The U.S. State Department’s Annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, released last month, is the premier global index on the state of human trafficking. It includes rich contextual analysis, targeted recommendations, and, notably three tiers of ranked performance for 188 countries each year. The lowest grade (Tier 3) opens the door to a wide swath of potential sanctions and penalties.
The Tier 3 downgrade for Cambodia this year came as little surprise to close observers of the situation. Equally unsurprising were the immediate cries of foul play by numerous high-ranking members of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP).
From the perspective of a civil society observer, the report’s status quo diagnosis appears closely representative of the situation on the ground. The specific recommendations in the TIP report seem well-founded and mirror closely those of years past, which remain largely unaddressed.
