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RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
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R 010933Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8975
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2097
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0518

UNCLAS E F T O SECTION 01 OF 07 SINGAPORE 000632 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP 
STATE FOR INL/HSTC 
STATE PASS AID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PHUM KWMN ELAB SMIG ASEC KFRD PREF SN
SUBJECT: SINGAPORE'S SUBMISSION FOR THE 2006 TIP REPORT: 
PART III 
 
REF: A. SINGAPORE 631 
 
     ¶B. SINGAPORE 630 
     ¶C. STATE 3836 
     ¶D. SINGAPORE 470 
     ¶E. SINGAPORE 139 
     ¶F. 05 SINGAPORE 3614 
 
¶1. (U) This is the third of three messages relaying Embassy 
Singapore's 2006 TIP submission.  Part III covers Protection 
and Assistance to Victims, and details the sources Post has 
consulted in preparing this submission. 
 
PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) A. Does the government assist victims, for example, 
by providing temporary to permanent residency status, relief 
from deportation, shelter and access to legal, medical and 
psychological services?  If so, please explain.  Does the 
country have victim care and victim health care facilities? 
If so, can post provide the number of victims placed in these 
care facilities? 
 
Singapore provides foreign victims of serious crimes an 
immigration status that allows them to stay until the need 
for their testimony is over.  It has provided such status to 
trafficking victims and to foreign domestic workers who are 
victims of domestic abuse.  This status does not 
automatically grant the victim the right to seek employment, 
but the Ministry of Manpower has not rejected applications 
for work permits by victims of trafficking or abuse.  Finding 
employment can be difficult, however, as there are few jobs 
in Singapore for unskilled workers with limited English 
skills, and domestic workers may have difficulty taking 
sufficient time off to participate in police investigations. 
Singapore does not offer permanent residency status to 
persons based on their status as a victim. 
 
The Singapore authorities (usually in consultation with the 
victim's embassy) refer victims of trafficking or maid abuse 
to shelters for women and children such as the Toa Payoh 
Girls Home or the Good Shepherd Center.  The Ministry of 
Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) refers clients 
to at least six different such centers.  In some cases, 
abused foreign domestics live in shelters run by their 
embassies.  Both the Indonesian and Philippine Embassies run 
shelters for their abused domestics.  In a 2002 case, the 
12-year old Malaysian girl referred to above stayed at the 
Toa Payoh Girls Home, while preparations were made to return 
her to her parents, where she received counseling and other 
services tailored to her needs.  MCYS has arranged counseling 
and health care for victims of both trafficking and maid 
abuse.  A government-run clinic offers free screening for 
HIV/AIDs and other sexually transmitted diseases on an 
anonymous basis.  Post does not know how many victims 
received assistance from MCYS, but the Ministry says it 
offers services to any victims it determines need them.  NGO 
contacts who work with the Police, Immigration officials, and 
MCYS to find shelter and other assistance for trafficking 
victims or other women who need protection, such as women who 
are trying to stop working as prostitutes, are pleased with 
the support and cooperation they receive from the 
authorities.  One consular official described Immigration 
officials in particular as "very good at helping people," and 
noted that they handled all requests for assistance 
professionally and expeditiously. 
 
¶B.  Does the government provide funding or other forms of 
support to foreign or domestic NGOs for services to victims? 
Please explain. 
 
Due to the limited number of victims, the government does not 
provide dedicated funding to assist trafficking victims. 
However, the government does provide financial assistance to 
shelters for women and children, and does support a clinic 
that provides health services and counseling to victims. 
(Note: The GOS provided approximately SGD 250,000 in 2004. 
Post will report 2005 amount when it is available. End note.) 
 Source country consular officials say that Singapore police 
and social workers have been helpful in providing victims 
access to any medical care needed, from serious surgical 
procedures to new eyeglasses, often free or at heavily 
subsidized rates. 
 
 
SINGAPORE 00000632  002 OF 007 
 
 
¶C.  Is there a screening and referral process in place, when 
appropriate, to transfer victims detained, arrested or placed 
in protective custody by law enforcement authorities to NGOs 
that provide short- or long-term care? 
 
Law enforcement authorities have good cooperative 
relationships with NGOs, the Ministry for Community 
Development, Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Manpower and 
foreign diplomatic representatives.  According to NGOs and 
consular officials, when a victim is identified, the Police 
consult with that person's embassy as well as the Ministry of 
Community Development, Youth and Sports to determine what 
assistance the victim requires, and which facilities are able 
to provide it. 
 
