VZCZCXRO7293
OO RUEHLMC
DE RUEHLM #1546/01 3191013
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 151013Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7187
INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 4117
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1559
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 8113
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 2448
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001546 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS, NEA/RA,G (ACBLANK) AND G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCRM KWMN PHUM SMIG CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: TIP INTERIM ASSESSMENT 
 
REF: STATE 147242 
 
COLOMBO 00001546  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  After meeting with numerous officials from 
throughout the GSL, Post assesses that the Government 
acknowledges the trafficking problem in Sri Lanka and is 
committed to addressing it. However, resource constraints, a 
lack of coordination among concerned ministries, and systemic 
problems with the judicial system make tackling TIP a 
challenge for the GSL.  The following is a summary of the 
GSL's progress on TIP: 
 
Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  The GSL has launched a criminal investigation of 
the recruitment agent responsible for sending Rizanna Nafeek 
abroad when she was underage.  Nafeek was sentenced to death 
in Saudi Arabia for allegedly killing a child under her care. 
After intervention from the GSL, though, the sentence was 
commuted to five years' imprisonment. The GSL is also 
investigating a subagent involved in a case where three 
Muslim children were trafficked abroad.  We are unable to 
obtain a total number of investigations launched in 2007 from 
the police or a total number of trafficking cases prosecuted 
in 2007 from the Attorney General's office.  Therefore, we 
are unable to assess whether the GSL has increased the 
overall number of investigations and prosecutions from 2006 
to 2007. (Note:  This lack of information stems from the fact 
that trafficking crimes are not disaggregated from other 
criminal violations.  At present, accurate figures on 
trafficking-related investigations and prosecutions are not 
kept.) 
 
Instituting a Formal Victim Identification Procedure 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  The GSL has no formal victim identification 
procedure.  GSL law enforcement training programs currently 
do not include TIP-specific training on victim 
identification.  The International Organization for Migration 
(IOM) has just begun a U.S.-funded program which includes the 
establishment of a case tracking database, which will help 
with victim identification and tracking and provide law 
enforcement training on victim identification. Fifty police 
officers will participate, and they in turn will train 
another 500 officers. 
 
Ensuring Victims are Not Punished for Acts 
Committed as a Result of Being Trafficked 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Without an effective victim identification system, 
it is difficult to asses whether trafficking victims are 
being punished for trafficking related crimes.  However, in 
the high-profile Rizanna Nafeek case, the GSL interceded on 
Nafeek's behalf to prevent her from being put to death as 
punishment for a crime committed after being trafficked.  The 
GSL sent a high level delegation to Saudi Arabia to lobby the 
Saudi Government on her behalf and assisted with legal fees 
to fund an appeal of her case. 
 
Improving Services Offered to Trafficking Victims 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The GSL runs five "certified schools" to 
rehabilitate children trafficked for sex work.  The schools, 
located in Makola, Ranmuthugala, Hikkaduwa, Hantana and 
Keppetipola, offer counseling and vocational training to 
victims.  In addition, the GSL operates 13 women's 
rehabilitation centers which offer shelter and counseling 
services to victims of domestic abuse.  Repatriated 
trafficking victims are also counseled at these centers.  In 
July 2007, a shelter for female victims of violence, 
including women who were abused during overseas employment, 
was opened in Kalutara, 30 km south of Colombo. 
 
Other Developments 
------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Other GSL efforts to combat TIP include: 
 
-The Foreign Employment Bureau (FEB), the authorizing 
 
COLOMBO 00001546  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
authority for all Sri Lankans traveling abroad on work visas, 
has been stepping up efforts to ensure that Sri Lankan 
workers are given legitimate employment opportunities abroad. 
 As of August 2007, all foreign employment contracts must be 
signed by the FEB, the worker, and the recruitment agent in 
the presence of an FEB officer.  This procedure allows the 
FEB officer to ensure that the worker understands the terms 
of the contract and permits closer scrutiny of agents and 
subagents.  The FEB also provides training prior to departing 
for foreign employment for prospective workers who want it. 
The instruction now focuses on performing domestic tasks and 
dealing with financial transactions and transfers, but there 
is also content to increase awareness of trafficking risks. 
 
-The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) conducts a 
community awareness program on TIP in partnership with the 
FEB.  The NCPA visits 23 vocational training centers 
throughout the country to speak to girls who are potentially 
seeking foreign employment.  Their program outlines possible 
problems with foreign employment and the dangers of underage 
recruitment. 
 
-The GSL signed a memorandum of understanding on migrant 
labor with the United Arab Emirates in July 2007.  Additional 
MOUs are currently being negotiated with Libya and Italy, 
according to the Foreign Employment Ministry. 
 
-The Sri Lanka Police Women's and Children's Bureau Director 
participated in Ambassador's October 18 media launch of a 
State/USAID-funded anti-trafficking program implemented by 
IOM.  He voiced strong commitment to fighting human 
trafficking and to achieving greater coordination on TIP 
within the GSL. 
 
-The GSL, with support from IOM, plans to co-host a TIP 
meeting in mid-December.  The meeting will bring together GSL 
officials from various offices, including the Attorney 
General's office, the Sri Lanka Police, the Ministry of 
Foreign Employment, the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and 
Child Development, the Foreign Employment Bureau, and the 
National Child Protection Authority, as well as 
representatives from interested NGOs and embassies, to 
discuss the formulation of a national policy on TIP. This 
exercise will help raise public awareness of TIP trafficking 
problems and will be a starting point for achieving greater 
coordination of TIP efforts within the GSL.  The Ministry of 
Women's Empowerment and Child Development has committed to 
taking the lead in establishing an interagency working group 
on TIP. 
BLAKE