Singapore authorities say US human trafficking report is inaccurate

In response to the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report released earlier this week, the Singapore authorities said that it “does not provide an accurate representation” of the country’s efforts to combat human trafficking. According to the report, Singapore has retained its Tier 2 position on a four-tier ranking for the fifth year, which indicates that Singapore is merely making “significant efforts”, but has not fully complied with U.S. laws on human trafficking, The Straits Times reports. The report pointed out that the government has “sustained minimal efforts to prosecute and convict traffickers" despite having enacted the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act since March.   The Singapore Inter-agency Taskforce on Trafficking in Persons responded by saying that it has ensured that penalties under the local anti-trafficking law are commensurate with seriousness of the crimes, and that The Prevention of Human Trafficking Act also meets international standards of the UN Tip protocol. Photo: Imagens Evangélicas via Flickr