VZCZCXRO5077
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHHI #0070/01 0221027
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 221026Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0770
INFO ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 0411

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 000070 
 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR G/TIP, INL, DRL, EAP/MLS, AND EAP/RSP 
USAID FOR EGAT/WID, KBLAKESLEE, ASIA/ME/IR, LSAULS AND ASIA/EAA, DKHY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KTIP KCRM PHUM PREL ELAB VM
SUBJECT: Vietnam's plans for the Mekong Initiative against 
Trafficking 
 
REF: 09 HANOI 1436 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary: Poloff and USAID project manager met with the 
Regional Project Manager for the UN's Interagency Project on Human 
Trafficking (UNIAP) on January 5 to obtain a briefing on progress 
under UNIAP's USAID-funded grant and discuss Vietnam's 
participation in the Coordinated Mekong Ministerial Initiative 
against Trafficking (COMMIT) process and Vietnam's overall efforts 
to combat TIP.  Within COMMIT, Vietnam is focusing on training and 
capacity building.  Vietnam's national priority areas include 
developing a National Plan of Action for 2011-2015, improving 
bilateral cooperation with neighboring countries, and drafting a 
law on human trafficking to submit to the National Assembly in 
October 2010 (reftel 09 HANOI 1436).  According to UNIAP, over the 
past three years Vietnam has demonstrated "a new sense of wanting 
to move forward," and that his Vietnamese counterparts were 
"energized" when discussing how best to combat trafficking - a 
significant attitude shift.  Post will co-host with UNIAP a TIP 
seminar focused on exploring opportunities to coordinate and 
leverage our anti-TIP activities with other like-minded diplomatic 
missions in Vietnam continue to look for ways to ensure that 
Vietnam's anti-TIP legislation meets international standards and is 
comprehensive.  End Summary. 
 
UNIAP and COMMIT 
---------- 
¶2.  (SBU) UNIAP's Amcit regional project manager opened the January 
5 meeting with Poloff and USAID Project Manager by recalling that 
in 2004, the six governments of the Greater Mekong Sub-region 
(Cambodia, China, Laos, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam) signed a MOU 
to combat Trafficking in Persons and launch the COMMIT process. 
The MOU requires these governments to coordinate their anti-human 
trafficking efforts and to incorporate NGOs as partners.  As part 
of the process, UNIAP meets annually with each country to develop a 
localized "work plan" that addresses the specific anti-human 
trafficking needs of each country.  Each work plan is funded by a 
$100,000 grant from UNIAP, supplemented with additional resources 
provided by NGO partners. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Speaking with PolOff and the USAID Project Manager, 
UNIAP's regional project manager stated that this the UNIAP grant 
was key to the success of the COMMIT process, because many COMMIT 
member governments otherwise would not have the resources to 
implement their work plans.  The COMMIT process also facilitates 
meetings at a regional level to discuss successes, gaps, trends, 
and coordination efforts.  The most recent regional meeting was the 
biannual ministerial meeting held in Burma this January.  UNIAP 
works in six countries, including Vietnam, with a staff of 30 
region-wide and 250 government and NGO partners. 
 
Vietnam's 2010 COMMIT work plan 
---------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  On January 5, Vietnam's COMMIT Task Force (which 
includes key government actors, the UN and NGO partners) and UNIAP 
held their annual meeting to develop a COMMIT work plan for 2010. 
Mr. Vu Hung Vuong, Deputy General Director, General Department of 
Police, lead the GVN delegation.  The UNIAP representative 
characterized Vietnam's 2010 work plan as "comprehensive, if 
somewhat ambitious," particularly in the areas of training and 
capacity building.  Additional national priorities for Vietnam 
include developing a National Plan of Action for 2011-2015, 
improving regional bilateral cooperation (between Vietnam and 
COMMIT member countries) and, most importantly, preparing a draft 
law on human trafficking to submit to the National Assembly in 
October 2010.  The UNIAP representative stated that of all the 
COMMIT member countries, Vietnam's work plan was tied closest to 
its National Plan of Action, which he said has resulted in both 
plans being more successfully implemented. 
 
