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REPOST:Introduction in Senate of Bi



Subject: REPOST:Introduction in Senate of Bill Against Trafficking of Burmese Women into Brothels in Thailand

Introduction in Senate of Bill Against Trafficking of Burmese Women into
Brothels in Thailand

Found at: http://burn.ucsd.edu/%7Earchive/psnlist/1995.May/0025.html

John E. Peck (jepeck@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx); Mon, 8 May 1995 11:41:31 -0500 

Dear Burma Watchers, 

The Seattle group was successful in persuading Senator Patty Murray to
introduce in the Senate the sense of Congress resolution (see below)
that was introduced earlier by Rep. Louise Slaughter in the
House. This is important because most Congressional offices don't really
take such resolutions seriously unless there are bills in both the House
and Senate. Having it introduced in both places is indicative
that there are real plans to pass it, rather than just have it
introduced to appease some group of constituents. The Murray bill is
exactly the same as the Slaughter bill (H. Con. Res. 21, which now has
about
50 co-sponsors). 

I have spoken to both Murray and Slaughter's staff persons and their
view is to try and line up as many co-sponsors as possible in the next
few months. Slaughter and Murray are both planning to issue "Dear
Colleague" letters urging their colleagues to co-sponsor but the
grass-roots will have to do its part too with letters and phone calls.
When an elected representative reads the actual text of the bill, there
is
really very little they could be opposed to -- after all, everyone is
against forced prostitution and trafficking of women (with the exception
of the corrupt Thai police and brothel owners profiting from it). It's
just
focusing their attention to get them to co-sponsor that is difficult. 

Please take the time to write or call your Senators to tell them to
examine the bill and co-sponsor it. If they want additional information
on this situation in Thailand, they should talk to Human Rights
Watch/Asia in 

>Washington, D.C. at (202) 371-6592. The report they want to obtain from them is called "A Modern Form of Slavery: Trafficking of Burmese Women and Girls into Brothels in Thailand". It's very
comprehensive in detailing this horrible situation. According to
Slaughter's staffperson, Kate Keplinger, Human Rights Watch/Asia was
thrilled to learn about the introduction of the bill in the Senate and
will
also be making calls to Senate offices. 

I will be continuing to monitor the situation and staying in touch with
Murray and Slaughter's staff. You can reach me at (301) 270-1009 (h),
(202) 778-4517 (w) or reaproy@xxxxxxxx for updates. 

Thanks for your interest -- good luck! Cheers, Phil Robertson

==========================================================================

104th CONGRESS; 1st Session; S. CON. RES. 12

Expressing the sense of the Congress concerning the trafficking of
Burmese women and girls into Thailand for the purposes of forced
prostitution.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES; May 4 (legislative day, May 1), 1995

Mrs. Murray submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION: Expressing the sense of the Congress concerning
the trafficking of Burmese women and girls into Thailand for the
purposes of forced
prostitution.

    Whereas credible reports indicate that thousands of Burmese women
and girls are being trafficked into Thailand with false promises of good
paying jobs in
    restaurants or factories, and then forced to work in brothels under
slavery-like conditions that include sexual and physical violence, debt
bondage, exposure to
    HIV, passport deprivation, and illegal confinement; 

    Whereas credible reports also indicate that members of the Thai
police force are often actively involved in, and profit from, the
trafficking of Burmese women and
    girls for the purposes of forced prostitution; 

    Whereas the United States Government conducts training programs for
the Thai police and United States arms and equipment are sold to the
Thai police; 

    Whereas the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women requires all States Parties `to take all
appropriate measures, including
    legislation, to suppress all forms of traffic in women and
exploitation of prostitution of women'; 

    Whereas Article 1 of the 1956 Supplementary Convention on the
Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices
Similar to Slavery calls for
    the complete abolition or abandonment of debt bondage; 

    Whereas forced labor, defined under the 1930 Forced Labor Convention
as `all work or service which is exacted from any person under the
menace of any
    penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself
voluntarily,' is internationally prohibited; 

    Whereas the 1949 Convention for the Suppression of Traffic in
Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others finds the
traffic in persons for the
    purposes of prostitution `incompatible with the dignity and worth of
the human person,' and calls on States Parties to punish any person who
procures for the
    purposes of prostitution, keeps, manages or knowingly finances a
brothel, or rents premises for the prostitution of others; 

    Whereas Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and
Humanitarian Affairs John Shattuck has testified that the United States
`urgently needs to
    encourage countries in which trafficking of women and children goes
on with impunity to enact new laws, and to enforce existing laws. A
particular target of this
    stepped-up law enforcement should be government officials who
participate in or condone trafficking, as well as brothel owners and
traffickers'; and 

    Whereas Secretary of State Warren Christopher stated before the 1993
World Conference on Human Rights that `(g)uaranteeing human rights is a
moral
    imperative with respect to both women and men': 

Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of
Representatives concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that--

(1) trafficking in persons violates the fundamental principle of human
dignity, and forced prostitution involving physical coercion or debt
bondage constitutes a form of
forced labor and a slavery-like practice;

(2) the United States State Department should continue to press the Thai
Government to strictly enforce all laws that can lead to the prosecution
of those involved in
trafficking and forced prostitution, including procurers, traffickers,
pimps, brothel owners, and members of the Thai police who may be
complicit;

(3) the State Department should ensure that Thai police participants in
United States Government-sponsored police training programs are
systematically vetted to
exclude those who are implicated in trafficking and forced prostitution;

(4) the executive branch should take steps to assure that weapons and
equipment provided or sold to the Thai police do not become available to
members of those
forces who might be involved in trafficking, forced prostitution, or
abuse of women and girls who are apprehended;

(5) the State Department should urge the Thai Government to protect the
rights and safety of Burmese women and girls in Thailand who are freed
from brothels or who
are arrested as illegal immigrants because their status as trafficking
victims is unclear;

(6) the United States Agency for International Development should target
a portion of its assistance to Thailand for AIDS prevention and control
to the foreign population
in Thailand, particularly Burmese women and girls in the Thai sex
industry; and

(7) the State Department should report to Congress, within 6 months of
the date of this resolution, on actions that it has taken to advocate
that the Thai Government
implement the above steps.