SECRETARY COHEN'S LUNCH WITH BAMBANG YUDHOYONO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 004700

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/10
TAGS: PREL UNSC PREF UNHCR ID
SUBJECT: SECRETARY COHEN'S LUNCH WITH BAMBANG YUDHOYONO


1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY ACTING POLITICAL COUNSELOR GREG FERGIN FOR
REASON 1.5(D).


2. (C) SUMMARY. IN A SEPTEMBER 18 LUNCH, INDONESIAN COORDINATING
MINISTER FOR POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND SECURITY AFFAIRS BAMBANG
YUDHOYONO TOLD SECRETARY COHEN THAT ON YUDHOYONO'S MISSION TO NEW
YORK, HE WILL DESCRIBE IN DETAIL INDONESIA'S AGENDA FOR DISARMING
AND DISBANDING THE MILITIAS. HE SAID INDONESIA WOULD FIRST TRY
PERSUASIVE METHODS AND THEN "REPRESSIVE" METHODS. THE GOI HAS
ESTABLISHED A FIRM TIMETABLE FOR DISARMAMENT; POLICE, BACKED UP BY
THE MILITARY, WILL TAKE COERCIVE MEASURES IF THE MILITIAS DO NOT
TURN IN THEIR WEAPONS FROM SEPTEMBER 22-24. YUDHOYONO SAID THAT
SIX SUSPECTS IN THE ATAMBUA KILLINGS HAVE BEEN DETAINED AND THAT
OTHER ARRESTS, INCLUDING OF NOTORIOUS MILITIA LEADER EURICO
GUTERRES, ARE IMMINENT. YUDHOYONO SAID THAT HE FACES PRESSURE
FROM ULTRA-NATIONALIST FORCES WITHIN INDONESIAN SOCIETY AND IN THE
INDONESIAN CABINET. HE SAID THAT MANY INDONESIANS MISUNDERSTAND
THE UNSC RESOLUTION AND MISREAD INTERNATIONAL CONCERN AS A THREAT
TO INDONESIAN SOVEREIGNTY. HE SAID DELAYING THE UNSC MISSION
WOULD HELP DISARM NATIONALIST CRITICS. HE ALSO URGED COHEN TO
ALLAY NATIONALIST CONCERNS BY INCLUDING A STRONG STATEMENT OF
SUPPORT FOR INDONESIA'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY IN HIS PRESS
STATEMENT.


3. (C) SUMMARY CONTINUED. SECRETARY COHEN TOLD YUDHOYONO THAT THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY EXPECTS QUICK RESULTS ON DISARMING AND
DISBANDING THE TIMOR MILITIAS AND ON PROSECUTING THOSE RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE MURDERS OF UN PEACEKEEPERS AND THE ATAMBUA MASSACRE OF
UNHCR STAFF. COHEN SAID WHEN SENIOR INDONESIAN OFFICIALS DENY
INDONESIA'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ATAMBUA MURDERS OR EVEN BLAME
FOREIGNERS FOR THE KILLINGS, IT HURTS INDONESIA'S INTERNATIONAL
IMAGE. HE SAID THAT THE U.S. IS READY TO SUPPORT INDONESIA'S
EFFORTS AT MILITARY REFORM, BUT THAT EVENTS OVER THE PAST SIX
MONTHS HAVE MADE IT DIFFICULT TO REESTABLISH MILITARY-MILITARY
TIES. COHEN SAID THE "WORLD IS LOOKING AT INDONESIA THROUGH THE
LENS OF TIMOR," AND URGED YUDHOYONO TO TAKE SWIFT MEASURES,
INCLUDING ACTION AGAINST EX-INDONESIAN ARMED FORCES PERSONNEL
ACTIVE IN TRAINING AND EQUIPPING THE MILITIAS. STRONG MEASURES
WOULD SEND A SIGNAL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY THAT THE
INDONESIAN MILITARY IS READY TO TAKE A RESPONSIBLE ROLE IN
INDONESIAN SOCIETY. END SUMMARY.


4. (U) ON SEPTEMBER 18, SECRETARY COHEN AND AMBASSADOR GELBARD MET
OVER LUNCH WITH INDONESIAN COORDINATING MINISTER FOR POLITICAL,
SOCIAL, AND SECURITY AFFAIRS BAMBANG YUDHOYONO. CHIEF OF STAFF
FOR TERRITORIAL AFFAIRS LT. GENERAL AGUS WIDJOYO, PRINCIPAL DEPUTY
UNDERSECRETARY OF DEFENSE JAMES BODNER, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF
DEFENSE KENNETH BACON, AND DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE
SKIP BOYCE ALSO ATTENDED THE LUNCH.

