State Dept
Gives Tacit Approval for Prostitution, Conservatives Charge
By Lawrence Morahan
CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer
June 07, 2002
(CNSNews.com) - By not condemning Germany and the Netherlands in its second
annual "Trafficking in Persons Report," the U.S. State Department is giving
tacit approval for prostitution, which both of those countries legalized this
year, conservatives charged.
"By legalizing prostitution, these governments have institutionalized the
exploitation of women," said Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.). "This is unconscionable,
and should be condemned by our government and by all civilized people."
Far from condemning Germany and the Netherlands, the State Department gave these
countries a "Tier 1" ranking, which is assigned to countries designated to be
complying fully with international efforts to prevent the practice of forced
transport of people across international borders to engage in prostitution.
"Just because prostitution is labeled the oldest profession in the world, this
doesn't allow the State Department to let it become an acceptable profession in
the international community," said Janice Crouse, a spokeswoman for the Beverly
LaHaye Institute in Washington.
"If the State Department gives a passing grade to the worst offenders, then it
has nullified congressional intent and spoiled a historic opportunity to improve
human rights around the world," Sandy Rios, president of Concerned Women for
America, said in a letter to the State Department.
Between 700,000 and 4 million persons throughout the world, most of them women
and children, are transported and held against their will through fraud,
coercion and kidnapping, Secretary of State Colin Powell said on presenting the
report.
The United States is home to 50,000 so-called "trafficked" persons, he said at a
press conference.
"Here and abroad, the victims of trafficking toil under inhuman conditions, in
brothels, sweatshops, fields, and even in private homes," Powell said.
"The annual Trafficking in Persons Report shines a much-needed light on this
global problem. We use the information that we collect to bolster the will of
the international community to combat this unconscionable crime," he added.
The United States is ready to assist countries to design programs to address the
problem, but will impose sanctions on countries that don't make an effort,
beginning next year, Powell said.
Ambassador Nancy Ely-Raphel, an advisor to Powell, said possible sanctions could
involve non-humanitarian and non-trade-related sanctions and directions in the
international financial institutions to vote against loans in the World Bank and
the International Monetary Fund.
To compile this document, which reports on 89 countries, information was
gathered from 186 U.S. embassies and consulates, among other sources, including
non-governmental organizations and media reports, Ely-Raphel said.
This year, 89 countries are listed as follows: 18 countries in Tier 1, 52
countries on Tier 2 and 19 countries in Tier 3. The last or third tier
identifies countries that neither fully comply with the minimum standards, nor
are making significant efforts to do so.
Rep. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.), co-chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission and
author of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Law, said he was
pleased that more than a dozen countries given poor or fair rankings last year
improved their behavior and policies to such a degree so as to earn a passing
grade.
"But much more needs to be done," Smith said in a statement. "The sheer number
of people trafficked each year - between 700,000 and 4 million people - is ample
evidence that modern day slavery is still a massive humanitarian crisis that we
must stop."
Tier 3 countries are Afghanistan, Armenia, Bahrain, Belarus, Bosnia, Cambodia,
Greece, Indonesia, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Myanmar, Qatar, Russia, Saudi
Arabia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
The Tier 2 countries are Albania, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria,
Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador,
Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti,
Honduras, Hungary, India, Israel, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Latvia,
Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines,
Romania, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Sri Lanka,
Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Ukraine, Vietnam and Yugoslavia.
The 18 Tier 1 countries are Austria, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic,
France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands,
Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Dave in Phoenix says
:
And I believe all of the Tier 1 countries ...not absolutely sure about all of
them but I know at least most have legal private consenting adult prostitution -
vasty different than 15 yr olds being "trafficked" against their will. If
private sexwork is legal there is far less need for illegal trafficking or
organized crime involvement - when no crime.
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