Voa development report - US Lists More Nations as Worst for Modern-Day Slavery

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is the VOA Special English Development Report.

United States has accused several of its Arab allies being among the worst offenders of human trafficking. The Department last week released its "Trafficking in Persons Report" two thousand seven. The report rates efforts by one sixty-four countries and territories to end modern-day slavery.

It Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar among sixteen countries with worst records, up from twelve last year. It also Algeria, Equatorial Guinea and Malaysia. And listed again this are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Uzbekistan, Burma, North , Cuba and Venezuela.

Zimbabwe, Belize and Laos were among the worst offenders in last year's report but now in the second tier group. Countries in the tier do not fully meet the requirements but are to improve.

Countries are divided into three groups, or , based on how well they meet the requirements of Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The United States Congress passed law in two thousand.

Countries in tier three face cuts in American assistance. But officials say the goal the report is not to punish.

The reports are on information from American diplomats, nongovernmental organizations and other . The United States estimates that about eight hundred thousand are forced across international borders each year. It says to seventeen thousand are believed to enter this country. great majority of victims are female and as many half are children and teenagers.

Thirty-two nations are a "watch list" in this year's report. The list supposed to be a warning. Armenia, China and South are on it for the third year in a . India, Mexico and Russia are listed for the fourth .

In fact, State Department official Mark Lagon said: " world's largest democracy has the world's largest problem of trafficking." He said India has hundreds of thousands of trafficking victims and millions of bonded laborers. These include child laborers.

The report came out last Tuesday, which World Day Against Child Labor. Estimates are that more two hundred million children worldwide are forced to work, on farms. The United Nations is calling for an to the worst forms of child labor by two sixteen.

And that's the VOA Special English Development , written by Jill Moss. Im Steve Ember.

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