By NNN-ONA,
Muscat : Oman has rejected and protested against the latest US State Department’s report on human trafficking citing the Sultanate for the second year among countries that have made no efforts to fight this global issue.
It said that the faulted report does not tell the truth, does badly with the Sultanate, and shows the short-sightedness of the other party.
Besides, it does not reflect the real situation of the Omani citizens and expatriates in the Sultanate, said Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud al Busaidi, Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry, in commenting to the press Tuesday regarding the Sultanate’s stand on the report and measures taken by the Sultanate in this regard.
He said that he met the US ambassador to the Sultanate Monday and handed over to him an official protest note, informing the Sultanate’s rejection of the misleading information and incorrect allegations mentioned in the report which contradict the reality of life of the people in the Sultanate.
He added that everyone knows that the Sultanate is renowned for its serious cooperation with the international community in combating crime and that the competent authorities in the Sultanate are very serious on cracking down, arresting, and punishing perpetrators of all crimes and not only human trafficking which have become a global issue.
He cited the human trafficking cases as limited and isolated as compared to many other countries.
The Sultanate, with its different institutions, is providing the crime victims with relevant care, sympathetic with the human dimension of the problem, sympathizes with victims in accordance with tradition, culture and morals of the Omani society which rejects degrading and violating human dignity, he stressed.
In making his statement, the Foreign Ministry secretary-general said that the crime ratio in the Sultanate as it is internationally known, is considerably low due to the enforced policies, laws and procedures and due to the Omani people’s respect of their religion, traditions and solid values.
Therefore, he said, the Sultanate does not find any justification for such faulted and unjust report.
Considering the Sultanate’s good historical relations with the US, Oman hopes that officials at the US State Department may revise the report to reflect the true image, the security and stability of the situation in the Sultanate to correct the relevant information and highlight the Sultanate’s distinguished record in this regard to maintain such relations and avoid damaging them by such report, the Foreign Ministry secretary-general said.
The Sultanate has long initiated procedures of issuing legislation on human trafficking, he added.