Malaysia, Cuba taken off U.S. blacklist
WASHINGTON - The State Department on Monday took Malaysia and Cuba off its blacklist of countries failing to combat modern-day slavery, leaving the U.S. open to criticism that politics is swaying the often-contentious rankings in its annual human trafficking report.
WASHINGTON - The State Department on Monday took Malaysia and Cuba off its blacklist of countries failing to combat modern-day slavery, leaving the U.S. open to criticism that politics is swaying the often-contentious rankings in its annual human trafficking report.
Thailand, downgraded with Malaysia last year because of pervasive labor abuses in its lucrative fishing industry, remained on the blacklist. That will add to the growing strains in Thailand's once-strong relations with Washington. Critics contend that Malaysia's upgrade is related to its participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a U.S.-backed trade agreement among 12 Pacific Rim countries. Thailand is not part of the proposed agreement.
Secretary of State John Kerry formally launched the annual U.S. assessment of how 188 governments around the world have performed in fighting the flesh trade and other exploitative labor.
Cuba has for several years been stuck on the lowest ranking, "Tier 3," amid allegations, denied by Havana, of coerced labor with Cuban government work missions abroad. Its upgrade comes a week after the U.S. and Cuba formally restored diplomatic relations after a half-century of estrangement.
Among the 23 nations still at Tier 3 are Iran, Libya, North Korea, Russia, Syria and Zimbabwe. Those downgraded to Tier 3 were Belarus, Belize, Burundi, Comoros, the Marshall Islands and South Sudan.