Is Malaysia's Human Rights Record being whitewashed for TPP?

[Armstead]

Malaysia Needed a Clean Human Rights Record—So the State Department Just Gave It to Them
http://www.thenation.com/article/malaysia-needed-a-clean-human-rights-record-so-the-state-department-just-gave-it-to-them/

With an obscure bureaucratic fix at the State Department, the president cleansed Malaysia—where millions of Asian women, men, and children come in search of jobs and find themselves forced into sex slavery, indentured labor, and debt peonage—of its notorious record of human trafficking

Malaysia was just awarded a ratings upgrade that contradicts the facts of the State Department’s own reports and investigations. This is the kind of odious backroom deal that often accompanies trade negotiations. Without the upgrade, Malaysia would have been barred from signing on as one of America’s TPP partners.

"Giving countries with clear evidence of human rights violations a front row seat to join the TPP is unconscionable."

Senators Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Robert Menendez of New Jersey didn’t like the smell. The decision, Brown said, “is grounded in politics—not in facts.… Giving countries with clear evidence of human rights violations like Malaysia a front row seat to join the TPP is unconscionable.”

Last month, Brown and Menendez amended the fast-track legislation to bar any Tier 3 nations like Malaysia. No problem; US diplomats simply announced Malaysia is now Tier 2. Senators may complain, but they are powerless. With fast-track legislation, Congress surrendered its power to reject or rewrite any particulars of the final TPP deal.

Just for the record, this is what the State Department said about Malaysia only last year:

Foreign workers typically migrate willingly to Malaysia from other countries in Asia—primarily Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Nepal, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Thailand and Laos—in search greater economic opportunities. Some of the migrants subsequently encounter forced labor or debt bondage at the hands of employers, employment agents or informal labor recruiters…

A significant number of young foreign women are recruited ostensibly for legal work in Malaysian restaurants, hotels and beauty salons, but are subsequently coerced into the commercial sex trade.....

[djean111]

1. This -

Last month, Brown and Menendez amended the fast-track legislation to bar any Tier 3 nations like Malaysia. No problem; US diplomats simply announced Malaysia is now Tier 2. Senators may complain, but they are powerless. With fast-track legislation, Congress surrendered its power to reject or rewrite any particulars of the final TPP deal.

The Fast Track and the TPP et al. are the most breathtakingly cynical things I have ever seen. I believe that the hits from this will be hurting the 99%, but the corporations must be swilling (expense account, of course) champagne and laughing their asses off.

[Fred Sanders]

2. Is America's human rights record, particularly against minorities and immigrants, also being erased?

Malaysia should also not have upgraded their ranking of America on human rights.

[Armstead]

3. Tpp isn't going to help our record on that score either

The only laws they want are those that help corporations. So if laws designed to advacne or protect human rights run afoul of corporate imperatives....buh bye laws.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Brunei, which has brutal anti gay laws including a death by stoning provision

But DU calls all of that 'silly social issues' and they don't really care about that.

[Oilwellian]

5. Money trumps everything these days

This corporate bonanza has convinced me to never vote for a Third Way Dem again. It has caused a huge schism in the Democratic party, and rightly so.

[Octafish]

6. Money trumps peace.

And when it's really big money, it seems no one with any power to make a difference ever notices.

[MisterP]

7. same thing happened in Guatemala and El Salvador: even the ambassador was ordered

not to report human-rights violations--since that'd harm the country's human-rights certification by Congress and they wouldn't be able to get military and civil aid, natch! Robert White was ordered to use only encrypted channels so whistleblowing wouldn't go apst a small Foggy Bottom camarilla