Blog #8 Thailand Human Trafficking Problems Continue to Draw Scrutiny

Thailand, which is classified as a Tier Two country on the U.S. State Department's Trafficking in Persons list, is in danger of dropping to the Tier three level which is at the very bottom. Countries not showing any improvement in their effort to combat human trafficking for two years at the Tier Two level, automatically drop to the Tier Three level. At this point, no-humanitarian sanctions are possible. Human trafficking in Thailand is actually increasing. There are laws in place to help fight the human trafficking problem in Thailand, but there is reluctance to help the victims. The police have been accused of being predatory and involved in the human trafficking problem. Thailand is being criticized for having a weak legal system in regards to human trafficking, corruption within the law enforcement community, and poor victim identification. Girls as young as 11 are being sent directly to the homes of clients which makes it difficult to detect the true enormity of the problem. Chutintorn Gongsakdi, Thailand's Ministry for Foreign Affairs Deputy Director General for International Organizations, is trying to defend Thailand's anti-trafficking efforts, but it may be too little too late.

I have made mention in past blogs concerning human trafficking that corruption within law enforcement and government agencies can make it nearly impossible to curtail human trafficking in many countries. Thailand is in great danger of moving to the Tier Three level along with North Korea, Cuba, and Burma. These countries are the worst at defending human trafficking victims and fighting this terrible problem. Until the problem of deep rooted corruption within its law enforcement agencies is removed, Thailand stands to remain at the level that it is at now. The government officials in Thailand can talk the talk, but the increase in human trafficking in that countries tells the world that they are not walking the walk. Fancy talk, promises,and rhetoric can't hide the truth of what is really going on in Thailand.

http://www.voanews.com/khmer-english/news/Thailand-Human-Trafficking-Problems-Continue-to-Draw-Scrutiny-142618736.html