VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGE #0078/01 0411625
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101623Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0192
INFO EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/USAID WASHDC 0008
RUMIESS/SOUTHCOM IESS MIAMI FL

UNCLAS GEORGETOWN 000078 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
G/TIP - AMY ROFMAN 
G - LAURA PENA 
WHA/PPC - SCOTT MILLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KTIP KCRM KWMN SMIG KFRD ASEC PREF ELAB KMCA GY
SUBJECT: TENTH ANNUAL TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS ASSESSMENT - GUYANA 
 
REF: 10 STATE 002094 
 
¶1. (U) The following is Embassy Georgetown's submission of 
information requested in reftel for the 2010 Trafficking in Persons 
(TIP) Report. 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) GUYANA'S TIP SITUATION: 
 
 
 
¶A.  Sources of information available include: the Guyanese media; 
the Ministry of Home Affairs; the Ministry of Labor, Human Services 
and Social Security; the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP); the 
Guyana Police Force (GPF); the victim's assistance NGO Help and 
Shelter; the local office of the U.S.-based NGO Catholic Relief 
Services; and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). 
 
 
 
All of these sources have some degree of reliability when it comes 
to reporting on TIP, but none can be considered authoritative. 
 
 
 
¶B.  The majority of the 22 reported TIP cases in Guyana since 2006 
were internal trafficking. There were four alleged trafficking 
cases involving Guyanese lured to neighboring countries and two 
reported cases of foreign citizens trafficked into Guyana during 
that time. There is no discernable pattern or single destination 
for trafficking victims within the country; cases have been found 
at various locations along the coast (where ninety percent of the 
country's population lives), as well as inland. 
 
 
 
¶C.  Trafficking cases generally involve forced prostitution, forced 
domestic labor, or both in locations far from victims' home 
community. Victims are generally forced to work in a 
bar/restaurant, and have no capacity to return to their home or 
place of origin, principally due to lack of funds. 
 
 
 
¶D.  The demographic group most vulnerable to trafficking is young 
Amerindian women/girls, although trafficking cases have also 
involved women from the country's predominant Indo-Guyanese and 
Afro-Guyanese communities. Amerindians constitute approximately ten 
percent of Guyana's population and are largely concentrated in the 
country's interior. Due to poverty and a lack of local economic 
opportunity, Amerindian women/girls are among the most likely to be 
lured by false promises of a better job elsewhere. 
 
 
 
¶E.  There are no indications of organized human trafficking rings 
or criminal enterprises involving internal trafficking cases. All 
reported cases have involved instances whereby an individual or 
couple has lured or trapped a single victim. Sources indicate that 
victims from the interior are brought to the coast individually, 
not in groups. The few cases of victims trafficked to or from other 
countries also appear as isolated cases rather than involving any 
organized criminal syndicates. 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) SETTING THE SCENE FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-TIP EFFORTS: 
 
 
 
¶A.  The Government of Guyana (GoG) acknowledges that human 
trafficking exists and that although few in number, any amount is 
unacceptable. 
 
 
 
¶B.  The Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) is the lead GoG agency for 
combating TIP, with Minister Clement Rohee serving as Chair of the 
 
government's National Task Force for Combating Trafficking in 
Persons. MoHA, which also is the agency in charge of the Guyana 
Police Force (GPF), is responsible for handling the law enforcement 
side of TIP. The Ministry of Labor, Human Services, and Social 
Security (MOLHSSS), led by Minister Priya Manickchand, is the lead 
agency for victim-related issues. The GPF, the Ministry of 
Amerindian Affairs, and the Ministry of Education participate in 
the task force. The task force also includes interested local 
non-government organizations. 
 
 
 
¶C.  Guyana's legal system is dysfunctional.  Ten justices and 20 
magistrates deal with a growing backlog of some 13,000 cases. 
Accused criminals generally wait two to three years for a judgment, 
their case perpetually delayed by backlogs, incorrectly filed 
paperwork, and/or the failure for a key party to appear at a 
hearing. The court keeps its records manually in hardcopy, and 
magistrates and justices take their own notes longhand in order to 
write up the decision later. Defendants regularly bribe court 
officials for favorable rulings, sometimes contrary to pressure 
from the public and GoG. 
 
 
 
Under Guyanese law, the President and Opposition Leader must agree 
on a Chancellor to head the judiciary. The two parties have not 
been able to compromise on a Chancellor, leaving an acting 
Chancellor in place since 2005. While this system helps preserve 
the judiciary's independence, it limits what the GoG can do to 
reform the system. 
 
