US takes Thailand off human trafficking blacklist
WASHINGTON- The US has removed Thailand from its human trafficking blacklist, though forced labor is still widespread in the nation's lucrative seafood industry.
The State Department made the assessment in its annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which examines the efforts of 188 governments in fighting modern-day slavery.
Key US trading partner Malaysia was taken off the blacklist controversially in 2015, soon after the discovery of mass graves of suspected trafficking victims. Malaysia retains its ranking, though it has initiated fewer trafficking investigations and prosecutions in the period covered by this year's report.