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YUDHOYONO: GOI PLANS
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5. (C) YUDHOYONO SAID THAT ON HIS MISSION TO NEW YORK HE WOULD
EXPLAIN THE CURRENT SITUATION IN WEST TIMOR, CONVEY THE GOI'S
RESPONSE TO UNSC RESOLUTION 1319, DESCRIBE THE GOI'S PLAN OF
ACTION FOR DISBANDING AND DISARMING THE MILITIAS AND THE
PROSECUTION OF THOSE GUILTY OF CRIMES, AND DISCUSS HOW THE GOI CAN
WORK WITH UNTAET ON REPATRIATION OF TIMOR IDPS. YUDHOYONO SAID
THAT THE GOI WOULD FIRST TAKE A "PERSUASIVE APPROACH" IN DISARMING
THE MILITIAS. YUDHOYONO HAD MET ON SEPTEMBER 14 WITH MILITIA
LEADERS AS PART OF THAT PERSUASIVE APPROACH AND THE MILITIA
LEADERS HAD PROMISED TO TURN IN THEIR WEAPONS. YUDHOYONO FEELS
CONFIDENT THAT THE MILITIAS WILL DISARM VOLUNTARILY, BUT THE GOI
HAS SET A STRICT TIMETABLE FOR COMPLIANCE. IF THE MILITIAS DO NOT
TURN OVER THEIR WEAPONS DURING THE THREE-DAY PERIOD SEPTEMBER 22-
24, THE INDONESIAN POLICE, BACKED UP BY THE MILITARY, WILL
IMPLEMENT THE "REPRESSIVE" PHASE OF DISARMING THE MILITIAS.
YUDHOYONO SAID THAT A PERIOD OF MONITORING AND FOLLOW UP WILL ALSO
BE REQUIRED BECAUSE THE MILITIAS MAY HAVE MANY HIDDEN CACHES OF
ARMS. HE SAID THAT DISARMING THE MILITIAS WOULD BE A LONG
PROCESS.

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ARRESTS PROCEEDING
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6. (C) YUDHOYONO SAID THE PROSECUTION OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
KILLINGS AT ATAMBUA IS PROCEEDING. SIX SUSPECTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN
ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE ATAMBUA KILLINGS. OTHER ARRESTS,
IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AND OTHER INVESTIGATIONS, ARE IMMINENT.
YUDHOYONO SAID THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THAT NOTORIOUS MILITIA LEADER
EURICO GUTERRES WOULD SOON BE ARRESTED, THOUGH NOT ON CHARGES
RELATED TO THE ATAMBUA KILLINGS. SECRETARY COHEN AND AMBASSADOR
GELBARD REVIEWED THE EVIDENCE PLACING GUTERRES AT ATAMBUA ON THE
DAY OF THE KILLINGS. YUDHOYONO INITIALLY SAID THAT EURICO MIGHT
HAVE BEEN IN WEST TIMOR BECAUSE OF THE DEATH THE PREVIOUS DAY OF
MILITIA LEADER OLIVIO MORUK. THE AMBASSADOR POINTED OUT THAT THE
SIX-HOUR TRAVEL TIME BETWEEN KUPANG AND ATAMBUA MEANT THAT
GUTERRES MUST HAVE DEPARTED BY 5:30 A.M. TO ARRIVE IN ATAMBUA.
THIS WAS EVIDENCE OF GUTERRES'S PREMEDITATED MALICE. YUDHOYONO
FINALLY SAID THAT THE POLICE WILL HAVE TO BUILD A CASE TO LINK
GUTERRES DIRECTLY TO THE CRIMES.

