti traveled to Kingston on 
July 14 and 15 to assess recent GOJ actions and to determine 
whether sufficient effort has been made for the GOJ to be 
upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List and avoid Tier 3 sanctions.  A 
Presidential Determination will be made in September. 
 
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UNICEF and GOJ Collaborating to Implement Child Care Act 
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3. (SBU) On July 14, Department visitors and Poloff met with 
resident UNICEF officials, including Representative Bertrand 
Bainvel, Child Protection Officer Rachel Verity Rushton, and 
Program Coordinator Nada Marasovic.  Bainvel explained that 
UNICEF has worked closely with the GOJ, primarily through the 
Ministry of Health's Child Development Agency, to protect 
children in Jamaica and to educate the public on children's 
rights and raise awareness of trafficking.  Bainvel said 
UNICEF has provided technical and financial support to assist 
with the establishment of the Children's Advocate and 
Children's Registry, both of which were mandated by the 2004 
Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA).  He added that UNICEF 
has assisted in the drafting and production of 2,000 copies 
of CCPA handbooks and the design of training modules that 
will be used to educate approximately 1,000 adults and 
children on the Act, which explicitly prohibits trafficking, 
as early as August 2005.  Bainvel further explained that 
UNICEF had been approached recently by the Child Development 
Agency (CDA) and the GOJ TIP Task Force to measure the scope 
of trafficking in Jamaica, and to assist in the development 
of an action plan to address the problem. 
 
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PACT Says GOJ Embracing NGO Assistance on TIP 
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4. (SBU) Later on July 14, Department visitors and Poloff met 
with representatives of People's Action for Community 
Transformation (PACT), a local USAID-funded NGO that recently 
concluded a one-year program on TIP education.  In attendance 
were Program Director Sheila Nicholson, Consultant Hervin 
Chung, and Claire Spence, FSN Deputy Office Director, 
Kingston USAID Mission.  Post is familiar with PACT's 
activities over the past 12 months, but was interested to 
learn of cases in which the GOJ acted of its own initiative 
to request assistance from PACT in combating trafficking. 
Chung reported that PACT had trained 23 new Jamaica 
Constabulary Force (JCF) recruits at the police academy at 
the request of Deputy Commissioner Jevene Bent, and that the 
police had subsequently developed its own TIP curriculum for 
all incoming officers.  In addition, he said that the JCF had 
requested to sit on PACT's consultative committee on TIP, 
which meets monthly with civil society groups.  Chung also 
noted that the Bureau of Women's Affairs had developed its 
own public education training on TIP, and had reached nearly 
500 people at sessions held across the island.  More 
recently, Chung said, the Office of the Prime Minister had 
requested a training session for its staff, and the 
Immigration Division of the Ministry of National Security had 
requested additional training.  During its TIP project, 
Nicholson reported that PACT had worked with local actors to 
produce a video that will be used in future training sessions. 
 
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Government Homes Protects Vulnerable Children 
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5. (U) On the evening of July 14, Owen, Puccetti, and Poloff 
visited Homestead, a Child Development Agency Place of Safety 
in Kingston for girls between the ages of 14 and 18. 
Accompanying Department visitors and Poloff on the visit were 
Anne-Marie Bonner, Principal Director, Policy Analysis and 
Review Unit, Cabinet Office; Alison Anderson, Chief Executive 
Officer, Child Development Agency; Jennifer Williams, 
Research Coordinator, Bureau of Women's Affairs; and Annette 
Richards, Parish Coordinator, Victim Support Unit, Ministry 
of National Security (MNS).  Anderson explained that the 
facility was different from a traditional shelter in that 
children are remanded to places of safety by the courts and 
are not permitted to leave until other arrangements can be 
made.  The home is protected by round-the-clock security and 
razor-wire fences.  Children are thus protected from 
situations in which they were previously vulnerable to abuse 
and exploitation, including commercial sex work.  At the time 
of the visit, sixty girls resided at the facility, which was 
recently renovated and appeared in good condition.  Owen, 
Puccetti, and Poloff spoke briefly with the director of the 
shelter, who explained that she had at least seven staff 
members on duty at one time, including a full-time trained 
counselor.  The Child Development Agency maintains similar 
places of safety in each of Jamaica's 14 parishes, said 
Anderson. 
 
