APHR Chairperson Charles Santiago sent a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday expressing concern over reports that political considerations might lead the State Department to upgrade the Tier designations of Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, and Myanmar in its upcoming Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.

The letter was cosigned by U.S. Congressman Joseph Pitts, Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.

Noting the recent discovery of mass graves along the Thailand-Malaysia border, along with the migrant and refugee crisis that consumed the region during the month of May, Santiago and Pitts argued that current conditions demonstrate that the plague of human trafficking continues in the region, and that an upgrade in Tier designations would therefore be premature.

They further argued that Myanmar should be downgraded to Tier 3 in the report, noting that the Myanmar government’s persecution of Rohingya Muslims, which lies at the root of the recent refugee crisis, has exacerbated the regional problem of human trafficking.

“Political considerations, whether related to the Trans-Pacific Partnership or otherwise, should not trump serious human rights concerns. ASEAN countries should be further engaged, encouraged, and supported in their efforts to combat human trafficking, not rewarded for half measures and, in some cases, even complicity,” the letter concluded.

Read the full letter here.