KATHMANDU: Nepal has continued to improve efforts to combat human trafficking despite limited resources, the 11th Annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report released in Washington on Monday said, pointing out that the government is yet to fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.

Recommendations contained in the TIP Report aimed at improving Nepal’s anti-trafficking efforts include increased law enforcement efforts against all types of trafficking, including labour trafficking, and against government officials who are found to be complicit in trafficking; the establishment of a formal procedure to identify victims of trafficking and refer them to protection services; and the promotion of legal awareness programmes to potential trafficking victims and government officials, said the US Embassy in Kathmandu on Tuesday.

Releasing the report Washington, DC, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recognised ten TIP Heroes, including Nepal’s Charimaya Tamang, from around the world for their efforts in combating human trafficking.

Tamang is involved in protecting the rights of trafficking survivors with her work for Nepali NGO Shakti Samuha, and as a member of Nepal’s National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking.

Tamang, who is profiled in this year’s TIP Report, was present in Washington to receive the recognition.

United States law requires the U.S. Department of State to issue the TIP Report annually with the goal of stimulating action and creating partnerships around the world in the fight against modern-day slavery. Countries determined to have a significant number of trafficking victims are assigned to one of three tiers. Last year’s report included, for the first time, a section on the United States.

“Born into a poor family made poorer by the passing of her father, Charimaya Tamang was 16 when she was trafficked to India. She spent 22 months enslaved in a brothel before the Indian government rescued her and more than 200 other Nepali women in 1996. Upon her return to Nepal, Ms. Tamang faced social stigma and was outcast from her own community. But she courageously filed a case against her traffickers, becoming the first person to file personally a trafficking case with the district police. In 1997, the District Court – in a landmark decision – convicted and sentenced eight offenders involved in her case.

“Born into a poor family made poorer by the passing of her father, Charimaya Tamang was 16 when she was trafficked to India. She spent 22 months enslaved in a brothel before the Indian government rescued her and more than 200 other Nepali women in 1996. Upon her return to Nepal, Ms. Tamang faced social stigma and was outcast from her own community. But she courageously filed a case against her traffickers, becoming the first person to file personally a trafficking case with the district police. In 1997, the District Court – in a landmark decision – convicted and sentenced eight offenders involved in her case,” notes the report.

“In 2000, Ms. Tamang and 15 other survivors established Shakti Sumaha, an anti-trafficking NGO. She received a national honor for her work in 2007 and is currently one of two trafficking survivors serving as members of the government-led National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, which was founded in 2009. In that role, Ms. Tamang raised the importance of including survivors in each district-level working group. There are now five trafficking survivors serving as members of district-level committees around the country.”

Source: The Himalayan Times – 28.06.2011