VZCZCXYZ0004
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHVN #0097/01 0430746
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 120746Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1818

UNCLAS VIENTIANE 000097 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS ED BESTIC 
DEPT for G/TIP SHEREEN FARAJ 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC ELAB KCRM PHUM PREL SMIG LA
SUBJECT: LAOS:  TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS GRANT PROPOSALS FOR FY2008 
INCLE AND ESF FUNDS 
 
REF: STATE 161287 
 
¶1.  Embassy Vientiane recommends funding of the four proposals (two 
ESF and two INCLE) summarized in paragraph three, all of which 
address deficiencies identified in the Annual Trafficking in Persons 
(TIP) Report for Laos and the Interim Assessment. Only four 
proposals were submitted for this grant. The following organizations 
submitted proposals:  (1) The Asia Foundation (TAF),(2) AFESIP,(3) 
the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and 4) the United 
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). All four complete 
proposals with budgets and resumes will be sent by email to G/TIP 
Shereen Faraj per reftel. Post notes that The Asia Foundation and 
UNODC told Emboff that their proposals are geared toward INCLE 
funds, while the others are addressing ESF priorities.  Post 
strongly supports the proposals of both IOM and TAF, one for ESF and 
one for INCLE. 
 
¶2.  Embassy points of contact are Public Affairs Officer Amy 
Archibald, ArchibaldAE@state.gov, and Pol/Econ Chief Harvey Somers, 
SomersHA@state.gov. 
 
¶3.  The proposing organizations' proposal summaries follow in order 
of priority, as determined by the Embassy: 
 
---------- 
Proposal 1 
---------- 
 
¶A.  NAME OF APPLICANT ORGANIZATION 
 
The Asia Foundation 
 
¶B.  REQUESTED FUNDING AMOUNT 
 
USD 377,478 
 
¶C.  PROJECT TITLE 
 
Strengthening the Capacity to Prosecute Traffickers in the Lao PDR 
 
¶D.  PROJECT DURATION 
 
Two years 
 
¶E.  PROPOSAL ABSTRACT 
 
The Asia Foundation (the Foundation) proposes a two-year $377,478 
project that will strengthen prosecution of traffickers in Lao PDR. 
The project objective is to build the capacity of law enforcement 
and other officials and facilitate collection and sharing of 
information to protect 
victims and prosecute traffickers.  The Government of Laos (GOL) has 
taken some significant steps to improve law enforcement to combat 
trafficking in recent years.  The Law on Development and Protection 
of Women (Law on Women) passed in 2004 is quite comprehensive and 
includes stringent provisions to penalize traffickers.  The number 
of convictions to date, however, remains extremely low, with only 
three traffickers sentenced to prison in 2007.  In 2007, the 
Department of State ranked Laos as a Tier 2 country, noting a number 
of key problems that remain in the fight against trafficking, 
including: fining victims of trafficking; no reported investigations 
or prosecutions of officials for complicity in trafficking; and 
failure to enlist victims as witnesses in prosecutions of 
traffickers. 
 The Foundation played a significant role in supporting the drafting 
and passage of the Law on Women - the first legislation ever in Laos 
that specifically protects the rights of women - and has had a close 
partnership with the Lao Women's Union (LWU) for more than a decade. 
 The Foundation proposes to build on its strong track record and 
close relationships to implement this project. 
 
Measurable results will include: increased capacity of police to 
investigate and prosecute traffickers; anti-trafficking training 
institutionalized within the police training academy; increased 
information accessible for use in documenting victim testimony, 
developing legal cases against traffickers, and analyzing 
trafficking; and victim testimony properly collected and used in 
prosecutions. Ultimately, it is expected that these steps will lead 
to an increased number of traffickers prosecuted and convicted. 
 
---------- 
Proposal 2 
---------- 
 
¶A.  NAME OF APPLICANT ORGANIZATION 
 
International Organization for Migration 
 
¶B.  REQUESTED FUNDING AMOUNT 
 
USD 251,370 
 
¶C.  PROJECT TITLE 
 
Partnership for Enhanced Community Support on Returnees and Other 
Vulnerable Population in Lao PDR 
 
¶D.  PROJECT DURATION 
 
Two years 
 
¶E.  PROPOSAL ABSTRACT 
 
Since 2001, IOM has been providing technical cooperation and other 
support to the government of Lao PDR to facilitate the return of 
victims of trafficking (VoT) from abroad, build a national 
counter-trafficking policy framework, develop departmental and 
operational capacity, and engage with the neighboring countries to 
promote joint counter-trafficking measures. Notwithstanding the 
commitment and significant progress made to date, the lack of 
reintegration support and follow-up care for returnees and other 
vulnerable populations at the community level continues to be a 
challenge. 
 