 
 
It is unclear whether the judiciary's dysfunction stems more from 
the acting Chancellor's unwillingness to address the system's 
weaknesses, or his inability to do so. Low public sector wages and 
severe brain drain make it difficult to retain competent and honest 
officials. The ruling party and opposition mistrust each other and 
members of Parliament place the political interests of their party 
before supporting a Chancellor capable of meaningful reforms. The 
Guyanese public has long accepted the ineffectiveness of the 
judicial system, and holds out little hope that the government and 
opposition can come together to fix it any time soon. Ongoing donor 
community efforts to improve efficiency have made halting progress. 
In August 2009 a law went into effect limiting how long cases can 
languish before a ruling, but has so far produced few measurable 
results. In 2010 the GoG, as part of USAID's Governance and 
Democracy program, will begin a five year project to improve the 
court's performance, though its success is far from certain. 
 
 
 
Comment: The structural deficiencies of the judicial system in 
Guyana and the GoG's inability to reform it without whole-hearted 
support from the Opposition are the major impediments to obtaining 
convictions in trafficking cases. Post believes that the GoG is 
making a good faith effort to obtain convictions in TIP cases as 
evidenced by their actions in paragraph 5J. The problem lies in the 
GoG's inability to obtain any type of timely conviction in their 
system. End Comment. 
 
 
 
¶D.  The government's task force monitors the government's anti-TIP 
efforts, and in 2008 produced a public report on the GoG efforts to 
fight the scourge. The GoG is preparing another such report for 
release in 2010. 
 
 
 
¶E.  All births in Guyana must be registered in a central registry. 
The government requires a birth certificate to obtain a passport 
and also for a child to enroll in school. In the past year, the GoG 
has completed a voter registration drive. All those deemed eligible 
to vote will receive registration cards, which also serve as 
official photo identification. 
 
¶F.  Given that the GPF is the sole law enforcement body in Guyana, 
the country's small population, and the few known cases of TIP, the 
government can relatively easily collect data on law enforcement 
efforts to fight TIP. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF TRAFFICKERS: 
 
 
 
¶A.  The Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act became law in 2005. 
In addition, perpetrators who kidnap or lure victims for purposes 
of sexual exploitation may be charged under Guyanese Criminal Law 
Chapter 8.01, Section 87 (forced detention-sex) and sections 72 and 
73 (procurement). There is no new legislation to report this year. 
 
 
 
¶B.  Traffickers convicted on summary judgment (lesser offenses) are 
subject to prison terms of three to five years.  Traffickers 
convicted on indictment (more serious offenses) are subject to 
prison terms of five years to life imprisonment.  All convicted 
traffickers are subject to confiscation of property used or gained 
during the course of the crime and could be ordered to pay 
restitution to victims. In addition, convicted traffickers face: 
 
 
 
-two additional years imprisonment if the person used, threatened 
to use, or caused another to use or threaten to use a dangerous 
weapon; 
 
-five additional years imprisonment if the victims suffers a 
serious bodily injury or if the crime involves sexual assault; 
 
-five additional years imprisonment if the trafficking victim was 
exposed to life threatening illness or was forced into any 
addiction to drugs and/or medication; 
 
-ten additional years imprisonment if the victim suffers a 
permanent or life-threatening injury; 
 
-three additional years imprisonment if the crime was organized by 
an organized criminal contingent; 
 
-four additional years imprisonment if the crime resulted from 
abuse of power or a position of authority. 
 
 
 
¶C.  Punishment of labor trafficking offenses carries the same 
penalties as trafficking for sexual exploitation. 
 
 
 
¶D.  Guyanese criminal law calls for life imprisonment for rape, 
five years for sexual assault, and ten years for forced detention 
for purposes of sexual exploitation. However, judges have 
discretion in sentencing, with five to ten years imprisonment being 
the trend. This compares to a possible sentence of five years to 
life under the TIP Act. 
 
 
 
¶E.  MoHA reported four new investigations initiated during the 
year. None of those cases led to prosecutions. In one case the 
alleged victim declined to serve as a witness. Two cases involved 
foreign victims who were repatriated at their request and thus 
would not testify against the alleged perpetrators, all of whom 
have reportedly left Guyana's jurisdiction. The fourth case 
involved an alleged trafficker based in Trinidad. 
 
 
 
Four prosecutions begun in previous years continued, though none 
made significant progress and GoG obtained no convictions. All 
trafficking prosecutions are based on the 2005 law cited in section 
 
4 above. To date, no trafficking convictions have been obtained. 
 
 
 
¶F.  MoHA conducted two training programs for police prosecutors and 
investigators and immigration officers during the reporting period. 
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) collaborated on 
the second program. The training covered victim identification and 
screening, potential challenges faced in investigating and 
prosecuting traffickers, and inter-agency and community 
collaboration, among other subjects. The GoG aimed to improve the 
GPF's evidence collection, case management, prosecution, and 
strengthen border control to detect human trafficking. 120 GoG 
officials received this training. 
 