¶D.  Are the rights of victims respected, or are victims also 
treated as criminals?  Are victims detained, jailed, or 
deported?   If detained or jailed, for how long?  Are victims 
fined?  Are victims prosecuted for violations of other laws, 
such as those governing immigration or prostitution? 
 
The rights of victims are fully respected.  Embassy is not 
aware of any case where a trafficking victim was jailed or 
prosecuted.  The question of whether trafficking victims are 
treated properly by authorities was raised for debate in 
Parliament in October 2004, and the government's responding 
assurance that victims are treated respectfully was widely 
publicized.  Foreign prostitutes rounded up by the 
authorities are not prosecuted for prostitution offenses.  In 
a small number of cases (less than five percent of 
prostitutes detained), over-stayers are charged with being 
out of immigration status for remaining in Singapore beyond 
the validity of their visa or permitted duration of their 
visit, or for returning to Singapore during a two-year ban 
that the GOS imposes on women who have been caught working as 
prostitutes.  Sentences for such offenses are generally 
between one and four months in jail. 
 
¶E.  Does the government encourage victims to assist in the 
investigation and prosecution of trafficking?  May victims 
file civil suits or seek legal action against the 
traffickers?  Does anyone impede the victims' access to such 
legal redress?  If a victim is a material witness in a court 
case against the former employer, is the victim permitted to 
obtain other employment or to leave the country?  Is there a 
victim restitution program? 
 
The government does encourage victims to assist in the 
investigation and prosecution of trafficking and maid abuse 
cases.  Victims may file civil suits, but, although at least 
one NGO encourages women to pursue this course, none are 
known to have done so, probably because a court case would 
require them to remain in Singapore for several months.  No 
one impedes victims' access to legal redress.  Victims are 
permitted to leave Singapore, and some are known to have done 
so in maid abuse cases; however, authorities are severely 
handicapped should they present a legal case without a 
witness, and police generally urge victims to remain, pending 
legal resolution of a case.  In some cases, Singapore 
prosecutors have flown witnesses back to Singapore as 
required to prosecute a case.  Prosecutors express 
frustration that witnesses who leave Singapore often drop out 
of contact or decline to return.  Singapore does not have a 
special victim restitution program, except through normal 
civil procedure. 
 
¶F.  What kind of protection is the government able to provide 
for victims and witnesses?  Does it provide these protections 
in practice?  What type of shelter or services does the 
government provide? Does it provide shelter or any other 
benefits to victims for housing or other resources in order 
to aid the victims in rebuilding their lives?  Where are 
child victims placed (e.g. in shelters, foster-care type 
systems or juvenile justice detention centers)? 
 
Authorities protect victims and witnesses from intimidation 
by defendants; in many cases, the accused are held in custody 
pending trial.  The locations of certain shelters in 
Singapore are generally kept a secret, and NGOs that run 
shelters tell us that police routinely patrol their areas and 
will intensify their surveillance if there is a reason to 
believe that someone is in danger.  Child victims are housed 
in shelters specifically meant for children (both government 
and privately run); the Singapore government is currently 
 
SINGAPORE 00000632  003 OF 007 
 
 
undertaking a process by which it will license all shelters 
and facilities that cater to children.  The secure Toa Payoh 
Girls Home has been used to house victims who may face 
retribution by traffickers, as in the case of the 12-year old 
Malaysian girl referred to above. 
 
¶G.  Does the government provide any specialized training for 
government officials in recognizing trafficking and in the 
provision of assistance to trafficked victims, including the 
special needs of trafficked children?  Does the government 
provide training on protections and assistance to its 
embassies and consulates in foreign countries that are 
destination or transit countries?  Does it urge those 
embassies and consulates to develop ongoing relationships 
with NGOs that serve trafficked victims? 
 
Singapore police officers are competent and well trained to 
recognize and assist victims of such crimes.  In February 
2004, Singapore, Malaysian and Indonesian police participated 
in a regional anti-trafficking law enforcement seminar.  The 
Singapore Police have also consulted with a local NGO on 
interview techniques and how to better interact with victims. 
 There are good counseling services available to victims of 
sexual assault and physical abuse, and the authorities work 
closely with NGOs and other organizations with training and 
experience.  Singapore is not a country of origin for 
victims, making the last two questions not applicable.  The 
Ministry of Manpower does train new foreign domestic workers 
on basic safety precautions and their rights under the law, 
and informs them of the resources, including the maid 
hotline, available to them.  The Ministry also provides all 
maids with a handbook containing this information in their 
native language. 
 
