Malaysia dismisses US list on human trafficking

KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 (Reuters) Malaysia, ranked by the United States as among the worst human trafficking offenders, today dismissed the listing which carries the threat of sanctions as unjustified.

''We can't react to something that does not take into account of what we have done,'' Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar was quoted as saying by the online version of the Star newspaper.

He said Kuala Lumpur had taken adequate steps to protect migrant workers.

''No single country can act as investigator, prosecutor and judge against another,'' he said. But he added Malaysia, a US ally and home to more than one million foreign workers, would not lodge a formal protest with Washington.

In its annual report on human trafficking published yesterday, the US State Department added Malaysia to its list of 16 countries subjected to possible sanctions, including the loss of US aid and US support for World Bank and International Monetary Fund loans.

Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Algeria and Equatorial Guinea were also added to the bottom - Tier 3 - ranking of countries that failed to meet minimum US standards on combating human trafficking or of making significant efforts to improve their record.

The others in this category were Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.

Under US law, these countries have 90 days to improve their records or face sanctions. The Bush administration can choose not to impose sanctions if it wishes.

Rights groups say such U.S. blacklists sometimes appear politically motivated. Friendly countries with major trafficking problems such as India were not placed in the worst category, where US antagonists like Syria, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela routinely appear.

REUTERS SM BD1659