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NATIONALIST PRESSURE
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7. (C) YUDHOYONO SAID THAT, AS IN ANY DEVELOPING COUNTRY, THERE
ARE "ULTRA-NATIONALIST" ELEMENTS IN SOCIETY AND IN THE CABINET.
HE SAID THAT HE ADVOCATES WORKING WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
AND FACING UP TO INTERNATIONAL CONCERNS, BUT FACES STRONG PRESSURE
FROM THE NATIONALISTS. MANY INDONESIANS, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF
PARLIAMENT AND OFFICIALS MISREAD INTERNATIONAL CONCERN OVER TIMOR
AND OTHER TOPICS AS A THREAT TO INDONESIAN SOVEREIGNTY.
NATIONALISM HAD CAUSED CONSIDERABLE TROUBLE FOR YUDHOYONO
PERSONALLY. FOR EXAMPLE, HE HAD PREVIOUSLY TAKEN A GREAT DEAL OF
FLAK FOR ADVOCATING A POLICY OF COOPERATION WITH INTERFET.
SIMILARLY, RESISTANCE FROM OLDER OFFICERS IN THE MILITARY HAD
STYMIED YUDHOYONO'S BLUEPRINT FOR MILITARY REFORM, WHICH HAD BEEN
AGREED UPON TWO YEARS AGO. HE ASKED FOR U.S. SUPPORT AND PATIENCE
OVER THE LONG TERM.

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UNSC MISSION
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8. (C) YUDHOYONO SAID THAT INDONESIANS, AND SPECIFICALLY
"ULTRANATIONALISTS," MISUNDERSTAND THE UN THESE INDONESIANS EQUATE
ANYTHING RELATED TO THE UN WITH UN PEACEKEEPING OR A UN TRIBUNAL.
SUCH SENTIMENTS HAD LED TO INDONESIAN RESISTANCE TO THE UNSC
MISSION ON WEST TIMOR. YUDHOYONO SAID THAT THE MISSION WOULD BEST
BE DELAYED SO THAT IT COULD CONFIRM INDONESIAN PROGRESS ON THE
WEST TIMOR CRISIS RATHER THAN COME UP WITH "A NEW PACKAGE" ON WEST
TIMOR. RESISTANCE TO THE MISSION, HE SAID, MIGHT BE OVERCOME
MERELY BY CHANGING THE TIMING. IN RESPONSE, AMBASSADOR GELBARD
NOTED THAT IT HAD ALREADY BEEN TWO WEEKS SINCE THE KILLINGS AND IN
THE ABSENCE OF CONCRETE ACTIONS, FURTHER DELAY WAS INCREASINGLY
DIFFICULT. YUDHOYONO ALSO SAID THAT A DELEGATION OF "BLUE BERETS"
MIGHT BE LESS INFLAMMATORY TO NATIONALIST PASSIONS THAN A UNSC
MISSION. (NOTE: YUDHOYONO'S REFERENCE TO "BLUE BERETS" PROBABLY
MEANT UN MILITARY OBSERVERS.) THE SECRETARY AND THE AMBASSADOR
REBUTTED THAT IT WAS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A GROUP OF SIX DIPLOMATS
WOULD BE PERCEIVED AS MORE THREATENING THAN A MILITARY DELEGATION.
MOREOVER, THERE WAS A PRECEDENT FOR THE MISSION IN LAST YEAR'S
UNSC MISSION. FINALLY, INACCURATE, AND PICAYUNE, INDONESIAN
CRITICISM OVER THE DATES LISTED IN THE UNSC RESOLUTION WAS NOT
BECOMING EITHER.

