The Government has issued a statement regarding a report from the Department of State in the United States, called “2016 Trafficking in Persons Report” and that attributed to Macao a “Tier 2” rating. The Government notes that this report contains serious misunderstandings with regard to the situation in Macao. Findings in the report are not based on fact and involve groundless speculation. The Government cannot and will not accept groundless comments alleging cases in Macao of human trafficking, labour exploitation, child sex tourism and unlawful activities by Government officials. The Government has attached significant importance to preventing and combatting any activities relating to human trafficking. The Government’s efforts against human trafficking include the setting up of a body called the Committee on Measures to Deter Human Trafficking, and the promulgation of a law called “Combatting the Crime of Trafficking in Persons”. The Committee has done a large amount of work – in line with international standards – to prevent and combat human trafficking; to protect the rights of victims; and to enhance communication between the Government and non-governmental agencies. The achievements of the Committee have won wide recognition over the years within the local community. For years the Government has continuously stepped up efforts to: further promote awareness on human trafficking among members of different social classes and among different ethnic groups; to strive to protect the rights of local workers and non-resident workers; to ensure integrity when public workers perform their duties; and to fight against any activities relating to human trafficking and labour exploitation. The positive effect of the Government’s efforts can be seen in either a steadily reducing number of those crimes or zero instances of such offences. The Government does not tolerate any act of trafficking or labour exploitation in Macao. The Government is determined to boost enforcement efforts; to keep enhancing legislation; to strengthen public awareness of such crimes; and to maintain the Government’s high level of integrity. The Government will work closely with authorities in neighbouring regions, in order to bolster the sharing of intelligence on human trafficking and to fight against such types of illegal activities.