¶H.  Does the government provide assistance, such as medical 
aid, shelter, or financial help, to its repatriated nationals 
who are victims of trafficking? 
 
Not applicable; no Singaporeans are known to have been 
trafficked. 
 
¶I.  Which international organizations or NGOs, if any, work 
with trafficking victims? What types of services do they 
provide?  What sort of cooperation do they receive from local 
authorities?  Note: If post reports that a government is 
incapable of assisting and protecting TIP victims, the post 
should explain thoroughly.  Funding, personnel, and training 
constraints should be noted, if applicable.  Conversely, a 
lack of political will to address the problem should be noted 
as well. 
 
In 2004, Singapore registered the &One Hope Center8 as a 
society; it is the first organization in Singapore dedicated 
to helping women escape prostitution.  The organization's 
founder has worked with foreign workers, recovering drug 
addicts, and former convicts for seven years and received the 
President's Social Services Award in 2003.  The One Hope 
Center works closely with the Ministry of Community 
Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), the Immigration and 
Checkpoints Authority (ICA), and the police to provide for 
the women's welfare.  It employs trained counselors who help 
women leave prostitution, helps them get into shelters, and 
liaises with the police and immigration authorities as well 
as foreign embassies to facilitate their return home (usually 
putting them in contact with another welfare NGO in their 
destination country).  The One Hope Center is currently 
planning to start a &One-Stop8 center in one of Singapore's 
red-light districts by end-2006.  It would serve as a shelter 
and provide counseling, skills training, and legal advice. 
MCYS is partially funding the project.  The One Hope Center 
is also involved, with other local NGOs, in efforts to lobby 
the government to change its definition of trafficking to 
reflect the definition in the U.N. Protocol to Prevent, 
Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons. 
 
Other NGOs assist foreign workers who have problems with 
employers (from failure to pay wages to physical or sexual 
abuse).  While such problems rarely would amount to 
trafficking, the work of the NGOs helps provide confidence 
that labor trafficking victims would be discovered and 
assisted.  A civil society group known as Transient Workers 
Count Too (formerly &The Working Committee 28) aims to 
boost protection for foreign workers, particularly maids, and 
detect abuse cases earlier.  The Humanitarian Organization 
 
SINGAPORE 00000632  004 OF 007 
 
 
for Migration Economics (HOME) provides shelter to foreign 
workers (including maids) who are in disputes with their 
employers or who have been abused, advocates on their behalf, 
and educates them on their rights and Singapore laws 
protecting them. HOME also occasionally takes in 
sex-trafficking victims referred by the police who are 
waiting to appear as witnesses for the prosecution of their 
pimps or traffickers.  The Hand-In-Hand Association, another 
group dedicated to providing humanitarian assistance to 
foreign workers in Singapore, will begin its operations in 
March 2006.  Some privately run shelters are also available 
for foreign victims of sex-trafficking or maid abuse, and a 
government-assisted clinic provides sex-related health 
services and counseling. 
 
Cooperation from authorities is excellent, according to NGO 
contacts, and authorities actively refer victims to these 
services.  Singapore's strict laws on abetting immigration 
offenses require shelters to decline services to persons out 
of immigration status; however, trafficking or other crime 
victims can obtain temporary immigration status pending a 
trial.  Some NGO contacts also report that they have been 
able to work out arrangements with the Immigration and 
Checkpoints Authority where women trying to escape 
prostitution but whose visas have expired are allowed to 
return to their home country and are not charged with 
immigration offenses if they turn themselves in to the 
authorities.  Other NGOs and some embassy officials note that 
ICA will let people leave the country without serving time 
for the immigration offenses if there are extenuating 
circumstances. 
 
 
 
 
SOURCES 
------- 
 
¶3. (SBU/NF) A. Diplomatic Representatives:  Embassy maintains 
contact with consular, labor and other officials of embassies 
that represent the major source countries for foreign 
laborers and sex workers. Note: Foreign domestic workers come 
almost exclusively from Indonesia, the Philippines, or Sri 
Lanka. 
 
