Just b/c India is not on the ins list of countries or part of Evil Axis there is enough obstacles to American Market that India desperately vying for after Russian romance went bust
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=15067
Trafficking in girls: US wakes New Delhi up
Waves sanctions stick at Indo-US MPs’ forum, calls for action
Arati R. Jerath
New Delhi, December 19: India could face economic sanctions from the United States next year if it didn’t make serious efforts to correct its record in domestic and international trafficking in humans, particularly young girls. This warning came from US Senator Sam Brownback last week during a closed door interaction with MPs belonging to the Indo-US Parliamentary Forum.
Brownback, who is known as a ‘‘friend of India’’, is believed to have told the MPs during a discussion that otherwise focused on Iraq and ways to increase US investment in India that he was ‘‘greatly concerned’’ about the poor rating given to India in the latest Trafficking in Persons Report.
Although the report, presented to the US Congress by the State Department, puts India in the Tier 2 category, Brownback warned the MPs that it was in grave danger of slipping to Tier 3, which would invite sanctions from the year 2003 under a US law passed two years ago called Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act.
The State Department report says countries in Tier 3 will be subject to ‘‘certain sanctions, principally termination of non-humanitarian, non-trade-related assistance. It adds that they would ‘‘also face US opposition to assistance from international financial institutions, specifically the International Monetary Fund and multilateral development banks such as the World Bank’’.
Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Shukla, the forum’s convenor, confirmed that the issue did come up during discussions with Brownback. However, he refused to divulge details. ‘‘Yes, he did express deep concern on this issue but we don’t usually share details of our round table discussions, so I cannot say any more,’’ he told The Indian Express.
While the State Department report acknowledges that the Indian government is aware of the problem and is working with NGOs to provide protection for the victims of trafficking, it severely raps the country for its low prosecution rate.
At a special press briefing after this year’s report was presented to the US Congress, Nancy Ely-Raphel, Senior Advisor in the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, said that India (along with Thailand) has ‘‘a very, very low conviction rate’’.
She said, ‘‘They (India and Thailand) have serious problems in prosecutions.’’ This is the reason India is seen as a ‘‘borderline’’ Tier 3 nation.
Other countries in Tier 2 are Bangladesh, Israel, Japan and Pakistan. The countries in Tier 3 include Indonesia, Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Trafficking in girls: US wakes New Delhi up
