Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BANDARSERIBEGAWAN499
2006-09-28 09:11:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Cable title:  

REQUEST FOR SUGGESTION OF HEAD OF STATE IMMUNITY

Tags:  PREL BX 
pdf how-to read a cable
P 280911Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3548
C O N F I D E N T I A L BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000499 


FOR L/EAP AND EAP/MTS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2016
TAGS: PREL BX
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR SUGGESTION OF HEAD OF STATE IMMUNITY
IN LAWSUIT AGAINST BRUNEI'S SULTAN AND CROWN PRINCE

REF: (A) BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 422 (B) STATE 159940

Classified By: Ambassador Emil Skodon, reasons 1.4 (b, d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 000499


FOR L/EAP AND EAP/MTS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2016
TAGS: PREL BX
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR SUGGESTION OF HEAD OF STATE IMMUNITY
IN LAWSUIT AGAINST BRUNEI'S SULTAN AND CROWN PRINCE

REF: (A) BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 422 (B) STATE 159940

Classified By: Ambassador Emil Skodon, reasons 1.4 (b, d)


1. (C) As instructed, Ambassador shared with Foreign Minister
II Lim Jock Seng the points in para 8 of ref B regarding the case
of Gligorov et al v.s. Sultan of Brunei et al. After considering
those points and consulting with the U.S. law firm retained by
the Sultan and Crown Prince (Cravath, Swaine, & Moore),the
Government of Brunei (GOB) decided to submit a diplomatic note
asking the USG to file a suggestion of Head of State immunity
with the New York court. FM II Lim delivered the third party
note directly to Ambassador. Original plus attachments are being
pouched to Department (EAP/MTS).


2. (C) The text of the note is reproduced in the final para of
this cable. It contains reference to a number of other cases in
which the GOB believes a suggestion of immunity was issued,
including Marketic v.s. Kaliber Talent Consultants, in which the
Sultan of Brunei was named as a defendant. As one of the
attachments to its note, the GOB included copies of a July 25,
1997 letter from Acting Legal Adviser Matheson to Assistant
Attorney General Hunger asking the Justice Department to submit a
suggestion of immunity for the Sultan in the Marketic case, and
an August 14, 1997 DOJ submission to the court suggesting such
immunity. Other attachments to the note include copies of the
Gligorov complaint, the GOB proclamation naming the Crown Prince
as heir to the throne, and the Joint Statement issued during the
Sultan's 2002 meeting with President Bush at the White House.


3. (C) Lim explained that he was delivering the note directly to
Ambassador because the Sultan had decided not to involve the
Brunei Embassy in Washington at this stage, due to his desire to
maintain the confidentiality of his exchanges with the USG on
this subject for as long as possible. Ambassador explained that
the request contained in the GOB note would become public
knowledge if a suggestion of immunity was actually submitted to
the court by DOJ, but that the USG might wait to see if service
of process was ever made before making such a submission. Lim
understood both points and said he had asked the Sultan's U.S.
law firm to stay in close touch with the Department regarding the
Gligorov complaint.


4. (C) Text of GOB diplomatic note follows:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei Darussalam
presents its compliment to the Embassy of the United States of
America in Bandar Seri Begawan and has the honour to request the
latter to convey the request of the Government of Brunei
Darussalam ("Brunei") that the United States of America suggest
the immunity of both His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah,
the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, and His Royal Highness Haji Al-
Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince of Brunei, in connection with a
lawsuit filed against them.

On June 26, 2006, a lawsuit was commenced against His Majesty and
the Crown Prince in the United States District Court for the
Southern District of New York. A copy of the complaint
captioned, Gligorov v. His Royal Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal
Bokiah (Sultan of Brunei),et al., No. 06-4905 (S.D.N.Y. filed
June 26, 2006),is attached as Exhibit A. By way of thirteen
separate legal claims, the complaint alleges that His Majesty and
the Crown Prince failed to pay for certain investigative and
other services allegedly performed on their behalf by a citizen
of Slovenia over the last several years. As such, the suit
ostensibly does not involve any alleged misconduct that took
place in the United States.

