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