A report by the US State Department accused the governments of Myanmar, China, and Russia of trafficking and forced labor, and called “the government a trafficker” in China’s Xinjiang Province, citing “massive detentions and political indoctrination campaigns against Uyghurs. They mainly Are Muslims, as well as members of other ethnic and religious minorities”, in the past four years.

State Department on Global Human trafficking The report released on Thursday also included NATO ally Turkey on the list of countries that recruited or used child soldiers by “armed forces, police or other security forces.”

Unless the President of the United States issues an exemption, this designation may imply sanctions on military aid or sales to these countries.

“We recorded 11 countries where the government itself is traffickers. For example, through public works projects or forced labor in economic sectors that the government considers particularly important,” Secretary of State Anthony Brinken said at a press conference.

“The report has recorded for 10 consecutive years how the Cuban government has profited from exploitative overseas medical missions.”

The Biden administration stated that a total of 17 countries have not done enough to combat human trafficking.

Blinken said that the 2021 annual report will also focus on people who have caused social inequities due to global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and “systemic racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination.

The annual Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) published since 2001 uses the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) to define “serious” human trafficking as “Sex trade Among them, commercial sex is induced by force, fraud or coercion, or the person who induces such behavior is not 18.

The definition also includes “recruiting, harbouring, transporting, providing or obtaining someone to provide labor or service for the purpose of involuntary slavery through the use of force, fraud or coercion.”

Although the exact number is unknown, “the estimate we often quote is that nearly 25 million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking,” Brinken said. “Many people are forced Commercial workMany people are forced to work in factories or fields, or join armed groups. Millions of victims of human trafficking are children. This crime is an affront to human rights. “

Rank list

The TIP report ranks countries based on their compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking under the TVPA.

There are three floors. Tier 1 includes governments that fully meet the minimum standards. level 2 The report stated that it includes governments that do not meet the requirements “but are making major efforts to meet the requirements.”

There is a tier 2 watch list, which includes countries that “estimate the number of victims of severe forms of human trafficking are very high or are increasing significantly”, as well as those countries that have failed to “provide evidence that they are stepping up efforts to combat severe forms of human trafficking from China.” Countries of Human Trafficking”. Previous year”.

The worst level, level 3, applies to countries that “its government does not fully meet the minimum standards” and have not made major efforts to achieve this. Ranking at this level means that if the president decides to suspend, the country “may be subject to certain foreign aid restrictions.”

The State Department downgraded Malaysia and Guinea-Bissau to level 3 this year.

This move is U.S. banned Last year, three Malaysian companies in the palm oil and electronics industries were concerned about forced labor and poor working and living conditions.

Azry Akmar Ayob, a member of the Anti-Human Trafficking and Anti-Smuggling Immigration Department of the Malaysian Police, told Reuters on June 30 that such labor problems are not widespread.

This Lowest level Also includes the U.S. rival China-their Treatment of Uyghur minorities Highlighted-Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Nicaragua, Syria, Russia, Venezuela, etc.

The impact of COVID

The report specifically emphasized the impact of the pandemic on human trafficking and people working to stop crime.

female According to the report, children and people facing food and economic insecurity have been severely affected by the pandemic.

Blockade means Stop the spread of COVID-19According to the report, this has led to a “lack of credible and accurate data”, “posed a challenge to effective and efficient anti-trafficking work in the world” and exacerbated economic insecurity.

“It is clear that COVID-19 has increased the vulnerability of millions of people and has adversely affected efforts to combat human trafficking,” it continued.

On April 14, 2020, a woman wearing a mask was seen on the street after the lockdown was lifted in the capital of Hubei Province and China’s COVID-19 outbreak center [File: Aly Song/Reuters]

It cited a report by the Office of European Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and UN Women’s Office of Security and Cooperation, which “emphasized that nearly 70% of human trafficking survivors from 35 countries reported that their financial situation was serious Damaged. Affected by COVID-19″.

The report stated that anti-trafficking organizations and the government still found “a way to adapt and establish new relationships to overcome challenges”.

“Some governments and organizations have conducted in-depth evaluations to identify changing trends. Others use technology to drive innovative solutions.”

Brinken also honored eight “TIP report heroes”, including survivors, government employees, and NGO employees.

These include Mohammed al-Obaidly, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs of Qatar.

The TIP report acknowledges that Qatar has Not resolved yet All “human trafficking” or labor rights issues, but al-Obaidy “and his team in the ministry continue to work towards the goal of increasing transparency and protecting migrant workers from forced labor.”

Although the TIP report focuses on global efforts to combat human trafficking, Blinken acknowledges America’s own shortcomings.

Brinken said that improved cooperation with global partners must “include acceptance of our role in perpetuating violent and dehumanized people, and we must work to correct these past mistakes.”