Beyond the work plan 
---------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) UNIAP and the GVN decided during their annual meeting to 
submit t a formal proposal to the Prime Minister requesting that 
the current NC-130 anti-trafficking project be upgraded to a 
National Target Program.  Such a designation would ensure 
national-level funding for NC-130 initiatives.  GVN meeting 
participants reportedly argued  that new anti-trafficking laws 
prepared by the government should define trafficking in accordance 
with international standards, an important goal since Vietnam's 
current definitions do not include some forms of labor trafficking 
and include other crimes, such as baby selling.  According to 
UNIAP, the Ministry of Justice is drafting the new law and plans to 
present it to the National Assembly in October 2010, with a goal of 
ratification in May or June of 2011.  As part of the process, the 
 
HANOI 00000070  002 OF 002 
 
 
Ministry of Justice intends to host a forum on drafting its 
anti-trafficking law with regional and international experts to 
discuss their efforts in early spring 2010.  (Comment:  We have not 
seen the current form of the draft law.  To the best of our 
knowledge, UNIAP is the only non-Vietnamese entity that has seen 
it.  UNIAP has been asked not to share its contents with others, 
but has described its current from as "bare-bones and sketchy." It 
is unclear how open the GVN will be to input from the U.S. or 
others into the drafting of this law during its spring forum.  End 
comment.) 
 
¶6.  (U) UNIAP Regional Representative and UNIAP Program Manager 
cited some key achievements of an ongoing three year $500,000 
USAID-funded UNIAP grant. First, the completion of a 
community-based survey on TIP, conducted in collaboration with An 
Giang University. The report's findings will be presented in a 
regional workshop on TIP statistics in Bangkok, tentatively 
scheduled for March this year. Second, the completion of a second 
series of training for staff from eight shelters in Vietnam, who 
are providing health, social and reintegration services for victims 
of trafficking. Trainees are provided with skills on victim 
assessment, case management and psychological counseling, and work 
on how to improve the quality of services in their shelters. And 
third, signing of three sub-grants with local NGOs to expand 
outreach services to TIP victims and high-risks groups. These 
program activities began early January 2010. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) UNIAP also discussed during the meeting its project to 
analyze returning immigration cases on the Vietnam-China border to 
determine what factors influence whether or not an individual 
becomes trafficked or experiences labor exploitation.  A contractor 
is currently in the field trying to determine the best way to 
implement data collection.  Vietnam has expressed some concern that 
the information collected might embarrass the Chinese government, 
as anecdotal accounts of returnees who are pushed back to the 
Vietnamese border indicate that returnees are not being treated 
well, he said. 
 
A shift in attitude 
---------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The UNIAP representative, a former USAID officer who has 
been working on COMMIT process for three years, said he has 
observed a noticeable shift in the attitude of the Vietnamese 
government towards addressing TIP-related issues.  His Vietnamese 
counterparts have "developed a new sense of wanting to move 
forward" and are "energized" when discussing how to address the TIP 
issue.  Vietnamese government officials are more involved in 
meetings with other governments, due in part to their growing 
confidence when discussing the issues.  This year, Thailand and 
Vietnam assume the two rotating member seats on the UNIAP board. 
The UNIAP representative said that he was confident that Vietnam 
would contribute positively. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) UNIAP's views on its 2010 partnership plans with the GVN 
and positive Vietnamese attitudes toward addressing TIP-related 
issues are welcome news and track with our recent discussions with 
national and provincial officials (septel). Our GVN interlocutors 
appear more engaged and committed to moving forward.  Post is 
hosting a workshop with UNIAP and colleagues from other like-minded 
embassies here to build on this momentum and explore opportunities 
to coordinate and leverage our anti-TIP activities in Vietnam.  We 
will continue to engage GVN officials on the status and contents of 
the new anti-trafficking legislation to try to ensure that it meets 
international standards and is comprehensive.  End Comment. 
Michalak