US upgrades Vietnam in human-trafficking report despite concerns
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US ambassador-at-large Cindy Dyer said officials looked at a range of information in their decision to upgrade Vietnam.
PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON - The US State Department on June 24 boosted Vietnam’s ranking in a human-trafficking report, even as it cited concerns that the South-east Asian country had failed to investigate government officials complicit in trafficking crimes.
A rights group last week accused Hanoi of giving misleading information and attempting to cover up trafficking cases involving officials in its communication with US officials over the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report.
Washington removed Vietnam from a watch-list in the 2024 report, citing “overall increased efforts” on trafficking, including submitting an anti-trafficking law to the legislature for review, increasing prosecutions and assisting more victims.
But the US report published on June 24 cited a series of areas where Vietnam fell short of minimum standards, including its handling of human trafficking in which government officials were complicit.
The US ambassador-at-large on human trafficking, Ms Cindy Dyer, said officials looked at a range of information, including from civil society groups, in their decision to upgrade Vietnam.
“We certainly note that there are areas for improvement, as there are for every country,” she said, noting that official complicity “is a big concern” with Vietnam.
Vietnam was downgraded in 2022 to the report’s lowest level, Tier 3, specifically citing the case of a Vietnamese labour attache and another staff member in Saudi Arabia alleged to have directly facilitated the forced labour of several Vietnamese nationals.
The cases came to light after a Vietnamese girl taken to work in Saudi Arabia as a minor died after alleged abuse by her employer.
The prior TIP report downgrades, which can lead to sanctions, added an awkward note to US-Vietnam relations. Washington has sought stronger ties with Hanoi to counter the influence of China, formally upgrading the relationship last year.
Asked if strategic concerns played a role in the decision to upgrade Vietnam, Ms Dyer said officials make “the most objective assessment that we can” on the TIP rankings.
The US upgraded Vietnam in the report in 2023 in part because it had initiated criminal procedures against the two officials in the Saudi Arabia case.
The 2024 TIP report said the investigation had been closed and the diplomat reinstated in a government post.
“The government did not report any investigations, prosecutions or convictions of government employees complicit in human-trafficking crimes,” it added.
Vietnam’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The report also upgraded several other countries for improvements in anti-trafficking efforts. Brunei and Sudan were downgraded to Tier 3.
Vietnam’s ranking was being closely watched after rights group Project88 released a report based on official Vietnamese documents showing an effort to undermine the US report, including by withholding information about the case in Saudi Arabia. REUTERS