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COHEN: WORLD WAITING FOR ACTION
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9. (C) SECRETARY COHEN SAID THAT WEST TIMOR WAS THE MAIN TOPIC OF
DISCUSSION DURING HIS ENTIRE VISIT. THE U.S. AND THE ENTIRE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY EXPECT THE GOI TO TAKE SWIFT, STRONG
ACTION TO DISBAND AND DISARM THE MILITIAS AND TO BRING TO JUSTICE
THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE KILLINGS OF UN PEACEKEEPERS AND FOR THE
ATAMBUA MASSACRE. HE SAID THAT WHEN SENIOR INDONESIAN OFFICIALS
PUBLICLY DISPUTE INDONESIAN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEMS IN
WEST TIMOR AND EVEN BLAME THE ATAMBUA KILLINGS ON FOREIGNERS (AS
HAD BEEN STATED MORE THAN ONCE BY THE DEFENSE MINISTER),IT WAS
NOT HELPFUL TO INDONESIA'S IMAGE. SECRETARY COHEN HAD ALSO BEEN
DISAPPOINTED BY THE DEFENSE MINISTER'S STATEMENT THAT THE MILITARY
WAS NOT ABLE TO DISARM THE MILITIAS. SUCH STATEMENTS INDICATE
THAT INDONESIA IS NOT FACING UP TO ITS OBLIGATION TO SOLVE THE
PROBLEMS IN WEST TIMOR. AMBASSADOR GELBARD SAID THAT THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, HAVING PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED GUARANTEES OF
THE UNHCR WORKERS' SAFETY, WAS NOW ADAMANT THAT INDONESIA DO MORE
THAN MAKE COMMITMENTS, BUT TAKE REAL ACTION. COHEN SUGGESTED THAT
IT WOULD BE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO MOVE AGAINST THE EX-MILITARY
WHO TRAIN AND EQUIP THE MILITIAS. WHEN YUDHOYONO EQUIVOCATED OVER
POSSIBLE EX-MILITARY INVOLVEMENT, AMBASSADOR GELBARD SAID THERE IS
SOLID EVIDENCE THAT THE MILITIAS HAVE RECEIVED SMALL-UNIT TRAINING
AND NEW ARMS AND MATERIEL FROM MILITARY SOURCES. YUDHOYONO SAID
THAT HE HAD ASKED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION THAT THE REGIONAL
MILITARY COMMAND INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF EX-MILITARY OFFICERS'
INVOLVEMENT.

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MILITARY TIES
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10. (C) YUDHOYONO DESCRIBED HOW INDONESIA WANTS TO MOVE TOWARD A
MORE PROFESSIONAL AND EFFECTIVE MILITARY. HE REQUESTED THAT THE
U.S. ESTABLISH BETTER MILITARY TO MILITARY TIES TO ASSIST
INDONESIA'S EFFORTS. COHEN SAID THAT THE U.S. LOOKED FORWARD TO
THE TIME WHEN CONDITIONS ALLOW THE REESTABLISHMENT OF MILITARY TO
MILITARY TIES. COHEN SAID THAT PERSONALLY HE GENERALLY ADVOCATES
IMET AND OTHER MILITARY TIES; HOWEVER, CONTINUING CONCERNS OVER
TIMOR IN PARTICULAR HAVE KEPT STRICT CONGRESSIONAL PROHIBITIONS
SOLIDLY IN PLACE. HE NOTED THAT THE USG HAD PROVIDED C-130 PARTS
AS A GESTURE OF GOOD WILL. UNFORTUNATELY, DETERIORATING EVENTS
OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS HAVE NOW UNDERMINED PROGRESS AT
REESTABLISHING MILITARY TIES. SECURITY IN TIMOR WAS BETTER A YEAR
AGO, HE SAID. WHEN TIES ARE GRADUALLY REESTABLISHED, THE U.S.
WILL CONCENTRATE FIRST ON THE NAVY, AIR FORCE, AND MARINES BEFORE
MOVING TO THE ARMY, WHERE REFORM EFFORTS HAVE LAGGED. YUDHOYONO
SAID THAT HE ALWAYS PREFERS FRANK DIALOGUE AND DIALOGUE. FOR
EXAMPLE, HE FOUND THE SECRETARY'S AND AMBASSADOR'S REMARKS STRONG
BUT USEFUL BECAUSE THEY WERE FRANKLY STATED.

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NEED A SIGNAL
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11. (C) COHEN SUMMED UP BY SAYING THAT THE U.S. AND OTHER
COUNTRIES WERE LOOKING TO INDONESIA TO SEND A SIGNAL. IF ACTION
IS TAKEN IN A SHORT TIME TO ADDRESS INTERNATIONAL CONCERNS IT WILL
SEND A POWERFUL MESSAGE THAT THE MILITARY IS READY TO PLAY A MORE
CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE IN INDONESIA AND THAT INDONESIA IS READY TO PLAY
A MORE POSITIVE INTERNATIONAL ROLE. FAIRLY OR NOT, COHEN SAID,
"THE WORLD IS LOOKING AT INDONESIA THROUGH THE LENS OF EAST
TIMOR." THE U.S. HAS A SELFISH INTEREST IN PROMOTING THE
STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF A UNIFIED INDONESIA, WHICH WOULD HAVE
A POSITIVE EFFECT ON THE ENTIRE REGION. COHEN CALLED ON THE GOI
TO TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO ALLOW THE U.S. TO HELP INDONESIA.
A STRONG INDONESIA IS EVERYONE'S GOAL, HE SAID

GELBARD