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GOJ Task Force Outlines Recent Efforts to Combat TIP 
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6. (SBU) On July 15, Department visitors and Poloff attended 
a meeting with the GOJ's TIP Task Force, an interagency 
working group formed in response to the 2004 TIP Report to 
devise a national strategy to combat trafficking.  In 
attendance were representatives from nearly 10 government 
agencies, including Gilbert Scott, Permanent Secretary, MNS; 
Pamela Ingleton, International Organizations Department, 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade; Karl Hamilton, 
Security, Intelligence, and Operations Division, MNS; Osborne 
Bailey, Senior Coordinator, Victim Support Unit, MNS; 
Superintendent Devon Watkis, Superintendent of Police, 
Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF); Charles Scarlette, Deputy 
Commissioner of Police, JCF; Gladys Young, Counsel, Attorney 
General's Office, Ministry of Justice; Marva Ximmines, 
Director, Ministry of Labor and Social Security; Mary Clarke, 
Director, Social Planning and Gender Unit, Planning Institute 
of Jamaica; Audrey Budhi, Program Director, Child Development 
Agency; and Jennifer Williams, Alison Anderson, and 
Anne-Marie Bonner. 
 
7. (SBU) In the area of prosecution, Deputy Commissioner of 
Police Scarlette informed the group of the JCF's "zero 
tolerance approach" to TIP, and described recent covert 
operations that led to raids of at least three bars and 
nightclubs in Portmore and Montego Bay, as well as the 
closure of a notorious "sex market" in Culloden, 
Westmoreland.  Scott added that the Ministry of Justice plans 
to introduce fast-track legislation specific to trafficking 
in order to charge individuals in such cases.  In the area of 
protection, the Ministry of Labor explained that a pilot 
program funded by UNICEF was focused on community-based 
counseling and psychosocial support for local children.  In 
the area of prevention, the Child Development Agency reported 
that it was disseminating details of the Child Care and 
Protection Act to entertainment venues around the country, 
and that hotlines were set up to be used for reporting 
children's issues, including trafficking.  Bonner added that 
the GOJ was planning an event in August in Kingston's 
Emancipation Park to sensitize the public to trafficking. 
Further details of the recent actions taken by the GOJ to 
combat TIP will be reported septel. 
 
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National Security Minister Focused on TIP 
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8. (SBU) At an appointment that had to be rescheduled on 
short notice due to the approach of Hurricane Emily, Owen, 
Puccetti, and Poloff met next with National Security Minister 
Peter Phillips at the Ministry of National Security.  Also in 
attendance at the meeting, which lasted approximately 30 
minutes, were Permanent Secretary Gilbert Scott; Grace Allen 
Young, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health; Carol Palmer, 
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice; Faith Innerarity, 
Director of Social Security, Ministry of Labor and Social 
Security; Charles Scarlette, Deputy Commissioner of Police; 
George Williams, Assistant Commissioner of Police; and 
Anne-Marie Bonner. 
 
9. (SBU) Phillips opened the meeting by recounting some of 
the complaints he had raised at a June 28 meeting with Charge 
(Ref B), including concern over damage to Jamaica's public 
image caused by the Tier 3 designation, and so-called 
communication problems leading up to the downgrade to Tier 3. 
 However, he quickly abandoned his criticisms as "water under 
the bridge" and moved on to concede that, when forced to 
examine the issue, Jamaica had indeed identified "areas we 
can address," including cases of suspected trafficking. 
Offering that "if you go looking, (you can) find things you 
didn't know were there," Phillips explained that two recent 
police raids of nightclubs in Portmore, St. Catherine and 
Montego Bay had turned up cases of suspected trafficking.  He 
deferred to Deputy Commissioner Scarlette for the details. 
Scarlette did not offer specifics on the two raids, but said 
that the JCF was employing a "multisectoral" approach to the 
cases, using health department codes and liquor license 
violations to shut down the some of the clubs that had been 
raided.  He added that a more recent, third investigation in 
the parish of Portland had uncovered a minor working in the 
commercial sex trade. 
 
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GOJ Combating Cross-border Sex Trafficking 
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10. (SBU) Phillips went on to say that, although it was not a 
focus of the Department's 2005 TIP Report, the GOJ had 
undertaken policy reviews of Jamaica's entertainment sector 
with the goal of identifying and eliminating cases of 
cross-border exploitation.  Led by the Ministry of National 
Security, Phillips said the review will include the Ministry 
of Labor's work permit system and the Foreign Ministry's visa 
policy.  The Prime Minister, Phillips said, will not have 
Jamaica's hospitality exploited; he does not want Jamaica to 
become a center for the sex industry, which Phillips pointed 
out often has links to narcotics and terrorism.  Because the 
success of the country's large tourist industry depends on 
the safety and security of its visitors, Phillips said, the 
GOJ is acting urgently to "prevent a permissive atmosphere" 
in Jamaica.  (Note: Prior to Owen and Puccetti's visit, 
Phillips offered the cooperation of Dave Anderson, his 
national security advisor, to discuss the matter of 
cross-border trafficking with Post.  Anderson subsequently 
met with Post's DHS/BICE officer to share information and 
collaborate on investigations.) 
 
