Vietnam, Cambodia and Brunei join Malaysia on US trafficking blacklist
- All four countries have made weak efforts to stop forced sex work or assist migrant labourers, the US State Department’s annual report alleged
- Nations that are put on the blacklist are subject to US sanctions, though friendly nations are routinely spared punishment if they promise to improve
In an annual report, the US also added authoritarian-ruled Belarus to the blacklist and, in a rare criticism of a Western ally, put Bulgaria on a watch list over concerns it is not taking trafficking seriously.
“If you look at the report, you’re going to see a mixed picture of progress,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said as he presented it.
Blinken said that corruption was a “top tool” of traffickers who count on a blind eye from governments.
“As we tackle issues like climate and corruption throughout our diplomacy, we also have to address how they intersect with trafficking in persons,” he said.
The State Department’s annual trafficking report has historically not spared close allies, often causing friction, although US officials say the unflattering headlines have led governments to act.
Nations that are put on the blacklist – “Tier 3” – are subject to US sanctions, although the administration routinely waives punishment for friendly nations that promise improvements.