NationThailand-Feb 23
Thailand will not slip on the US government’s annual trafficking in persons (TIP) ranking this year and could move up to the top ranking next year, deputy national police chief General Surachate Hakparn said ahead of a visit to Washington on Thursday and Friday. Surachate will answer questions from American officials about Thailand’s efforts to reduce human trafficking ahead of the release of the US government’s annual global report on the crime.
He will explain Thailand’s ongoing efforts to enforce its law against human trafficking and its protection of victims of the crime to the US Senate and the US State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, he told Thansettakij, a sister publication of The Nation. Thailand will retain its Tier two rank this year, Surachate said. “I expect no change in the ranking. It’s unlikely that Thailand will be demoted this year,” he said. If Thailand continues to enforce its law against human trafficking this year, it will be upgraded to Tier one next year, he said. “Now, state officials have more understanding and knowledge about how to enforce the law and protect and rehabilitate victims.” An indicator of Thailand’s improved enforcement of the law is the rise in the number of cases against sexual abusers of children and those found to be in possession of child pornography, Surachate said. The number of cases last year exceeded the total for the previous seven years, he said. Child abusers face swift criminal action so many have second thoughts before committing the crime, he said. Convicted human traffickers also face money-laundering charges so that their assets can be seized to pay compensation to victims, Surachate said, adding that this measure was an effective deterrent against trafficking. Read more at: https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40025136
