The report summarises:
...The Government of Oman does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. The government’s enactment of anti-trafficking legislation and completion of its first prosecution under these provisions demonstrated increased commitment to combating trafficking during the reporting period....
The prosecution was the key, along with the distribution of leaflets to the manual labourers. The new American Ambassador will I'm sure be happy not to be being berated by Oman's Foreign Undersec this year!
Meanwhile, its now the UAE's turn to whine. The UAE Government officials responsible for their countries performance are now the ones sulking about how unfair their downgrade from Tier 2 to to Tier 2 Watch List is and that (naturally) its not their fault. LOL.
Gulf News:
....Rashid Musabah Al Kindi, member of the Federal National Council who sits on a committee for labour issues, said the report was not fair and the UAE was made to pay for other people's mistakes, referring to fraudsters in other countries who lure young women to the UAE for job opportunities and force them into prostitution.
On the issue of passports, he said: "Keeping workers' passports is the employer's right and not a violation for human rights as stated in the report".
"In case workers commit a crime then it is the employer's responsibility and keeping his passport will prevent him from leaving the country."
Abdul Rahim Al Shahin, also a member of the FNC, questioned why the UAE was being "attacked" when other countries' violations were not being talked about.
These countries would no way be working as hard as they are to improve the way they are dealing with Human Trafficking if it wasn't for this US report and the threat of trade sanctions it carries. The oft noted 'we don't read it/believe it, its all what we want to do anyway' crap is so laughable.
Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police, said: "I stopped reading these reports several years ago. It's full of contradictions". He questioned the credibility of a report coming from a state "that violates human rights in front of the whole world".
"Our conscience dictates our efforts, and not the US government," he said.
Yeah, which is why you're back in T2WL...
The recently released video-nasty of a member of the UAE Royal Familty torturing an Afgan grain dealer, and the initial acceptance of it by the UAE Government, probably didn't help either. Nor too the fact that during the year a member of a UAE ruling family and six of her traveling party were charged by a Belgian court for subjecting at least 17 Asian and Middle Eastern girls into forced labor as domestic servants.
But we need to keep our efforts going in Oman or we'll be back on the Watch List too next year. More needs to be done for the housemaids especially, and the manual laborers, and for the poor prostitutes being hidden away in Ruwi and Adam. We need shelters for Domestic maids to flee to, and support from the Government to take their abusive employers to court. The practice of passport confiscation remains widespread. The practice of Omani men going on sex tours to Thailand is never mentioned in the media, nor the fact that they are indirectly supporting the enslavement of innocent girls and women.
The Unions should be supported more too - afterall, they are what forced the West's industry to improve safety and working conditions (before later going a bit power crazy and bankrupting companies like GM). It's quite bizaar, for example, that apparently the head of Galfar's Workers Union is... their senior HR Director. No conflict of interest there then...
The only thing that pisses me off about this is that the Yanks seems to think they are our moral guardians. They have to get their own house in order first..illegal immigrants working, with the full knowledge of authorities in jbs regarding safety...then...accidents! Of 39 countries subject to a road safety survey from driver & driver training qualifications to laws and regulations the USA came in at 34! The USA has an appauling record for road safety, training and regulations, some third world countries like Cambodia and Vietnam are doing more regarding the compulsary wearing of crash helmets! They only wear them playing rugby, whimps!
ReplyDeleteI've no objections to these 'surveys' but I do object to the USA dong it rather than an impartial international body.
DA
ReplyDeleteWell, obviously. Name me such an international agency you trust more than the faceless beaurocrats (sp?) of the US State Dept. reporting under a transparent rule of law..., and I'll read that too.
Its no accident the USA is excluded. It prevides a degree of independence. Like I have said before, just because a hypocite says something, doesn't mean it isn't true, or that you should ignore it.
And they are paying for it.