The Tyranny of Tier Two

On 27 July, the U.S. Department of State released the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report for the year 2015. The report places countries around the world in one of four categories based on their commitment to enacting legislation and criminal penalties in regards to human trafficking, empowering law enforcement with the skills necessary to identify trafficking networks, and efforts to create protection services for trafficking victims. This year Burma was again given a “Tier 2” rating – which it has maintained since 2011 – implying that, “The Government of Burma does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so […]”