MOVING FORWARD WITH THE MARITIME BORDER NEEDS

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 010926

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2016
TAGS: PTER ASEC EFIN KCRM KHLS KPAO ID
SUBJECT: MOVING FORWARD WITH THE MARITIME BORDER NEEDS
ASSESSMENT

REF: A. STATE 143178

B. JAKARTA 07378

C. STATE 87696

Classified By: Political Officer David Willis for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d).


1. (S) Summary: Post strongly supports S/CT's proposal for a
border control technical needs assessment for the triborder
area and will welcome the assessment team to Indonesia, with
the below recommendations for S/CT and DS/ATA's further
consideration. Post has received encouragement from various
GOI Foreign Affairs, Immigration, Customs, Police, and other
security officials when discussing the proposed border
assessment. Meetings with GOI officials confirm the focus of
the assessment should be to secure and legitimize
cross-border transit of the main official maritime ports of
entry used by transnational criminals, including terrorists,
as their primary border crossing points. Post encourages the
USG assessment team to review the existing border assessments
conducted by Canberra and Tokyo of Indonesian ports, and
focus the USG assessment on the gaps. GOI officials agree
that the proposed assessment should focus on Nunukan and
Tarakan in East Kalimantan, Manado/Bitung in North Sulawesi,
and Tahuna in the Sangihe Islands. Post recommends the USG
team allot additional time in the border area and cautions
the team not to underestimate the distances involved within
and between North Sulawesi and East Kalimantan. Post
recommends the team revise its schedule to include at least
4-5 full days to accommodate logistical arrangements. End
Summary

GOI Reaction Warm But Noncommittal
--------------


2. (C) No GOI office has sole authority over border control
issues. Since June, we have met with various GOI Foreign
Affairs, Immigration, Customs, Police, and other security
officials to discuss the proposed border assessment. On
average, the GOI reaction to the proposal has been positive.
As Post mentioned in REF B, heightened GOI sensitivities on
CT issues suggest the assessment should identify
transnational crime and narcotics, not solely terrorism, as
the focus of the assessment to avoid engendering unnecessary
criticism.


3. (C) The August 21-25 Indonesia Malaysia Philippines
triborder tabletop exercise in Kuala Lumpur sponsored by U.S.
Pacific Command (PACOM) and the Southeast Asian Centre for
Counterterrorism (SEARCCT) included an impressive GOI
multi-agency delegation from the Indonesian Navy, Police,
Immigration, Customs, and policy offices. Embassy officers
briefed the delegation on the proposed assessment and Post
will maintain contact with these officials to further ease
the roll-out of the proposed assessment.

Focus of Assessment
--------------


4. (C) GOI officials continue to tell us that the immediate
need is to secure and legitimize the main official maritime
ports that receive cross-border traffic. The Indonesian
National Police and other GOI security officials assess that
transnational criminals, including terrorists, currently use
official maritime ports of entry as their primary crossing
points when transiting among Indonesia, Malaysia, and the
Southern Philippines.


5. (C) GOI Immigration officials told Embassy officers of a
similarly framed border assessment conducted by the
Australian Government in 2004 with the assistance of GOI
Immigration officials. Australian Transportation and Customs
officials subsequently identified possible overlap with a
Japanese Government funded port assessment that the
Australians said they will adopt to guide Australian capacity
building projects at Indonesian ports. Post is attempting to
obtain copies of these port assessments and will pass them to
the assessment team as soon as possible, if Washington does
not already have access to them. Post strongly encourages
the assessment team to focus their assessments in Indonesia
on the gaps not covered by either the Australian or Japanese
assessments. (Note: Post acknowledges that the US Coast
Guard has also conducted assessments of select Indonesian
ports.)

JAKARTA 00010926 002 OF 002




6. (SBU) Post and GOI officials agree that the Indonesian leg
of the proposed assessment should be focused on the following
primary ports of entry:

-- East Kalimantan: Nunukan (est. two or more official entry
points)

-- East Kalimantan: Tarakan (est. two or more official entry
points)

-- North Sulawesi: Manado/Bitung (est. two or more official
entry points)

-- Sangihe Islands: Tahuna (est. single port of entry)

Additional Time at Border for Assessment
--------------


7. (C) While we welcome the ATA-led assessment team to
Jakarta per Ref A notional schedule, Post does not anticipate
significant, substantive meetings with GOI officials in
Jakarta will be required. We strongly encourage additional
time be allotted for the team's assessment time in the border
area and caution the team not to underestimate the distances
involved within and between North Sulawesi and East
Kalimantan. We urge the team to revise its schedule to
include at least 4-5 full working days to cover the above
geographic areas. Some travel may require returning to major
transit hubs in order to travel within these areas. As an
additional point, Post reminds the team that Fridays should
be used as planning or traved days, as the observance of
Friday pprayer servicesduring Ramadan in most of these areas
will prohiit substantive meetings with GOI officials.


8. U) Post requests traveler details be forwarded when
available to facilitate further logistical arranements.


9. (U) The primary point of contact forthe Indonesian leg of
th(e assessment is Politica Officer David Willis. He can be
reached via unlassified e-mail: willisdr(at)state.gov, and
clasified e-mail: willisdr(at)state.sgov.gov.
PASCOE