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An Assessment of the ASEAN Political-Security Community Pillar on the Thai Seafood Industry, 2020
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) is designated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ... more Trafficking in Persons (TIP) is designated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a non-traditional security threat to the region’s community-building efforts because of its close connection to transnational organized crime. The study sought to answer why its practice persists despite existing international, regional, and national laws. The study is limited to the anti-trafficking provisions of the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) pillar and between Thailand and the Philippines only. Social constructivism was utilized as the theoretical lens in analyzing the influence of international anti-trafficking norms and its internalization within ASEAN’s systems.
The study used a descriptive-normative approach to assess the APSC pillar as a policy framework to address the issue of TIP in Thailand’s seafood industry using the Opportunity, Ability, and Motivation (OAM) assessment framework. The researcher gathered data from government agencies in Thailand and the Philippines, as well as from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The researcher looked into publically available official documents, databases, correspondence, and interviews with informants.
The OAM assessment, supported by archival documents and key informants, proves that the APSC pillar is a relevant and effective policy framework against TIP, especially in addressing its practice in the Thai seafood industry. The assessment has also shown how international anti-TIP norms have influenced the APSC, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Although there was significant progress towards curbing TIP, the assessment revealed six gaps in the APSC pillar, which contribute to its continued practice of TIP in the Thai seafood industry. These gaps include the (1) uneven ratification of international anti-TIP legal instruments by the ASEAN Member States; (2) the fragmented process of monitoring and reporting of TIP cases; (3) inadequate funding to the ASPSC pillar; (4) lack of provisions on assisting other types of trafficking victims; and (5) the APSC’s provisions against TIP's overreliance on border control and law enforcement deterrent measures. The study has also identified (6) external factors exploited by traffickers as well, which are deep-rooted issues within ASEAN states such as armed conflict, poor socio-economic development, and vulnerability to natural disasters. Based on the findings and existing gaps, the researcher sees the TIP to continue to pose a challenge to the ASPC’s integration goals. However, the researcher is optimistic that ASEAN’s current anti-TIP mechanism will evolve further and become an effective deterrent in mitigating its widespread practice, especially in the Thai seafood industry.
Based on the findings from the OAM assessment, the study recommends the following action points, which are grouped into three levels: regional, state, and individual. At the regional level: (1) Continue ASEAN’s efforts to engage the ASEAN Member States, particularly those identified to be a source, destination, or transit point for trafficking, to ratify the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children; (2) increase ASEAN’s capacities on data collection and management of TIP cases; (3) review funding priorities and resource development strategies to increase the funds allocated to the APSC pillar; (4) expand its scope of assistance mechanism to TIP victims to include victims-turned traffickers; (5) ensure ASEAN’s deterrent measures are not over-reliant on border control and law enforcement measures.
At the state level, the recommendations are : (6) encourage the ASEAN Member States, to periodically review and improve their anti-trafficking laws and laws related to labor, migration, and regulations of labor-intensive industries; and (7) governments from Thailand and the Philippines should enhance their bilateral anti-TIP cooperation, particularly in protecting migrant laborers employed in Thailand’s seafood industry.
At the individual level, the recommendation is for technical staff from one of ASEAN’s anti-TIP sectoral bodies, scholars from the academe, and students of international relations, migration, or development to (8) conduct future process-based and/or outcomes-based research on ASEAN’s efforts against TIP.
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The study used a descriptive-normative approach to assess the APSC pillar as a policy framework to address the issue of TIP in Thailand’s seafood industry using the Opportunity, Ability, and Motivation (OAM) assessment framework. The researcher gathered data from government agencies in Thailand and the Philippines, as well as from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The researcher looked into publically available official documents, databases, correspondence, and interviews with informants.
The OAM assessment, supported by archival documents and key informants, proves that the APSC pillar is a relevant and effective policy framework against TIP, especially in addressing its practice in the Thai seafood industry. The assessment has also shown how international anti-TIP norms have influenced the APSC, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Although there was significant progress towards curbing TIP, the assessment revealed six gaps in the APSC pillar, which contribute to its continued practice of TIP in the Thai seafood industry. These gaps include the (1) uneven ratification of international anti-TIP legal instruments by the ASEAN Member States; (2) the fragmented process of monitoring and reporting of TIP cases; (3) inadequate funding to the ASPSC pillar; (4) lack of provisions on assisting other types of trafficking victims; and (5) the APSC’s provisions against TIP's overreliance on border control and law enforcement deterrent measures. The study has also identified (6) external factors exploited by traffickers as well, which are deep-rooted issues within ASEAN states such as armed conflict, poor socio-economic development, and vulnerability to natural disasters. Based on the findings and existing gaps, the researcher sees the TIP to continue to pose a challenge to the ASPC’s integration goals. However, the researcher is optimistic that ASEAN’s current anti-TIP mechanism will evolve further and become an effective deterrent in mitigating its widespread practice, especially in the Thai seafood industry.
Based on the findings from the OAM assessment, the study recommends the following action points, which are grouped into three levels: regional, state, and individual. At the regional level: (1) Continue ASEAN’s efforts to engage the ASEAN Member States, particularly those identified to be a source, destination, or transit point for trafficking, to ratify the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children; (2) increase ASEAN’s capacities on data collection and management of TIP cases; (3) review funding priorities and resource development strategies to increase the funds allocated to the APSC pillar; (4) expand its scope of assistance mechanism to TIP victims to include victims-turned traffickers; (5) ensure ASEAN’s deterrent measures are not over-reliant on border control and law enforcement measures.
At the state level, the recommendations are : (6) encourage the ASEAN Member States, to periodically review and improve their anti-trafficking laws and laws related to labor, migration, and regulations of labor-intensive industries; and (7) governments from Thailand and the Philippines should enhance their bilateral anti-TIP cooperation, particularly in protecting migrant laborers employed in Thailand’s seafood industry.
At the individual level, the recommendation is for technical staff from one of ASEAN’s anti-TIP sectoral bodies, scholars from the academe, and students of international relations, migration, or development to (8) conduct future process-based and/or outcomes-based research on ASEAN’s efforts against TIP.