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World: U.S. Diplomat leads charge against human trafficking
By Don Hill
August 6, 2004
The U.S. diplomat in charge of leading an American worldwide campaign against
what is called "trafficking in people" says that no nation in the world --
including the United States itself -- is doing enough to combat the practice.
Prague - Miller heads the U.S. State Department's office to combat "trafficking
in persons," but the title, he says, is too mild for the crime it describes.
"What we're talking about," he said, "is human slavery."
A former congressman from the state of Washington, the ambassador speaks on his
chosen topic in language atypical for politicians and diplomats. He told a
press briefing today at RFE/RL's Prague headquarters that countries that treat
people trafficking lightly are allowing abductions, beatings, and rapes by the
thousands.
He said that he will urge the Czech government to move cautiously as it
considers proposed new legislation to legalize and regulate prostitution.
"In our view, while it is important to treat the victims [prostitutes]
humanely, and while a good case can be made, when you are talking about
prostitution, for de-criminalizing when it comes to the women involved, the
idea of legalizing the activities of the customers, the pimps, the brothel
owners, regulating -- making the state the chief pimp -- our experience is that
will just be throwing oil on the fire," Miller said.
Today marks the second day of Miller's three-day visit to the Czech Republic.
The ambassador said that early in its transition from communism to a market
economy, the Czech Republic was what he calls a "source country" for slaves --
women and children forced into prostitution, and men into factory and farm
labor in other countries. But he said that has changed.
"We are not happy with what is going on in Russia. They took some steps, they
passed a new law with some criminal provisions. They cooperated a little more
with NGOs. But overall the effort was weak and we dropped Russia from Tier 2 to
Tier on the watch list," the ambassador recently stated.
"As the Czech economy has grown, the nature of the problem has changed," Miller
said. "Today if we look at trafficking in persons, or slavery, in the Czech
Republic, we are talking about the Czech Republic as a destination country.
People coming from Eurasia, Eastern Europe to the Czech Republic, engaging,
being forced, into the various types of slavery. Although, talking with the
NGOs, it is clear that the leading form of slavery in the Czech Republic is sex
slavery."
Miller said he will advise the Czech leadership that, in considering the
legislation, they will be choosing what kind of tourism they want their country
to be known for. He asked if Prague really wants to be famous for, in his
phrase, "sex tourism."
The United States has announced a fund of $120 million for its antislavery
program. And one of Miller's tasks is to travel the world applying grants,
advice, pressure, and -- possibly -- threats of sanctions to get other
countries to take the issue seriously also.
Already, he said, the campaign has scored successes. He said that
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan --
among others -- have taken actions that have moved them from his office's list
of countries who ignore the problem to its list of countries that have taken
significant steps against it.
He said that Russia has moved in the opposite direction and his office has
re-listed it. He said his office now considers Russia as belonging to the tier
-- or level -- of countries doing little or nothing to combat human slavery.
"This [human trafficking] is a serious problem in Russia. Russia is not only a
destination country. Russia is a source country, too, and it's a transit
country," Miller said. "We are not happy with what is going on in Russia. They
took some steps, they passed a new law with some criminal provisions. They
cooperated a little more with NGOs. But overall the effort was weak and we
dropped Russia from Tier 2 to Tier on the watch list."
Miller said he wants to persuade countries to adopt stringent laws against
abducting, smuggling, and enslaving people. He said he hopes for comprehensive
antitrafficking programs including prohibiting, punishing, and preventing this
crime. He also wants, he said, education to warn people of the dangers
involved. And to make evident to governments that enslaving and trafficking
human beings is a vile crime of major proportions.
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