It is the Ministry's understanding that under customary rules of
international law, recognized and applied in the United States,
the head of state of a friendly foreign government, his immediate
family members, its foreign ministers, and those designated by
the head of state as members of his official party, are immune
from the jurisdiction of the U.S. Federal and State Courts. See
e.g., Lafontant v. Aristide, 844 F. Supp. 128, 131-32 (E.D.N.Y.
1994),appeal dismissed, No. 94-6026 (2d Cir. 1996); Leutwyler v.
Queen Rania Al Abdullah, No. 00 Civ. 5485, 2001 WL 893342, at *1
(S.D.N.Y. Aug. 8, 2001); Estate of Silme G. Domingo v. Marcos,
No. C82-1055V, 1983 LEXIS 20372, at *5 (W.D. Wash. July 14,
1983); Tachiona v. Mugabe, 169 F, Supp. 2d 259, 297 (S.D.N.Y.
2001). Indeed, the United States suggested the immunity of His
Majesty in connection with a lawsuit filed against His Majesty in

1998. See Marketic v. Kaliber Talent Consultants, Inc., No.
CV97-0356, 1998 WL 1147140 (C.D. Cal., Mar. 15, 1998). The
suggestion of immunity letter submitted by the United States in
that case is attaced as Exhibit B.

His Majesty remains the supreme executive authority and Head of
State of Brunei, in which capacity he has served since ascending
to the throne on October 5, 1967. His Majesty also serves as the
Prime Minister, Defense Minister, Finance Minister, and Head of
the Religion of Brunei. His Majesty's son, the Crown Prince, is
of course the direct successor and heir to the throne of Brunei
by virtue of the Succession Regency Proclamation, which is
attached as Exhibit C. The Crown Prince was proclaimed on August
10, 1998, and is in line to become the 30th Sultan of Brunei.
The Crown Prince is also the Senior Minister at the Prime
Minister's Office, which makes the Crown Prince the second
highest ranking official in the Brunei government.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei Darussalam,
therefore respectfully request that the United States suggest the
immunity of His Majesty and the Crown Prince, as it has done in
similar circumstance for heads of state and their immediate
family members. See e.g., Suggestion of Immunity, United States,
on behalf of the President and First Lady of the Republic of the
Philippines, in Estate of Silme G. Doming v. Marcos, No. C82-
1055V, 1983 LEXIS 20372 (W.D. Wash, July 14, 1983) ("Mrs. Marcos
is a member of the immediate family of President Marcos and,
therefore, partakes of his immunity ..."); Kilroy Windsor, No. C-
78-291 slip op. (N.D. Ohio, Dec. 7, 1978) (holding that Prince
Charles, as heir apparent to the throne of England, is entitled
to head of state immunity in accordance with State Department
suggestion of immunity); Kline v. Kaneko, 535 N.Y.S. 2d 303,304
(Sip. Ct. N.Y. 1988) (suggestion of immunity letter filed on
behalf of, Paloma Cordero De la Madrid, the wife of the President
of Mexico, requires dismissal of case: "[u]nder general
principles of international law, heads of state and immediate
members of their families are immune from suit."); LaFontant, 844

F. Supp. At 139 (suggestion of immunity letter issued for Haitian
President Aristide); Mugabe, 169 F. Supp at 259 (suggestion of
immunity letter issued for President of Zimbabwe).

Friendly relations between the United States and Brunei
Darussalam date from the 1800s. In 1850, the United States and
Brunei Darussalam concluded a Treaty of Peace, Friendship,
Commerce and Navigation, which remains in force today. More
recently, in December 2002, His Majesty visited with President
Bush in Washington. During this visit, His Majesty and President
Bush issued a "Joint Statement Between the United States of
America and Brunei Darussalam", which is attached as Exhibit D.
This statement reaffirms both governments' mutual cooperation in
many areas, including bilateral economic and trade cooperation, a
bilateral defense relationship, and a mutual commitment to the
global war on terrorism.

Suggesting the immunity of His Majesty and the Crown Prince is,
in our judgement, in the foreign policy interests of both the
United States and Brunei Darussalam. Permitting the pending
litigation to proceed against His Majesty and the Crown Prince
would, by contrast, be incompatible with those interests.
Accordingly, the Government of Brunei Darussalam respectfully
requests that the United States suggest the immunity of both His
Majesty and the Crown Prince at the earliest possible time.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade avails itself of this
opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States of
America in Bandar Seri Begawan the assurances of its highest
consideration.

End text of GOB diplomatic note.

SKODON