*EPF409 03/04/2004
Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking Increasing, U.S. Official Says
(Anti-trafficking laws, prosecutions, and international cooperation on the rise) (860)

By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent

United Nations -- In the past year, more governments have taken action to combat trafficking in persons -- a modern-day form of slavery -- than in the past decade, a senior U.S. State Department official said March 3.

John R. Miller, director of the U.S. State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, said that in the past year there have been "more comprehensive anti-trafficking laws passed, from the Philippines to Georgia to Burkina Faso . . . more prosecution of traffickers and massive arrests from countries as wide ranging as Serbia to Cambodia."

A former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Miller is also a senior advisor to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell. In February he traveled to Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, and Japan to strengthen partnerships in the global fight against trafficking in persons. Miller was at U.N. headquarters to participate in discussions on this issue during the annual session of the Commission on the Status of Women. He held a press briefing as part of his effort to raise awareness of this human rights issue.

An annual survey of human trafficking conducted by the State Department estimates that 800,000 to 900,000 men, women and children are being trafficked into slavery across international borders around the world every year. An estimated 18,000 to 20,000 are trafficked into the United States every year. Those statistics do not include trafficking within a country's borders.

In his 2003 speech to the opening of the U.N. General Assembly, President Bush devoted 20 percent of his remarks to the fight against slavery, saying that this issues is a U.S. priority. Calling trafficking "a special evil in the abuse and exploitation of the most innocent," Bush committed $50 million to support the global fight against human trafficking, Miller noted.

The largest and fastest growing form of slavery is trafficking in persons for prostitution, followed by trafficking for forced labor, he said. Domestic servitude and forced recruitment of children as soldiers are two other forms of human trafficking prevalent in parts of the world.

"Trafficking in persons is, in a way, a euphemism for the slave trade. It is not illegal smuggling, not illegal immigration," Miller said.

This form of modern-day slavery is an "incredible 21st century human rights issue," Miller said. "It stretches into every country in the world; it poses human rights threats, health threats, security threats. We now believe that people trafficking is the third biggest source of revenue for organized crime after drugs and arms."

"Every government in the world has to take this issue seriously. There has to be the political will," he said.

"The good news is that countries are starting to awake. . . . More and more citizens are starting to appreciate that this issue is with us. Countries, governments are starting to undertake efforts" to combat the trafficking, the State Department official said.

Secretary of State Powell and President Bush believe that "in the last year there have been more steps taken by more governments -- sometimes working together, sometimes working separately -- to combat slavery than has been taken in the preceding decade," Miller said.

The U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 called for an annual global survey on the trade in persons. The most comprehensive international overview of this form of criminal activity, the report examined trafficking activities in 120 countries. It found that more than 100 of the nations surveyed were taking significant strides to tighten their laws and improve their enforcement in order to crack down on trafficking in human beings.

"Another area where there are improvements is cooperation among countries," Miller said, citing Cambodia and the United States as a recent example. Cambodia arrested three U.S. tourists who were using child prostitutes. The tourists were extradited to the United States and federal authorities have started prosecutions.

Miller also said an outpouring of effort from the non-governmental, non-profit community has also furthered the cause in a number of countries. "They are the leaders, particularly when it comes to education of potential victims and rehabilitating and protecting the victims once they are rescued," he said.

But the United States is not merely urging other governments to become more aggressive in ending this criminal activity, Miller said. In addition to the international survey, an annual assessment of human trafficking activity within the U.S. is conducted by authorities.

"One the plus side, the U.S. has a good law -- one of the more advanced anti-trafficking laws. It includes tough penalties, provides benefits for victims, giving them temporary visas to stay in the U.S. to join in a prosecution and a possibility of citizenship," Miller said.

Certain areas still need improvement, he said, such as stepping up prosecutions and prevention education.

"We know there is a significant number of victims in the United States," Miller said. "We need to do a better job of reaching the victims, prosecuting the traffickers, caring for the victims."

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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