 
 
¶G.  The GoG coordinated with authorities in Brazil and Trinidad and 
Tobago regarding specific incidents of TIP. It sought to cooperate 
with Venezuela regarding the alleged trafficking of a Venezuelan 
citizen, but the Venezuelan Embassy declined to engage. 
 
 
 
¶H.  The GoG has not been asked to extradite any individuals for 
alleged TIP offenses, nor has it sought the extradition of alleged 
TIP offenders from other countries. 
 
 
 
¶I.  There have been no reports of direct involvement in trafficking 
cases on the part of government officials in recent years, nor is 
there any evidence that government officials condone or tolerate 
TIP on an institutional level. 
 
 
 
¶J.  Not applicable, based on answer provided in previous paragraph. 
 
 
 
¶K.  Guyana does not currently contribute troops to international 
peacekeeping missions. 
 
 
 
¶L.  There have been no reports of child sex tourism in Guyana. 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS: 
 
 
 
¶A.  The 2005 Combating Trafficking law gives the government wide 
authority to provide assistance to TIP victims, and offers both 
victims and potential witnesses protection from reprisals. In 
alleged or confirmed trafficking cases, the government has provided 
social assistance to the victims, including in emergency 
situations. The Difficult Circumstances Unit of the Ministry of 
Human Services serves victims of trafficking. In most cases, a 
victim is given financial support to travel to and from court 
hearings; if displaced, the Unit arranges for accommodation at a 
shelter through a local NGO and provides meals and clothing for the 
alleged victim.  The Unit also provides a probation officer who 
accompanies the victim to court hearings and in a specific instance 
has gone so far as to hire a lawyer for the victim. In addition, 
the Unit has arranged occupational training and other assistance to 
address the economic circumstances of the victims' family. 
 
 
 
¶B.  The country's foremost shelter for victims of domestic 
violence, Help and Shelter, is also a shelter for TIP victims, and 
receives a government subsidy. In 2009, the GoG contributed $45,000 
for Help and Shelter's assistance shelter, which equaled 2008 
funding levels. Foreign victims have the same access to care as 
Guyanese victims. 
 
¶C.  The government provides medical and counseling services to TIP 
victims through the Ministry of Human Services as needed in 
individual cases. 
 
 
 
¶D.  The GoG provides equivalent social benefits and protection to 
foreign victims. 
 
 
 
¶E.  As noted in paragraph 5A, when circumstances warrant the GoG 
does provide social assistance to help TIP victims reintegrate. 
 
 
 
¶F.  When a possible TIP victim is detained or discovered, generally 
by members of the GPF, the Ministry of Human Services anti-TIP unit 
is contacted in order to provide assistance or make other 
appropriate arrangements for the victim. This often involves 
facilitating temporary residence at a shelter. 
 
 
 
¶G.  The GoG identified four new cases of trafficking during the 
reporting period. In the first case, a Guyanese boy was trafficked 
to Trinidad for labor exploitation.  In the second, a Venezuelan 
woman was brought to Guyana for labor exploitation. In the third 
case, a Guyanese girl was taken to a mining community for sexual 
exploitation.  In the final case, a Colombian woman was trafficked 
to Guyana for undetermined reasons. The GoG provided social 
services and support for victims in all cases and facilitated their 
return to their home communities. Guyanese victims participated in 
a reintegration program, and IOM and the GoG assisted in the 
repatriation of the two foreign victims. 
 
 
 
¶H.  The GoG seeks to identify possible trafficking cases through 
its focal points, a network of community leaders who proactively 
identify TIP cases in high-risk communities and refer potential 
victims to the GoG for assistance. The Ministry of Labor also 
conducts spot workplace inspections, and representatives from the 
Ministry of Human Services visit brothels and areas of known 
prostitution to look for signs of trafficking. The GoG has 
continued to sensitize police and probation officers to TIP and has 
received referrals from them. 
 
 
 
¶I.  The GoG respects the rights of victims. Two foreign victims 
were detained prior to their identification as victims of 
trafficking. However, once prison officials identified the women as 
potential trafficking victims, the GoG dropped any pending charges 
against them and the Ministry of Human Services extended 
assistance.  No TIP victims were fined or prosecuted for any 
violations. 
 
 
 
¶J.  The government encourages victims to assist in the 
investigation and prosecution of traffickers. The Ministry of Human 
Services pays to transport victims from their homes to the relevant 
jurisdiction for legal proceedings against the alleged 
perpetrators. In one case they hired a private lawyer for the 
victim. Nonetheless, no victims elected to press charges during the 
reporting period. Victims sometimes refuse to testify for fear of 
eventual reprisal, or they stop showing up in court due to the 
numerous and often arduous trips necessary to see a case to 
conclusion. The 2005 law provides victims opportunities to seek 
legal redress against perpetrators, including through restitution, 
although this avenue has not been tested in practice. There are no 
restrictions on material witnesses' freedom of movement. 
 
