VZCZCXRO5258
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DE RUEHKT #0659/01 1620941
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 100941Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU
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RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 6845
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 2142
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 4884
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RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000659 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB KCRM KPAO KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL SMIG NP
SUBJECT: NEPAL: MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS RELEASE OF 2008 TIP 
REPORT; INTERNAL TRAFFICKING A GROWING PROBLEM 
 
REF: SECSTATE 55790 
 
Summary 
------- 
¶1. (U)  In meetings on June 4 with the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs (MFA) and the Ministry of Women, Children and Social 
Welfare (MWCSW), Emboff delivered the full text of the Nepal 
chapter of the 2008 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, 
recognizing the new law that criminalizes all forms of 
trafficking and underscoring persistent problems with lack of 
enforcement and the growing internal trafficking trade.  The 
release of the report and the inclusion of three Nepalese in 
the report's heroes section was widely covered by the media. 
Members of CHANGE Nepal, a small NGO, reported that several 
hundred new girls had been trafficked into Kathmandu since 
April and noted that the police were often complicit in 
trafficking. 
 
TIP Report Demarche 
------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) In meetings on June 4 with officials from the Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Ministry of Women, Children 
and Social Welfare (MWCSW), Emboff delivered talking points 
and the final text of Nepal's country narrative from the 2008 
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.  Emboff drew attention 
to the areas of improvement identified in the 2008 report, in 
particular, the passage of a comprehensive anti-trafficking 
law criminalizing all forms of trafficking. However, Emboff 
also expressed concern about the lack of effective 
prosecutions of trafficking crimes in Nepal to date.  GON 
official stressed the global nature of the problem and noted 
that it was difficult for any one government to combat all 
aspects of the problem.  Emboff also highlighted concern over 
the expanding internal trafficking trade and growing domestic 
sex industry.  This came as a surprise to the MFA Under 
Secretary for UN and International Organizations, Rudra 
Nepal, who was apparently unaware of this growing domestic 
issue.  MWCSW officials emphasized the GON's recent 
allocation of government funds, in the amount of NRs 60 
million (approximately USD 896,000), to support shelters for 
victims of trafficking in three districts, but admitted that 
they needed better procedures to track trafficking arrest and 
prosecutions. 
 
Press Highlights TIP Report, Anti-Trafficking Heroes 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶3. (U) The release of the 2008 TIP report was featured in 
several major Nepali dailies and in TV and radio reports. 
Kantipur, Nepal's largest selling vernacular daily, published 
the entire Nepal chapter of the TIP report in its op-ed page. 
 (Note: Post provided the media with a Nepali translation of 
the full chapter. End Note)  The articles recognized the work 
of the three Nepalis who were featured in the 2008 Heroes 
section of the report for their efforts to rescue over 280 
children from Indian circuses.  The media also highlighted 
the report's particular focus on forced labor, the disturbing 
upward trend in internal trafficking and child sex tourism, 
the passage of new trafficking legislation and the ongoing 
lack of prosecutions. 
 
Internal Trafficking On the Rise 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) On June 5, members of Change Nepal, a Nepali NGO 
focusing on outreach and education for victims of 
trafficking, told Emboff that over 200 new girls had been 
trafficked into Kathmandu from other areas of the country 
since mid-April.  These young girls, whose average age is 
around 12 to 14, are put to work in Kathmandu's growing 
"entertainment" industry; including dance bars, massage 
parlors and cabin restaurants.  In addition, Change Nepal 
stated that police were often complicit, easily bribed and 
that when they did conduct raids, they arrested and fined the 
victims rather than the traffickers.  Change Nepal emphasized 
its need for more funding to address the higher volume of 
domestic trafficking victims. (NOTE: The NGO conducts 
literacy and health awareness classes to girls working in the 
 
KATHMANDU 00000659  002 OF 002 
 
 
"entertainment" industry and offers a stipend to cover the 
costs of public school to the students who have reached level 
5 and wish to continue their education. END NOTE) 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶5. (U) Nepal's recent passage of a comprehensive 
anti-trafficking law criminalizing all forms of trafficking 
is an important step in the fight to end trafficking in 
Nepal. However, the dramatic increase in the number of girls 
and women being trafficked internally and the apathy of 
Nepali officials towards enforcement are troubling.  The 
Government of Nepal (GON) needs to strengthen its enforcement 
efforts in order for this important new law to have an impact. 
POWELL