-- Bangladesh 
 
Mokammel Hossain, First Secretary, Labor Attache 
 
-- India 
 
Sanjiv Kumar, First Secretary (consular) 
 
-- Indonesia 
 
Fachry Sulaiman, Second Secretary (consular and protocol) 
 
-- Philippines 
 
Crescente Relacion, First Secretary (consular) 
 
Merriam Cuasay, Labor Attache 
 
-- Sri Lanka 
 
M R Gunaratna, Minister-Counselor 
 
-- Thailand 
 
Kesanee Palanuwongse (Political Counselor) 
 
Phirintra Sucharitakul (Second Secretary, Consular) 
 
-- Vietnam 
 
Nguyen Dinh Nhi, First Secretary (Consular) 
 
¶B.  NGOs, Civil Society, and International Organizations. 
Emboffs also met routinely with NGO representatives that deal 
with foreign worker and trafficking-related issues. 
 
-- Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2, formerly The Working 
Committee 2) is a civil society group formed in 2002 and 
registered as a society in 2004 to lobby for improved working 
 
SINGAPORE 00000632  005 OF 007 
 
 
conditions for Singapore's roughly 150,000 foreign domestic 
workers (FDWs). 
 
Braema Mathi, Chairperson 
 
Constance Singham, Member 
 
-- Commission for Migrants and Itinerant People (CMI) runs a 
shelter to assist TIP victims and other foreign laborers 
(including FDWs) in need. CMI provides frequent assistance to 
foreign workers with labor disputes, e.g., over back wages, 
interceding with employers and/or the Ministry of Manpower. 
 
-- The Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics runs 
two shelters in Singapore for foreign workers and exploited 
or vulnerable women.  It is also engaged in some public 
outreach work aimed at raising awareness of domestic workers 
vulnerability to exploitation. 
 
Bridget Lew, Chairperson 
 
-- Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) is 
not focused on trafficking as an organization, but it does 
work on issues related to the exploitation of women and some 
of its individual members and participating organizations 
deal with TIP issues. 
 
Braema Mathi, founder 
 
Tisa Ng, President 
 
Sara Dean, Chairperson, Sub-committee on Safety 
 
-- Action For Aids (AFA), an NGO devoted to advocacy and 
patient care, has been given a grant through the Department 
of STD Control to interact with streetwalkers.  AFA 
volunteers build relationships with street-based prostitutes, 
distribute materials about condoms and sexually transmitted 
diseases in a variety of languages, and distribute condoms. 
 
Benedict Jacob-Thambiah, former Executive Director 
 
Paul Toh, Executive Director 
 
Brenton Wong, Vice President 
 
-- One Hope Center, an NGO devoted to assisting women who 
wish to escape prostitution, provides shelter, counseling, 
liaises with law enforcement and helps women return to their 
country of origin.  It plans to open its own shelter and 
service center this year with the assistance of the Ministry 
of Community Development, Youth and Sports. 
 
Reverend Dr. Edward Job, President 
 
-- UNIFEM works primarily with victims and NGOs in Batam, 
Indonesia, a destination for Singaporeans traveling 
independently for sex tourism.  It is also involved in public 
outreach programs in Singapore calling attention to the 
plight of victims, particularly children, of sex tourism. 
 
Saleemah Ismail, Anti-Trafficking Coordinator 
 
Melissa Kwee, President 
 
-- The Good Shepherd Center is one of the shelters to which 
the Ministry for Community Development, Youth, and Sports 
(MCYS) refers victims in need of assistance. 
 
Sister Agnes, Director 
 
¶C.  Researchers and Observers.  Singapore's "authorized" 
brothel industry is well-researched by the government 
officials, academics and observers with whom we met; the same 
persons also study the other parts of the industry 
(streetwalkers, lounge hostesses, etc.), although with less 
comprehensive information. 
 
Dr. Wong Mee Lian (protect) is a professor in the Department 
of Occupational Health and Family Medicine at the National 
University of Singapore.  Since the early 1990s, she has 
instructed Singapore's sex workers on negotiating condom use 
and other safe sex practices.  She has conducted scholarly 
studies based on hundreds of interviews with both sex workers 
 
SINGAPORE 00000632  006 OF 007 
 
 
and clients, to whom she has good access.  Dr. Wong manages a 
database in which all registered sex workers dating back to 
1990 are listed with pertinent identifying information such 
as age. 
 
