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Diana T Fritz  08/27/2006 05:49:45 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Search Results

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UNCLAS        ABU DHABI 04737

SIPDIS
CXABU:
    ACTION: POL
    INFO:   MEPI P/M ECON RSO AMB DCM

DISSEMINATION: POL
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: AMB:MSISON
DRAFTED: POL:BTHOMSON
CLEARED: POL JMAYBURY DCM MQUINN CG JDAVIS

VZCZCADI527
PP RUEHC RUEHDE
DE RUEHAD #4737/01 3251314
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211314Z NOV 05
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2435
INFO RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 5580

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 004737 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, INL, DRL, NEA/RA AND NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM ELAB KCRM KWMN SMIG AE
SUBJECT: TIP: INTERIM ASSESMENT FOR NEA SPECIAL 
WATCHLIST-UAE 
 
REF: A. STATE 194903 
     ¶B. ABU DHABI 3074 
     ¶C. ABU DHABI 2833 
     ¶D. DUBAI 5393 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: Since being placed on the Tier 2 Special 
Watch List, the UAEG has made steady progress in addressing 
the problem of trafficking, especially with regard to women 
in the sex trade and children in the camel racing industry. 
The answers in paragraphs 2-5 below are keyed to the four 
questions specifically asked in ref A.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Q: What progress has UAEG made in enacting a 
comprehensive trafficking law that criminalizes all forms of 
trafficking? 
 
A: After the UAEG enacted the law criminalizing the 
participation of children under the age of 18 in camel racing 
in July 2005, the Government formed a committee to draft a 
comprehensive trafficking law addressing all forms of human 
trafficking, according to Colonel Najm Al Seyyar, director of 
the Abu Dhabi Social Support Center within the Ministry of 
Interior.  Al Seyyar, who sits on the Special Committee on 
Juvenile Jockeys, said the Interior and Justice ministries 
are currently circulating draft laws within their respective 
offices.  He added that the committee to draft a trafficking 
law plans to submit a draft to the Federal National Council 
during the FNC,s 2006 session. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Q: What progress has the UAEG made in instituting 
systematic screening measures to identify trafficking victims 
among the thousands of foreign women arrested for 
prostitution and deported each year? 
 
A: There is steady progress in the effort to identify 
trafficking victims among women arrested for prostitution. 
In October, the Dubai Police Criminal Investigations 
Department (CID) established a Human Trafficking section that 
cooperates closely with the Human Rights Care Department 
(HRCD)(ref D).  According to Major Aref Mohammed Baqer, the 
Deputy Director of HRCD, whenever CID has a possible 
trafficking case, it takes the victims into custody and 
performs an initial interrogation. Subsequently HRCD conducts 
interviews with those detained to determine who might be a 
victim of trafficking.  HRCD turns over the results of its 
interviews to CID for further investigation and prosecution. 
 
Contrary to past practices, instead of summarily deporting 
women arrested for prostitution, HRCD now houses in hotels 
all women who are victims of trafficking, or who can provide 
evidence about trafficking, until they can testify in trials 
against the traffickers.  In Dubai, police and immigration 
officers are also actively cooperating to shut down travel 
agents that sell visas or facilitate trafficking. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Q: What progress has the UAEG made in increasing 
investigations and prosecutions of traffickers, particularly 
for trafficking of children for camel jockeying? 
 
A: Progress continues to be made in investigating and 
prosecuting traffickers, particularly for trafficking of 
children as camel jockeys.  Between June 2, 2005 and November 
9, 2005, the UAEG reports that there have been 17 convictions 
for child trafficking in relation to camel jockeying, and an 
additional 31 individuals are currently under investigation. 
The defendants in these cases are primarily nationals of the 
UAE (24) and Pakistan (16), but also include several other 
nationalities -- Sudan (9), Bangladesh (4), Mauritania (2), 
and Saudi Arabia (1). 
 
¶5. (SBU) Q: What progress has the UAEG made in sustaining its 
collaboration with UNICEF to rescue, rehabilitate and 
repatriate child camel jockeys? 
 
A: A UNICEF representative confirms that the UAEG continues 
to collaborate with them to rescue, rehabilitate and 
repatriate child camel jockeys.  To date, the UAEG reports 
that 940 children have been repatriated to their country of 
origin -- Pakistan (478), Bangladesh (292), Sudan (143), 
Mauritania (20), Eritrea (7).  The UAEG also reports that 132 
boys remain in the Bani Yas shelter outside Abu Dhabi pending 
identification of family -- Pakistan (90), Bangladesh (25), 
Sudan (15), Mauritania (2).  UNICEF added that no new 
children have come to the shelter (the sole remaining 
shelter) in over three weeks, and that they don't anticipate 
a significant number of children to be added to the current 
population.  However, the shelter will remain in operation 
until every child has been repatriated.  UNICEF reported that 
they have been told that the UAE police have visited the 
camel farms in recent weeks and have not discovered any 
additional children.  Colonel Al Seyyar stated that 
approximately two weeks after the camel racing season begins 
(December 2005) the UAEG will send police investigation teams 
back to the camel farms to ensure that children are not 
returning to work in the camel racing industry. 
SISON