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Treacherous human trafficking condemned

21 Jun 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

This Sunday's gospel describes a perilous journey by boat that threatens the lives of the disciples until Jesus intervenes. The U.S. State Department, which Tuesday released its Annual Trafficking in Persons Report, strongly urged affected nations to intervene in an underground industry that threatens the freedom and well-being of impoverished children and adults forcibly shipped to countries where they are sold into virtual slavery. The report cites International Labor Organization statistics that estimate that at least 12.3 million adults and children are victims of forced labor, bonded labor, and sex slavery each year. "This is modern slavery. A crime that spans the globe, providing ruthless employers with [an] endless supply of people to abuse for financial gain," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said as she announced the report. "With this report, we hope to shine the light brightly on the scope and scale of modern slavery, so all governments can see where progress has been made and where more is needed." The report said the global economic crisis is boosting the demand for human trafficking because of a growing demand for cheap goods and services. "A striking global demand for labor and a growing supply of workers willing to take ever-greater risks for economic opportunities seem a recipe for increased forced labor cases of migrant workers and women in prostitution," it said. This year the Justice Department also put out a report on U.S. efforts to combat trafficking at home. In 2008 the Federal Bureau of Investigation opened 132 trafficking investigations, made 139 arrests, and obtained 94 convictions. Source: An article by Elise Labott for CNN

hillary clinton state department annual trafficking in persons report human trafficking slavery international labor organization

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Treacherous human trafficking condemned

21 Jun 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

This Sunday's gospel describes a perilous journey by boat that threatens the lives of the disciples until Jesus intervenes. The U.S. State Department, which Tuesday released its Annual Trafficking in Persons Report, strongly urged affected nations to intervene in an underground industry that threatens the freedom and well-being of impoverished children and adults forcibly shipped to countries where they are sold into virtual slavery. The report cites International Labor Organization statistics that estimate that at least 12.3 million adults and children are victims of forced labor, bonded labor, and sex slavery each year. "This is modern slavery. A crime that spans the globe, providing ruthless employers with [an] endless supply of people to abuse for financial gain," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said as she announced the report. "With this report, we hope to shine the light brightly on the scope and scale of modern slavery, so all governments can see where progress has been made and where more is needed." The report said the global economic crisis is boosting the demand for human trafficking because of a growing demand for cheap goods and services. "A striking global demand for labor and a growing supply of workers willing to take ever-greater risks for economic opportunities seem a recipe for increased forced labor cases of migrant workers and women in prostitution," it said. This year the Justice Department also put out a report on U.S. efforts to combat trafficking at home. In 2008 the Federal Bureau of Investigation opened 132 trafficking investigations, made 139 arrests, and obtained 94 convictions. Source: An article by Elise Labott for CNN

hillary clinton state department annual trafficking in persons report human trafficking slavery international labor organization

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Neighborly disagreement at NAFTA-partner summit

16 Aug 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In the reading from the Book of Proverbs this Sunday, Wisdom encourages us to "advance in the way of understanding." Hoping to do the same, leaders of Canada, the United States, and Mexico met in Guadalajara, Mexico this week for their fourth annual summit, an effort to bring the signers of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) closer together. But the meeting also served to highlight differences on issues such as migration and drug trafficking. President Barack Obama said at the conclusion of the summit Monday that his administration will seek a comprehensive overhaul of the U.S. immigration system this year but that no action on legislation will happen before 2010. The issue of immigration has also generated controversy between Canada and Mexico. Canada announced last month it would begin requiring Mexican citizens to secure visas before entering the country, a decision that angered many in Mexico. The Canadian government claimed too many Mexicans are fraudulently claiming political asylum in Canada, overwhelming the system. The Mexican government struck back with an announcement that Canadian diplomats and government officials would now be required to obtain visas to enter Mexico. Mexico also raised a trade dispute that began when the U.S. Congress canceled a program, in violation of NAFTA, that allowed Mexican trucks to operate in the United States. Mexico responded by imposing billions of dollars in tariffs on American products. Another sore point is the "buy American" clause in the Obama administration's economic stimulus plan, which both Canada and Mexico oppose. There is also some discord on the issue of combating Mexico's drug violence. The American aid package for Mexico says that 15 percent of the funds can be disbursed only if the U.S. State Department decides that the Mexican government meets certain human rights conditions. Recently reports of abuse have emerged. Mexican President Felipe Calderón's government has characterized any abuses as isolated. And aides to Obama said he strongly favors releasing the aid. Source: Articles by Cheryl W. Thompson and William Booth for the Washington Post and Ginger Thompson and Marc Lacey for the New York Times

immigration drug trafficking canada nafta north american free trade agreement felipe calderon mexico united states barack obama visas

