Reuters, 27/07 17:45 CET
By Jason Szep and David Brunnstrom
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The
United States upgraded Malaysia in an annual report on human trafficking
on Monday, despite calls by human rights groups and nearly 180 U.S.
lawmakers to keep the Southeast Asian country on a list of worst
offenders for failing to suppress trafficking.
The U.S. State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons
report also upgraded Cuba from its lowest rank for the first time since
it was included in the annual report in 2003.
South Sudan, Burundi, Belize, Belarus and Comoros were
downgraded to the lowest rank, Tier 3, where Thailand remained for a
second year, alongside countries with some of the world’s worst
trafficking records, including Iran, North Korea and Zimbabwe.
Malaysia’s expected upgrade to the so-called “Tier 2
Watch List” status from Tier 3 removes a potential barrier to President
Barack Obama’s signature 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership trade
agreement, or TPP.
Congress approved legislation in June, giving Obama
expanded trade negotiating powers but prohibiting deals with Tier 3
countries such as Malaysia.
After a July 8 Reuters report on plans to upgrade
Malaysia, 160 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 18 U.S.
senators wrote to Secretary of State John Kerry, urging him to keep
Malaysia on Tier 3. They said there was no justification for an upgrade
and questioned whether the plan was motivated by a desire to keep the
country in the TPP.
U.S. Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security,
Democracy, and Human Rights Sarah Sewall rejected the notion that any
political considerations had influenced Malaysia’s ranking.
Full article available here: Human Trafficking Report
Source: Euronews
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