Letters & Speeches
Speech made by U.S. Embassy’s Vice Consul Mr. Joel Wiegert at the SLBFE
August 10, 2009
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen good morning! My name is Joel Wiegert. I’m a consular officer at the American Embassy, here in Sri Lanka. It’s a pleasure to be here this morning to talk to you about the crime of human trafficking.
I would like to begin by telling you a true story about a Sri Lankan woman who went abroad for work.
Seetha was born to a poor farming family in Chilaw. She got married when she was eighteen and had her first child at nineteen. When her family started to have financial problems, she decided to find a job through a foreign employment agent. He arranged for her to work as a domestic for a family in Dubai.
Shortly after arriving in Dubai, Seetha’s employer and his son demanded sexual favors from her. At first, she refused. But they persisted. They told her that they had the right to do this. She worked for them, so she had to do everything they told her to. They told her that her employment agency had already agreed to this. Seetha was a virtual prisoner in the family’s house. She felt she had no way to resist.
Her family did not hear from Seetha for a long time, even though they continued to receive her salary on time every month. One day though, Seetha was able to send a letter to her sister. In the letter, Seetha wrote that she was trapped in the house and that she had a growing pain in her stomach. She feared she was pregnant. She was ashamed and wanted to end her life.
After receiving the letter, Seetha’s sister complained to the foreign employment agent. He said that he would look into it, but he did nothing. Later Seetha’s sister complained to the Bureau of Foreign Employment, which was able to secure her release. When Seetha arrived back in Sri Lanka, she was two months pregnant and had contracted a sexually transmitted disease.
Seetha was a victim of human trafficking. And her foreign employment agent, who knew there was a problem, was a participant in this crime.
So what exactly is human trafficking? In simple terms, trafficking involves the movement of people, while at the same time forcing them to do things they don’t want to do in order for the trafficker to make money. The most revolting example of trafficking is forcing women and children into prostitution or, as we heard in Seetha’s case, when workers are raped or forced to do other things against their will by their employers. Another more common form of trafficking is labor exploitation. Examples of labor trafficking are promising someone a job abroad, only to send them to a different country or to a different job than what was promised. It can be paying workers less than was agreed or not paying them at all.
Labor trafficking also occurs when workers are not allowed to contact their families, when workers have to give their passports to their employers, or when workers have their freedom of movement taken away. It can happen in households or factories. The use of force or coercion can be direct and violent or it can be psychological. The common connection of all trafficking scenarios though, is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit a person for profit.
Trafficking has a broad global impact. It weakens legitimate economies, fuels violence and threatens public health and safety. It shatters families, and shreds the social fabric that is necessary for progress. And, it is an affront to the basic human value that all people everywhere deserve to live and work in safety and dignity. Human trafficking is also a crime with many victims: not only those who are trafficked, but also the families they leave behind, some of whom never see their loved ones again.
The International Labor Organization or ILO —the United Nations agency charged with addressing labor standards, employment, and social protection issues—estimates that there are over twelve million adults and children in forced or bonded labor, or in commercial sexual servitude at any given time. Of these victims, the ILO estimates that over one million are victims of commercial sex trafficking. More than half of all forced labor victims are women and girls. Human traffickers prey on the weak. They target the vulnerable. They use creative and ruthless ploys designed to trick, coerce, and win the confidence of potential victims. Very often these ruses involve promises of a better life through employment opportunities.
The nationalities of trafficked people are as diverse as the world’s cultures. Many are from developing countries, like Sri Lanka. They seek to improve their lives through low-skilled jobs in more prosperous countries. Women, eager for a better future, are susceptible to promises of jobs abroad as babysitters or housekeepers—jobs that traffickers turn into the nightmare of abuse.
President Obama views the fight against human trafficking, both at home and abroad, as a critical part of America’s foreign policy agenda, which is why I’m here today. The United States currently funds one hundred and forty anti-trafficking programs in nearly seventy countries, including Sri Lanka, as well as over forty domestic task forces to address trafficking in America. We are proud of the work we do, but we know we have much more ahead of us.
So what does this have to do with you? As Foreign Employment Agents, you deal with people who are most at risk of becoming trafficking victims. They are placing their trust in you. They trust that you will honor your commitments and promises to them. They trust that you will help them if they have difficulties abroad. When people leave Sri Lanka, they are particularly vulnerable. They often have not been abroad before. Their foreign languages skills are usually weak. They frequently don’t have much education; a few are not even able to read or write. Frequently, especially with domestic workers, they live in isolation and have little ability to connect with others. It is you as foreign employment agents who bear the responsibility to do the right thing for your clients and do everything possible to prevent them from becoming trafficking victims.
There are a number of reasons for you to work to prevent human trafficking.. First, it’s good for business. Protecting your clients from trafficking will bring you financial rewards. When clients know that you will look out for their interests, instead of seeing them just as a source of income, they are more likely to recommend your services to others. This will mean less work for you to attract new clients. In addition, when you take care of people and look out for their best interests, they will be more motivated to work. Better workers are more appealing to employers. When employers are happier with their workers, they will be happier with you. Again, this will make it easier for you to do more business and be more financially successful.
Another reason you should work to prevent human trafficking is because you are required to do so according to the laws of Sri Lanka and other countries. Trafficking is a crime. It is punishable by a prison sentence of two years to twenty years, in addition to a large fine. If you are involved in the trafficking of children, you can count on a minimum of three years in prison. The Attorney General’s Department is prosecuting an increasing number of trafficking cases. In addition, the Bureau of Foreign Employment is very active in identifying traffickers.
The last reason, and the most basic reason for preventing human trafficking, is simply that it is the right thing to do. Trafficking victims can suffer horribly from their fate. Psychological abuse, physical violence, rape and even death are possible. You would never put a family member in a situation like this. Why would you want another human being to suffer such a fate? People come to you looking for employment abroad. They are only trying to improve their lives and the lives of their families. People who put their trust in you should not be taken advantage of..
Before I finish, I want to revisit Seetha’s story. Specifically, I would like to tell you what her agent should have done. First, the agent should have warned Seetha about problems she could face working in the Middle East. When employees are aware of the risks, they are more likely to be prepared to deal with them. Second, the agent should have checked on her periodically, to ensure that both Seetha and her employer were happy. Again, this is just good business. And lastly, when the agent received the complaint, he should have acted immediately. If he couldn’t reach Seetha or her employer, there are local agents in Dubai he could have contacted. Also, labor attachés at Sri Lankan Embassies abroad are there specifically to assist in these kinds of cases. However, the agent did none of these things. And because he didn’t act, a woman and her family were scarred forever.
Please, always keep Seetha in mind when you are recruiting workers to go abroad and do the right thing. It’s what is expected of you, and it’s in your own best interest.
Thank you.