Dr. Roy Chan (protect) is the Director of Singapore's 
Department of STD Control and (in his off time) head of the 
NGO Action for AIDS.  His clinic conducts the medical exams 
and tests on brothel employees.  Action for AIDS promotes 
safe sex among the workers both in the tolerated and 
freelance brothels. 
 
Dr. Ganapathy Narayanan (protect) is a professor of sociology 
at the National University of Singapore specializing in 
deviance and social control.  He is very familiar with the 
history of prostitution in Singapore and how the trade is 
regulated in other countries. 
 
Sharon Wee is a former student of Dr. Wong who wrote her 
Masters thesis on the clients of sex workers.  She 
participated in numerous programs with Dr. Wong and worked 
directly with both sex workers and their clients in the 
course of her research. 
 
Dr. Pattana Kitiarsa is a Thai postdoctoral fellow at the 
Asia Research Institute at the National University of 
Singapore whose research focuses on Thai migrant workers in 
Singapore, including Thai prostitutes. 
 
Daniel Tung (protect) is a researcher and project coordinator 
at the Department of STD Control, who has worked the past 
three years on a project monitoring trends among 
streetwalkers in Singapore and encouraging women to use 
condoms and get regular health checks. 
 
Salma Khalik (protect) is a health correspondent at the 
Straits Times who was involved in writing a recent series of 
articles that highlighted the rising rates of AIDs and other 
sexually transmitted diseases and the link to both 
prostitution and sex tourism. 
 
¶D.  Government Officials.  The Embassy interacts with several 
government agencies on trafficking-related issues. 
 
-- The Ministry of Home Affairs includes all Singapore's law 
enforcement agencies, including the police and immigration 
officials.  The MHA provided details of anti-vice operations, 
information on the detained sex workers, and other statistics 
relevant to anti-vice operations.  The Ministry also has 
information on specific cases, including charges against vice 
abettors and pimps. 
 
Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs 
 
Tony Soh, Director, Policy and Operations 
 
Cecilia Chew, Senior Assistant Director, Policy and 
Operations Division 
 
 
-- The Ministry of Manpower handles all issues relevant to 
foreign workers in Singapore, including maid abuse cases, 
wage claims, and complaints about working conditions.  The 
Foreign Manpower Management Division was established in 
August 2003, concentrating and expanding the staff dealing 
with foreign worker issues; one mandate is to consider and 
implement new policy initiatives aimed at safeguarding 
foreign workers. 
 
Ng Cher Pong, Director, Foreign Manpower Management Division 
(Policy) 
 
Kenneth Yap, Head, International Relations Unit 
 
-- The Attorney General's Chambers provides information on 
specific prosecutions, i.e. the statutes under which 
traffickers and vice abettors are charged.  They can also 
address the state of inter-agency deliberations on 
international agreements Singapore is considering signing. 
The AGC also provide centralized legal support for 
Singapore's government, from drafting of new laws to 
negotiation and adherence to international agreements. 
 
Jaswant Singh, Deputy Public Prosecutor and Directorate 
 
SINGAPORE 00000632  007 OF 007 
 
 
Leader, Trial Litigation 1B Directorate 
 
Marcus Song, State Counsel, International Affairs Division 
 
-- The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports 
handles all aspects of victims, assistance.  The Ministry 
places victims either in Government-run facilities, in 
shelters run by foreign embassies, or in shelters run by NGOs 
and church groups. 
 
Ang Bee Lian, Director, Rehabilitation and Protection Division 
 
Corinne Koh, Deputy Director, Family and Child Protection and 
Welfare Branch 
 
Marie Yeo, Assistant Director, Programmes Development 
Section, Family and Child Protection and Welfare Branch 
 
Grace Cheong, Senior Policy Officer, Policy and Development 
Branch 
 
-- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not itself possess 
information needed to compile the TIP report, but we channel 
requests for such information through Directorate II.  MFA 
also is involved in Singapore's participation in 
international meetings and relevant international agreements. 
 
Simon Wong, Director, Policy, Planning and Analysis, 
Directorate II 
 
Leow Siu Lin, Deputy Director, North America, Policy, 
Planning and Analysis, Directorate II 
 
Ms. Vanessa Chan, Assistant Director, Specialized Agencies 
and Multilateral Issues Section, International Organization 
Directorate 
 
Mr. Jonathan Han, Country Officer, North America, Policy, 
Planning and Analysis, Directorate II 
 
HERBOLD