US decision on India regarding human trafficking questioned

Washington, Oct 28 (PTI) The decision by Obama
Administration to grant China a political waiver and India an
upgrade in this year's annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP)
Report issued by the State Department has been questioned by
the a US lawmaker.
At a Congressional hearing Thursday, Congressman Chris
Smith, alleged that Administration's decisions in this regard
are politically motivated as both India and China are facing
problem of human trafficking, particularly sex-trafficking of
women and girls.
Smith is the author of the landmark Trafficking Victims
Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) as well as subsequent laws to
make further strengthen and adapt TVPA.
In the 2008 reauthorisation of the TVPA, Congress decided
that no country should be allowed to skirt sanctions on the
Tier 2 Watch List for more than two years before being
downgraded to Tier 3.
2011, represents the first year that the limit was put to
the test.
In his remarks, Smith expressed concern about the
Administration's decision to upgrade India from the Tier 2
Watch List to a Tier 2 country.
"India was upgraded to a Tier 2 country in this report
despite the fact that it has one of the largest populations of
enslaved laborers in the world, and has only prosecuted and
convicted a small handful of labor traffickers," he said.
Defending the decision of the Obama Administration in this
regard, the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central
Asia, Robert Blake, said the State Department upgraded India
to Tier 2 in the 2011 TIP Report because of the government's
greater resolve combating its trafficking problem,
particularly bonded labor. PTI