 
 
¶K.  As noted in paragraph 4F, the GoG and IOM-provided anti-TIP 
 
training to 120 police officers, public prosecutors, and customs 
officials in 2009. Guyanese efforts to combat TIP have not extended 
to their embassies overseas. 
 
 
 
¶L.  As noted in paragraph 5A, the government did provide 
substantial aid to a Guyanese trafficking victim in Trinidad and 
Tobago, including financial support and reintegration assistance. 
 
 
 
¶M.  The local NGOs Help and Shelter, cited above, and Red Thread 
work with trafficking victims. Both have experienced generally 
positive cooperation with authorities in TIP cases. Help and 
Shelter reported it has not received any requests for assistance 
from a TIP victim since 2007. (By contrast, Help and Shelter 
reported that it handled 471 domestic violence cases in 2009.)  IOM 
also works closely with the GoG and provides financial support and 
expertise for training and victims' assistance. 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) PREVENTION: 
 
 
 
¶A.  The GoG continued a nationwide series of awareness and 
sensitization exercises. The Ministry of Human Services printed 
posters and bumper stickers to distribute at large public 
gatherings, in particular the annual rodeo that takes place each 
April near the Brazilian border. The government also included Human 
Trafficking Awareness as part of its Health and Family Life 
Education programs for in-school youths in hinterland communities. 
The GoG ensured that all focal point members had TIP identification 
cards to distribute to at-risk populations. The number of people 
reached is believed to be in the thousands. 
 
 
 
¶B.  As noted in paragraph 4F, the GoG trains immigration officials 
to identify TIP. It does not specifically monitor immigration or 
emigration trends for evidence of trafficking. 
 
 
 
¶C.  As noted in paragraph 3B, the interagency National Task Force 
for Combating Trafficking in Persons is the primary means for 
formal coordination, although the TIP units within the GPF and 
Ministry for Human Services exchange information on a regular 
basis. 
 
 
 
¶D.  The government produced a National Plan to Combat Trafficking 
in Persons in 2005. A number of the endeavors it has undertaken 
stem from its proposals. The government is currently assembling a 
new action plan that will address anti-TIP activities in coming 
years. 
 
 
 
¶E.  Since 2005, the government has undertaken numerous and 
consistent advertising campaigns directed at promoting the "ABCs" 
(Abstinence, Being Faithful, using a Condom). This is done in the 
context of promoting HIV/AIDS awareness, although the message of 
making smart decisions about sexual activity is also relevant to 
reducing demand for commercial sex acts. 
 
 
 
¶F.  With a per capita income of approximately $1,200, Guyana is 
widely assumed to not have a problem with its nationals 
participating in international sex tourism, nor has any such 
information ever been reported. Accordingly, the government has not 
taken measures to reduce such participation. 
 
¶G.  As noted in paragraph 4K, Guyana does not contribute troops to 
international peacekeeping efforts. 
 
 
 
¶7.  International Commendable Initiatives 
 
 
 
¶A.  During the reporting period the GoG continued to implement and 
strengthen networks of local leaders in at-risk communities to 
identify TIP victims and serve as a key link between vulnerable 
populations and the National Task Force on Trafficking in Persons. 
In these 'focal point' networks, the GoG brings together and trains 
trusted community leaders such as doctors, teachers, local law 
enforcement, social workers, NGOs, and others for signs of TIP. The 
local focal points meet regularly to discuss trends and how to 
strengthen vulnerabilities that make communities susceptible to 
TIP. By using respected leaders already in the community, the 
Ministry of Human Services and the TIP Task Force can amplify its 
anti-TIP efforts to proactively locate and identify TIP victims and 
take measures to prevent trafficking. 
 
 
 
The idea to establish a network of focal points to combat TIP 
originated within the GoG and was included in the 2005 National 
Plan outlining Guyana's TIP strategy. At the impetus of Guyana's 
new Minister of Human Services and with the assistance of IOM, the 
GoG established the first focal points in 2008 to work within most 
high-risk communities, including the mining districts. The GoG 
continued to train and organize focal point networks in all ten 
regions in 2009. 
 
 
 
This system has already shown dividends. In December 2008, a 
concerned family approached one of the community leaders in a 
coastal village concerned that someone had kidnapped their 
daughter. The focal point member reported the information to the 
focal point group, which set off a coordinated effort between the 
Ministry of Human Services and the police that resulted in 
identifying and locating the child on the opposite side of the 
country. The couple who took the girl has been charged with 
trafficking in persons and their case remains in court. 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) Embassy Georgetown's point of contact is Ken Reiman, 
Political/Economic Officer, FS-03, telephone (592)225-4900, ext. 
4214, IVG 747-4214, fax (592) 227-0240. This report was drafted in 
20 hours; related investigations and meetings involved 60 hours. 
 
 
 
End text. 
WILLIAMS