Indonesia Receives “Tier 2” Ranking
in New U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report

June 13, 2007

Bahasa Indonesia

Indonesia was classified as Tier 2 in the 2007 U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, released in Washington, D.C. on June 12, marking an improvement over Indonesia’s Tier 2 Watch List in 2006.

“The 2007 TIP Report for Indonesia credits Indonesia for passing a strong anti-trafficking law, for improvement in law enforcement and for continued good efforts to raise public awareness of the issue,” said U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires John Heffern, adding, “However, the report also notes the great magnitude of the trafficking problem in Indonesia and some difficult issues which still need to be overcome, including trafficking-related complicity by public officials and the need to provide greater protection to migrant workers at risk of trafficking.”

“The fact that Indonesia’s status has improved from Tier 2 Watchlist to Tier 2 is testimony to the political will by the Indonesian government to fight human trafficking,” Heffern explained. “The U.S. Government will continue to support Indonesia by funding programs to help Indonesia to prevent trafficking, rescue victims, and in law enforcement efforts.”

The U.S. Government has provided over US$20 million dollars over the past four years to assist Indonesia to fight trafficking.

The TIP Report noted, “The Government of Indonesia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. In April 2007, Indonesia’s President signed into law a comprehensive anti-trafficking bill that provides law enforcement authorities the power to investigate all forms of trafficking. The new law incorporates all major elements suggested by civil society and the international community, including definitions of debt bondage, labor exploitation, sexual exploitation, and transnational and internal trafficking. Success will depend on the political will of senior law enforcement officials to use the law and on the quick drafting of the law’s implementing regulations.”

The U.S. Congress, through its passage of the 2000 Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), as amended, requires the Secretary of State to submit this TIP Report by June 1 of each year. The goal of this report is to stimulate action and create partnerships around the world in the fight against modern-day slavery. Countries determined to have a significant number of trafficking victims are assigned to one of three tiers. Countries assessed as meeting the "minimum standards for the elimination of severe forms of trafficking" set forth in the TVPA are classified as Tier 1.

The text of the TVPA and amendments can be found on website www.state.gov/g/tip. Countries assessed as not fully complying with the minimum standards, but making significant efforts to meet those minimum standards are classified as Tier 2. Countries assessed as neither complying with the minimum standards nor making significant efforts to do so are classified as Tier 3.

The TVPA also requires the Secretary of State to provide a "Special Watch List" to Congress later in the year. Anti-trafficking efforts of the countries on this list are to be evaluated again in an Interim Assessment that the Secretary of State must provide to Congress by February 1 of each year.

In addition to tracking countries that move up in "tier" ratings -- from 3 to 2 or from 2 to 1 -- the Special Watch List also effectively established a new, fourth tier -- Tier Two Watch List. This tier consists of Tier Two countries determined: (1) not to have made "increasing efforts" over the past year; (2) to have avoided Tier 3 status based on commitments of anti-trafficking reforms over the next year, or (3) to have a very significant number of trafficking victims or a significantly increasing victim population.

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