This project aims to address this challenge by supporting the Lao 
government to set up a sustainable and institutionalized provincial 
and community level support network in partnering responsible 
government agencies with international and non-governmental 
organizations and other potential service providers active in the 
community. Through the undertaking of targeted rapid situation 
assessments that will feed into coordination and planning workshops 
hosted by key government counterparts, a two-year plan will be 
developed for extending central level referral and coordination 
mechanisms, developing in Vientiane, to the provincial and community 
level.  The plan will include capacity-building and trainer of 
trainer (ToT) initiatives, including the development of a ToT manual 
that addresses key aspects of counter-trafficking protection and 
support that include, basic interview and counseling skills, 
facilitating recovery support, family tracing and assessment, 
confidentiality, security of returnees, etc.; as well as 
 
SIPDIS 
coordination meetings to determine lead agencies and operational 
coordination structures among key stakeholders and service 
providers.  As a result, provincial support network (PSN) will be 
established in 10 provinces that will serve as the link between 
central level coordination mechanisms and community level 
interventions aimed at sustainable integration support for returning 
VoT and other vulnerable groups. 
 
---------- 
Proposal 3 
---------- 
 
¶A.  NAME OF APPLICANT ORGANIZATION 
 
AFESIP 
 
¶B.  REQUESTED FUNDING AMOUNT 
 
USD 257,516 
 
¶C.  PROJECT TITLE 
 
Rehabilitation and reintegration of victims of trafficking and 
sexual exploitation in the Lao PDR, Savannakhet Shelter 
 
¶D.  PROJECT DURATION 
 
Two years 
 
¶E.  PROPOSAL ABSTRACT 
 
In Lao PDR TIP is a growing problem, both internationally and 
nationally.  AFESIP combats trafficking in women and children for 
sexual exploitation in South East Asia since 1996 and rehabilitates 
those rescued from sexual exploitation providing occupational skills 
and reintegrating them into the community in a sustainable and 
innovative manner. The project seeks the assistance of the U.S. 
Department of State Office to cover the running costs of a new 
shelter, outreach work to protect and to rescue exploited children 
and support their reintegration. In Lao PDR, AFESIP established an 
office in 2004 and since 2006 a shelter in Vientiane, empowering 
national anti-trafficking system and acting toward legal 
reinforcement.  Nowadays, a large proportion of TIP victims are 
coming from the southern provinces, at the request of the Lao PDR 
government, AFESIP built a second shelter to expand its activities 
to Savannakhet, the main source province for TIP. 
 
 
The project uses a holistic victim-centred approach to rehabilitate, 
reintegrate and repatriate victims of trafficking and sexual 
exploitation. Victims stay at the centre from between 14 days and 6 
months to prepare themselves before going back to communities. 
Activities are both inside and outside centre such as: vocational 
training, life skills study and entertainment their aim is to build 
self empowerment, self confidence and support decision making 
ability of the residents when they are back in society to protect 
them from trafficking and high risk migration. 
 
Reintegration is planned after family and community assessments 
ensure that it is both safe for the returnees as regards to 
traffickers and an economical sustainable activity.  Outreach work 
in the service sector aims at finding girls and young women who have 
been lured to work in bars and forced to take clients. Social, legal 
and health support is provided also requesting the authorities to 
intervene in cases of trafficking and abuse. 
 
---------- 
Proposal 4 
---------- 
 
¶A.  NAME OF APPLICANT ORGANIZATION 
 
UNODC 
 
¶B.  REQUESTED FUNDING AMOUNT 
 
USD 306,196 
 
¶C.  PROJECT TITLE 
 
Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Persons through awareness raising 
in the Lao PDR 
 
¶D.  PROJECT DURATION 
 
18 months 
 
¶E.  PROPOSAL ABSTRACT 
In September 2006, UNODC C/O Lao PDR and the Ministry of Justice 
joined forces to launch project FS/LAO/04/R76 "Strengthening of the 
Legal and Law Enforcement Institutions to Prevent and Combat Human 
Trafficking". 
 
During the implementation of this project, and day to day contact 
with various authorities and the general public, it became 
increasingly apparent that there is a paramount nationwide need for 
basic awareness raising as understanding of human trafficking 
remains inadequate among the general public and provincial 
authorities. 
 
- General public 
Lack of awareness about the risks of migration and the dangers of 
human trafficking, lack of familiarity with customs and laws make 
people vulnerable to exploitation and expose them to the risk of 
being trafficked. 
 
- Provincial authorities 
The understanding and knowledge of human trafficking are inadequate 
among government officials; this 'weakness' is particularly striking 
among provincial authorities. The specificities of human 
trafficking, and it being qualified as a criminal offence are often 
overlooked. Victims are repeatedly subject to fines upon returning 
into their country and punished rather than the traffickers. 
 
UNODC stresses the necessity of a tailored response to foster 
general understanding at the grassroots level. The concept of this 
response would consist of comprehensive awareness raising and 
strengthening of understanding of human trafficking among provincial 
authorities and the general public. The grasp from central to the 
smallest district level has to be significantly increased. 
 
In order to achieve this successfully, the project will conduct a 
national awareness raising campaign employing all appropriate media 
to disseminate information about human trafficking to make people 
aware about their rights, that human trafficking is a serious crime 
and warn them about the dangers of human trafficking to prevent and 
combat this threat.