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John Kerry to pressure Malaysia over human trafficking after removing it from blacklist

The US Secretary of State is visiting Malaysia on Wednesday for Asean talks

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Coffins lie in a mass grave of unidentified Rohingya remains found at a traffickers camp in Wang Kelian, at a cemetery near Alor Setar, Malaysia. Photo: Reuters
Associated Press

US Secretary of State John Kerry would push Malaysia to redouble its efforts against human trafficking during an upcoming visit for regional security talks, a senior State Department official said.

Kerry’s visit, starting on Wednesday, comes a week after the department faced a storm of protest for lifting Malaysia off its trafficking blacklist. US lawmakers and human rights activists say the decision was intended to smooth the way for a trade agreement among 12 Pacific rim nations, including Malaysia.

The official said Malaysia needed to do much more, expanding prosecutions and meeting standards laid out in US anti-trafficking legislation.

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Like neighbouring Thailand, Malaysia has faced international criticism over its treatment of millions of migrants from poorer countries, and over the plight of stateless Rohingya Muslims trafficked from Myanmar and Bangladesh aboard overcrowded boats. Dozens of graves as well as pens likely used as cages for Rohingya have been found in abandoned jungle camps on both sides of the Thai-Malaysian border.
US Secretary of State John Kerry begins his visit to Malaysia on Wednesday, though he is expected to steer clear of the 1MDB scandal involving Najib Razak. Photo: AP
US Secretary of State John Kerry begins his visit to Malaysia on Wednesday, though he is expected to steer clear of the 1MDB scandal involving Najib Razak. Photo: AP
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Kerry is visiting Malaysia for annual security talks between the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and its international partners. Those talks are expected to focus on China’s island-building in the disputed South China Sea, which has rattled China’s neighbours and strained relations between Washington and Beijing.

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