Taipei, Nov. 22 (CNA) A visiting anti-trafficking envoy of the United States on Monday lauded Taiwan's efforts in combating modern slavery and called for intensified prosecutions of traffickers in the future.
Taiwan's achievement could be seen in its being the only Asian country to move into Tier 1 -- the highest rank -- in the U.S. Department of State's 2010 Trafficking in Persons report, said Luis CdeBaca, ambassador-at-large of the U.S. Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, at a press roundtable.
The ambassador, in Taiwan for a five-day visit, met Premier Wu Den-yih Monday morning before attending the press briefing organized by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) , the U.S. representative office in Taiwan in the absence of official diplomatic ties.
He said the authorities of Taiwan, a destination, source and transit territory for men, women and children subjected to forced prostitution and forced labor, have fully complied with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.
The most unique part in Taiwan's efforts is its victim protection approach over the past few years, most notably providing victims with work permits and allowing them to earn income while waiting to testify in cases against their traffickers or to be deported, CdeBaca said.
In some Asian countries, most victims were "locked up" in shelters or detention centers.
"That makes Taiwan stand very tall in the region as far as its compassion and pragmatic treatment (of trafficking victims) , " he said.
He also praised Taiwan for training law enforcement and labor officials on victim identification and protection and working with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
He called on Taiwanese officials, however, to "continue to intensify their prosecution efforts" and to extend labor protection to all categories of workers. He also cited victim identification as a challenge in Taiwan.
Asked if Taiwan's lack of official diplomatic ties with source countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, could hamper its efforts, CdeBaca said that in bilateral agreements between those countries and destination countries, some labor protection provisions were built in to ensure foreign workers' rights, such as guaranteeing a minimum wage and a day off per week.
The ambassador did not believe, however, that the lack of diplomatic ties made Taiwan a favored country for traffickers, citing instead Taiwan's "vibrant economy and vibrant opportunities."
With regards to the possible impact of decriminalizing prostitution on human trafficking, he said the legalization of indoor prostitution in the U.S. did "create a zone of impunity in which traffickers can operate and law enforcement cannot go, " and some of the concerns could also apply in Taiwan.
After being ranked as a Tier 2 country from 2007-2009 in the annual Trafficking in Persons report, Taiwan regained Tier 1 status this year, which it enjoyed from 2001-2004.
Taiwan was rated Tier 2 in 2005 and was put on the Tier 2-Watch List in 2006, its lowest rank in the past decade. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls