We should aim for the top tier
IT IS easy to see why there was some excitement last week when Malaysia moved up to Tier 2 in the US State Department’s 2017 Trafficking in Persons (TiP) Report.
The previous time we had that ranking was 2005. In between, we were stuck on the Tier 2 Watch List, except for the three years (2007, 2009 and 2014) when we dropped to Tier 3, which is the bottom category.
In the 17 years that the annual report has been published so far, Malaysia has made it to Tier 2 only five times. Tier 1 remains elusive but the Government aims to achieve that ranking by 2020.
We should first be clear about the report’s focus. It looks at the resolve and effectiveness of governments in fighting human trafficking.
It sorts countries into the four tiers based on how much these governmental efforts comply with the “minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking”. These minimum standards are those set out in the US’ Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
When a government fully meets the minimum standards, the country gets Tier 1 status.
A Tier 2 ranking signifies that while the government does not fully meet the minimum standards, it is making significant efforts to comply with them.
And Tier 3 is, of course, for those countries whose governments are not making significant efforts to fully meet the minimum standards.
The Tier 2 Watch List is essentially the Tier 2 with additional factors suggesting that the anti-trafficking efforts may be weakening considerably.
The US Government says the TiP report is its “principal diplomatic tool to engage foreign governments on human trafficking”. For example, Tier 3 countries may be subject to funding restrictions.
Fortunately, that is now a remote concern for Malaysia. We ought to concentrate on getting upgraded to Tier 1.
The US State Department points out that the highest ranking is not a certification that a country is free of human trafficking. It is instead an indication that the government acknowledges the existence of human trafficking, tries to address the problem and complies with the minimum standards.
The report is all about what gov- ernments do. But getting to Tier 1 (and staying there) is a goal for the nation and that requires enlightenment, selflessness and hard work on a national scale.
Some of us believe that human trafficking exists only because greedy, heartless people are willing to treat fellow human beings as nothing more than goods to be bought and sold.
It is true that hardcore criminals are often the masterminds behind sex trafficking and forced labour. But we must also realise that we regularly come into contact with many victims of trafficking. At times, we employ them or use their services.
According to the US government, a trafficking victim can be, for example, a person compelled to work through the use of force or physical threats, psychological coercion, abuse of the legal process, deception or other coercive means.
Even if the person has given prior consent to work for an employer, the element of forced labour makes him a trafficking victim and his employer a trafficker.
There is no doubt that Malaysia can do better in its employment practices, particularly in respect of foreign workers.
It will be tough and sometimes painful, but it will be worthwhile because a Tier 1 ranking is the mark of a nation that has its heart in the right place.
The report is all about what governments do. But getting to Tier 1 (and staying there) is a goal for the nation and that requires enlightenment, selflessness and hard work on a national scale .