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High-seas high jinx

23 Aug 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The psalmist this Sunday proclaims with confidence that the Lord "confronts the evildoers." Determining who is responsible for the nearly three-week disappearance of the Arctic Sea, a Russian-crewed freighter found Monday, may be a different story. The ship's mysterious disappearance sparked fears of hijacking, and the mystery has only deepened since the ship was located. A Russian Defense Ministry official insisted Wednesday that the ship had been commandeered and that hijackers had demanded a ransom and threatened to blow up the vessel if their demands were made public. Some security experts, however, said they suspect the Russian claims may be an effort to dress up a smuggling or trafficking operation as a piracy incident. The suspicions have been fed by the limited information available from the government and the manner in which it has been released. Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov announced Monday that the Russian navy had reached the ship off West Africa on Monday and arrested eight suspected hijackers without a shot being fired. Further details were provided Wednesday by state news agencies, citing an unnamed ministry official. "Crew members confirm that a ransom demand was made by the hijackers and if their demands were not met the hijackers threatened to blow up the vessel," the ministry official reportedly said. The crew said the hijackers were armed but threw their weapons overboard when the Russian naval frigate approached, the reports said. But maritime and security experts said they doubted the ransom claim. "This business about the ransom, I believe this very little," said Mikhail Voitenko, editor of the online Maritime Bulletin-Sovfracht. He and others have speculated that the freighter was carrying an undeclared cargo, possibly weapons or drugs. Voitenko said he did not suspect the Russian government of smuggling; it was more likely the work of a well-connected business clan. Tarmo Kouts, a former commander of the Estonian defense forces, said Russia's version of the incident raised many questions. "This whole story looks so far-fetched that it would be naive to believe Russia's official version," Kouts was quoted as saying in the Estonian newspaper Postimees. Source: Articles by Jim Heintz and David Nowak for Associated Press

russia arctic sea hijacking anatoly serdyukov mikhail voitenko smuggling trafficking tarmo kouts

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Trusted truckers step out of line at the border

29 Nov 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

"Be vigilant at all times," Jesus counsels his disciples in this Sunday's gospel. Guards at the U.S.-Mexico border vigilantly search for contraband but worry that a program that offers trusted trucking companies speedy passage across U.S. borders is being hijacked by Mexican drug smugglers. Large shipments of illegal drugs have been discovered in recent months. Most trucks enrolled in the program pause at the border for only 20 seconds before entering the United States. And nine out of ten of them do so without anyone looking at their cargo. But among the small fraction of trucks that are inspected, authorities have found multiple loads of contraband, including nearly 13 tons of marijuana seized in a three-week period last spring. Some experts now question whether the program makes sense in an environment where drug traffickers are willing to do almost anything to smuggle their shipments into the U.S. The trusted-shipper system "just tells the bad guys who to target," said Dave McIntyre, former director of the Integrative Center for Homeland Security at Texas A&M University. The government keeps the list of participants hidden, citing national security and trade secrets. But some of the 9,500 companies who are part of the system advertise their membership to drum up business, making them targets for smugglers who can then threaten drivers or offer them bribes. More than half of all U.S. imports now come from companies in the program, called the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, or C-TPAT. Mexican trucking companies make up only 6 percent of global membership in the system but they account for half of its 71 security violations during the past two years. Stephen Flynn, senior fellow for Counterterrorism and National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said truckers do not feel safe rejecting bribes, no matter what agreements their companies have made with the U.S. government. "The basic vulnerability for a truck driver remains the 'plata-or-plomo' dilemma," Flynn said, using Spanish shorthand for taking a bribe or a bullet. Source: An article by Christopher Sherman for the Associated Press

united states c-tpat customs-trade partnership against terrorism trusted-shipper dave mcintyre trucking contraband us-mexico border smuggling drug trafficking mexico stephen flynn

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Indonesian executions cause international outcry

03 May 2015 - Preaching the News for Sunday

To the Lord “my soul shall live” proclaims the psalmist this Sunday. Despite months of desperate legal and diplomatic appeals to let them live, eight convicted drug traffickers—citizens of Australia, Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil, and Indonesia—were executed by the Indonesian government Wednesday morning. Strung to a pole and staring down at the weapons pointed at their hearts, the prisoners reportedly sang “Amazing Grace” and “Bless The Lord O My Soul” in the moments before they were executed. Filipina migrant worker Mary Jane Veloso’s scheduled execution was postponed after a woman believed to have recruited her turned herself into the Manila police. Homily hint: The death penalty is wrong for so many reasons—innocent people put to death, the denial of the opportunity for reform and restitution, the example of using violence in answer to wrongdoing, the abuse of power involved, and, as in this case, disproportional justice. Drug trafficking is a very serious offense, but the taking of a human life for such an offense is an even greater offense. For more on the Indonesian executions, see: Indonesia executions: prisoners sang Amazing Grace in last moments; Myuran Sukumaran’s death-row paintings cry out against a monstrous inhumanity

drug trafficking indonesia death penalty

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