US blasts Russia, Thailand in human trafficking report

  The United States on Monday accused Russia, Thailand, Iran and Libya of insufficient action against human trafficking, in a damning report on a global scourge decried as "modern slavery."

Those nations -- as well as Venezuela, Algeria, Syria, Yemen, North Korea, South Sudan and Zimbabwe -- were at the bottom of an annual ranking compiled by the State Department and announced by Secretary of State John Kerry.

The countries in Tier 3, the lowest category, are those whose governments do not respect international norms or laws on trafficking and "are not making significant efforts to do so," according to the 382-page report.

Russia has languished in Tier 3 since 2013, a condition which prompted Moscow's wrath at the time.

There are an estimated five million to 12 million foreign workers in Russia, statistics show.

"Many of these migrant workers experienced exploitative labor conditions characteristic of trafficking cases, such as withholding of identity documents, nonpayment for services rendered, physical abuse, or extremely poor living conditions," the report stated.

It said Russia lacked a national action plan and funds for trafficking prevention, and "prosecutions remained low compared with the scope of Russia's trafficking problem."

By contrast Malaysia, a Southeast Asian nation which had plummeted last year to the lowest rung, was raised a notch to the "Tier 2 Watch List" category, after Kuala Lumpur exhibited "significant efforts" in fighting trafficking.

But a non-profit coalition of US-based human rights groups said President Barack Obama's administration "unfairly" upgraded Malaysia in part because Washington is negotiating a sweeping trade accord with Pacific Rim countries including Malaysia.

"Allowing political interests to influence how governments are held accountable for this horrendous crime calls into question both the Trafficking in Persons Report's integrity and the United States' commitment to preventing human trafficking," said Melysa Sperber, director of the Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking.

China meanwhile rose a notch in 2014 to the Tier 2 Watch List, where it remained this year.

Cuba, after 12 years at Tier 3, was upgraded to the Watch List for 2015, with the report citing the island's "sustained law enforcement efforts" in prosecuting and convicting sex traffickers.

- 20 million victims -

 Most Western countries, particularly those in Europe and Australia but also Israel, Taiwan and Armenia, are listed in Tier 1, praised for their fight against trafficking and for remaining in full compliance with international standards.

According to the International Labour Organization, trafficking in persons represents a $150 billion-a-year industry, including $99 billion for the sex industry alone.

Washington estimates that some 20 million people are victims.

"Trafficking in persons is an insult to human dignity and an assault on freedom," Kerry declared in the introduction to Monday's report as he called for a comprehensive "fight against modern slavery."

"Human trafficking is not a problem to be managed; it is a crime to be stopped," he added.

Thailand has been on a downward trend, slipping from Tier 2 in 2008 and 2009 to Watch List from 2010 to 2013, then Tier 3 for the past two years.

Thailand's trafficking problem centers on its extensive sex trade, involving victims from neighboring Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. There is also reported abuse in commercial fishing.

"Some Thai officials are complicit in trafficking crimes and corruption continues to undermine anti-trafficking efforts," the State Department said.

In a statement, the Thai embassy in Washington said "Thailand strongly disagrees with the unilateral evaluation in the report which does not accurately reflect the reality and fails to take into account significant efforts undertaken by the Thai government on all fronts during the past year."