DEMARCHE DELIVERED: TIER 2 WATCH LIST ACTION PLAN

UNCLAS JAKARTA 010135

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KCRM KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL ID
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: TIER 2 WATCH LIST ACTION PLAN
FOR INDONESIA

REF: STATE 123273 (DEMARCHE REQUEST)


1. (U) On August 1, we met with Ferry Adamhar, Director of
the Department of Foreign Affairs' Directorate for the
Protection of Indonesian Citizens and Legal Entities, to
deliver the demarche contained reftel. Mr. Adamhar welcomed
our points and said he would coordinate the matter within the
GOI.


2. (U) On August 7, we met with Maswita Djaya, Deputy
Minister for Women's Empowerment in the Coordinating Ministry
of Social Welfare, and on August 8 we met with Sumarni Dawam
Raharjo, the Deputy Minister for Child and Welfare Protection
at the Ministry of Women's Empowerment to deliver the
demarche contained reftel and discuss the GOI's preparations
for the interim assessment. Both Maswita Djaya and Sumarni
Dawam Raharjo enthusiastically welcomed the short and
long-term action plans and thanked the USG for its continued
support for the GOI's anti-trafficking efforts.


3. (U) Both Maswita Djaya and Sumarni Dawam Raharjo discussed
the importance of the anti-trafficking legislation and
acknowledged the GOI could not expect to graduate from its
current Watch List status without such legislation. Maswita
expressed her hope the legislation would pass by the end of
the year. Maswita noted the July 25 passage of the Witness
Protection Law in the DPR and emphasized this law would
significantly bolster the GOI's anti-trafficking efforts.


4. (U) Noting the pervasiveness of debt bondage within the
Indonesian migrant worker community, Maswita discussed a
recent Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of
Manpower and Bank Mandiri, an Indonesian State bank, which
will result in an 11 million dollar fund for impoverished
migrant workers. Migrant workers will be able to borrow from
the fund to pay recruiters and avoid crippling debt
arrangements with the shadowy recruiting agencies.


5. (U) Maswita also trumpeted a recent Coordinating Ministry
of Social Welfare initiative to create anti-trafficking task
forces at the provincial and district levels. Next month the
Ministry will open its flagship office in the Kutai
Kartanegara district in Kalimantan. Maswita underscored the
importance of establishing such offices in transit and border
areas throughout the country. Maswita praised the technical
assistance provided by the Solidarity Center and the
International Catholic Migration Commission for these task
forces with USG funding.


6. (U) On the subject of corruption, Maswita underscored her
Ministry's ongoing commitment to continue the battle against
corruption, citing its cooperation with the Corruption
Eradication Commission (KPK).


7. (U) Maswita noted the Coordinating Ministry of Social
Welfare dedicated approximately 55 thousand dollars from the
FY06 state budget in support of the following
anti-trafficking measures:
- The establishment of a trial program to help trafficking
victims reintegrate into society and avoid becoming second
time trafficking victims.
- The establishment of a shelter in Batam for trafficking
victims.
- An educational pilot program in East Java and East Nusa
Tenggara to raise awareness of trafficking among housewives,
religious leaders, out-of-school children, and parents.


8. (U) Despite the extensive work being carried out by her
Ministry and throughout the GOI, Maswita emphasized the
ongoing challenges involved in battling trafficking, citing
specifically: a limited budget; a lack of awareness of the
trafficking issue across the full range of government
agencies; the uneven collection of data related to
trafficking, especially with respect to prosecutions and
investigations; and the desperate need for capacity building
in the GOI's ability to report on and collect information
about trafficking within Indonesia's borders.


9. (U) Sumarni Dawam Raharjo reinforced many of the same
points made by Maswita and added that the GOI would strive
for enhanced cooperation with Malaysia on trafficking issues.
Sumarni further noted she would share the short and
long-term action plans with all of the members of the GOI's
national task force on trafficking; she reported the group
would next meet on August 10.
PASCOE