Russia, China, Turkey among those cited in US trade report Coronavirus pandemic News

A U.S. State Department report accused the governments of Myanmar, China and Russia of trafficking and forced labor patterns, saying “the government is a trafficker” in China’s Xinjiang province, citing “massive arrests and indoctrination campaigns.” most of them Muslims, and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups, ”for the past four years.

State Department World Report human trafficking released on Thursday by Turkey, a NATO ally, added to the list of countries that “select or use child soldiers” by the armed forces, police or other security forces.

The appointment could result in sanctions for military aid or sales to those countries if the U.S. president does not resign.

“We document 11 countries where the government itself is a trafficker. For example, through forced labor in public works projects or in sectors of the economy that the government believes are particularly important, ”Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference.

“For the 10th year in a row, the report documents how the Cuban government has won foreign medical missions.”

In all, the Biden administration said 17 countries were not doing enough to deal with human trafficking.

The 2021 annual report focused on people who are vulnerable to crises that cause global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and “systemic racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination”.

The Annual Human Trafficking Report (TIP), published since 2001, uses the 2000 Trafficking Protection Victims Act (TVPA) to define “serious” trafficking in human beings as follows:sex trafficking in which the commercial sexual act is caused by force, fraud or violence or the person who is motivated to perform such an act ”is not 18.

The definition also includes: “Hiring, sheltering, transporting, supplying or obtaining a person for work or services for the purpose of enduring force, fraud or involuntary servitude.”

Although the exact figures are unknown, “the estimate we often mention is that nearly 25 million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking,” Blinken said. “A lot of them are forced commercial sex work. Many are forced to work in factories or fields or join armed groups. Millions of victims of trafficking are children. This crime is an affront to human rights. “

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The TIP report classifies countries by level according to whether they meet the minimum standard for eliminating human trafficking according to TVPA.

There are three levels. Level 1 includes governments that fully meet the minimum standards. Level 2 the report says there are governments that do not meet the requirements, “but are making great efforts to meet themselves.”

There is a Level 2 monitoring list that includes “the number of victims of serious types of trafficking that is very significant or significantly increasing” and states that “do not provide evidence of a greater effort to deal with serious forms of trafficking”. last year ”.

The worst level, level 3, is for countries that “do not fully meet minimum standards for governments” and do not make much effort to do so. Being classified at this level means that the country “may have some restrictions on foreign aid” if the president decides to retain it.

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

The move will come later Banned by the US three Malaysian companies in the palm oil and electronics industry over the past year have been concerned about forced labor and excessive working and living conditions.

Azry Akmar Ayob, a member of the Malaysian Police Anti-Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Division, told Reuters on June 30 that these labor issues are not widespread.

The lowest level U.S. opponents also include China treatment of the Uyghur minority stood out – Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Nicaragua, Syria, Russia, Venezuela and others.

Influence of COVID

The report particularly highlights the impact of pandemics on those involved in traffic and crime prevention.

Women and the children were severely affected by the pandemic, the report said, in the face of food and economic insecurity.

The lock meant To stop the spread of COVID-19, which led to a “lack of credible and accurate data” as it “challenged effective and efficient efforts to combat trafficking around the world” and increased severe economic security.

“It was clear that COVID-19 exacerbated the vulnerabilities of millions of people and led to efforts to combat human trafficking,” he continued.

A woman wearing a face mask has been spotted in the blockade in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province and at the Chinese epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, since it was blocked on April 14, 2020 [File: Aly Song/Reuters]

According to a report by the Office for Democracy and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Office for Security and Cooperation of the UN Women, “almost 70% of survivors of trafficking in 35 countries reported their financial well-being was severely affected by COVID-19.”

However, reports found that anti-trafficking organizations and governments had “found ways to adapt and overcome the challenges that created new relationships”.

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

Blinken also rewarded eight “TIP Report Heroes,” including survivors, including government employees and employees of non-governmental organizations.

Among them was Mohammed al-Obaidly, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs of Qatar.

The TIP report acknowledges that Qatar has it still unresolved all of his “human trafficking” or labor rights issues, but al-Obaidy “and his ministry team have continued with the goal of increasing transparency and protection against forced labor for migrant workers”.

While the TIP report is based on global efforts to combat human trafficking, Blinken acknowledges Deficiencies in the US.

Improving partnerships with partners around the world “should include our role in fulfilling our role in shedding violence and dehumanizing duty, and we must work to correct those wrongs in the past,” Blinken said.