11. (SBU) Puccetti thanked Phillips for his views on TIP and 
added that recent comments on trafficking by Information 
Minister Burchell Whiteman in the Jamaica Gleaner were 
constructive (Ref C).  Phillips replied that the government 
is trying to "mobilize the public consciousness" against 
trafficking, calling the effort a struggle against "attitudes 
that are permissive."  He said that a lot of work was going 
into the nation's children's homes, and that the Children's 
Advocate would soon be appointed by the Child Development 
Agency.  Phillips added that the GOJ was considering omnibus 
legislation that would incorporate the provisions of the UN 
protocol on trafficking in persons into domestic law.  In 
closing, Phillips promised that the dialog on TIP would 
continue. 
 
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Veteran Detectives Selected for TIP Unit 
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12. (SBU) Department visitors and Poloff next visited the 
JCF's Organized Crime Investigations Division, from which two 
officers, Detective Sergeant Allan Love and Detective 
Sergeant Dorrett Brown, have been assigned to a specialized 
"Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking Unit."  Love is a 
15-year veteran of the JCF, while Brown has served on the 
force for 20 years.  Both officers report to Deputy 
Superintendent Osmond Wright, a 16-year JCF veteran currently 
under the supervision of Superintendent Devon Watkis.  All 
three officers -- Love, Brown, and Wright -- have received 
TIP training from the International Organization for 
Migration, and Wright has attended a Department of Homeland 
Security training session in Miami on child smuggling. 
Within the Organized Crime Investigations Division, Love and 
Brown have been given their own, shared office, which at the 
time of the visit was furnished and appeared operational. 
The team has so far established a mechanism for recording 
trafficking investigations, but lacks a computer and other 
resources that would make these processes more efficient. 
During the meeting, Watkis specifically requested assistance 
to ease the officers' system of data collection and 
reporting.  Poloff reported that Post was hopeful to be able 
to provide assistance that would facilitate the work of the 
new TIP unit and ensure its viability.  (Note: Post submitted 
a proposal to help fund the TIP Unit on January 24 (Ref D). 
End Note.) 
 
13. (SBU) Superintendent Watkis welcomed Owen, Puccetti, and 
Poloff to the Organized Crime Unit and reported that the JCF 
has raised its commitment to confronting TIP, and said that 
he was aware that efforts should be strengthened in each of 
the "three Ps: prosecution, protection, and prevention." 
Watkis explained that the police had already identified 
places that are centers of suspected trafficking activities, 
including exotic clubs, massage parlors, and schools, where 
students are often vulnerable to traffickers.  He said that 
the police already work with schools to educate students on 
the risks of rape, sexual abuse, and kidnapping.  In 
Culloden, Westmoreland, Watkis said that his officers were 
monitoring the activities of a notorious "sex market" that 
serves as a job fair for young women from around the island 
seeking employment in nightclubs, exotic clubs, and similar 
business linked closely to the commercial sex industry.  The 
activities, Watkis reported, had been disrupted when police 
shut down the operation for failing to meet minimum Ministry 
of Health standards.  He also said that the Bureau of Women's 
Affairs had initiated vocational programs in the area to help 
vulnerable young people develop employment skills. 
 
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Comment 
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14. (SBU) It is clear that the GOJ took very seriously the 
visit of Owen and Puccetti to Kingston, as evidenced by the 
impressive orchestration of one cabinet minister and 
approximately 30 mid- and senior-level officials, including 
permanent secretaries, who attended the meetings over two 
days even while many businesses were shuttered in 
anticipation of the approaching Hurricane Emily.  The fact 
that the very responsive Cabinet Office has assumed the 
portfolio in recent weeks demonstrates attention to the issue 
at the highest levels of the GOJ.  The careful timing of 
police raids was obviously intended to coincide with the 
visit, but also demonstrates the GOJ's ability to get things 
done when the political will exists.  It also made it clear 
that the JCF can coordinate covert investigations and take 
appropriate action when the right pressure is applied. 
Overall, the meetings gave the impression that a concerted 
and well-organized interagency effort is being made within 
the GOJ to increase efforts of prosecution, protection, and 
prevention of trafficking in persons.  Post will continue to 
monitor the GOJ for follow-through on current commitments and 
any further developments.  End Comment. 
TIGHE