CT WORKSHOP REACHES AUDIENCE FROM EASTERN INDONESIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 012159

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, INL AND S/CT
DOJ FOR CTS THORNTON, AAG SWARTZ, OPDAT
ALEXANDRE/LEHMANN/CRAWFORD
FBI FOR ETTIU/SSA ROTH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2016
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV KJUS KISL ASEC ID
SUBJECT: CT WORKSHOP REACHES AUDIENCE FROM EASTERN INDONESIA

REF: A. JAKARTA 6200

B. 05 JAKARTA 16574

C. 05 SECSTATE 90068

Classified By: Political Officer Adam West for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

Summary
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1. (C) The latest in a series of USG-funded CT workshops
aimed at improving the performance of Indonesian law
enforcement officials in terrorism cases took place in
Makassar, South Sulawesi on September 19-20. The event was
organized by the CT Desk at the Coordinating Ministry for
Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, with our assistance
in developing the agenda and CT Engagement funds (NADR) from
S/CT covering the bulk of the costs. A total of 29 police,
prosecutors, and judges came together for the two-day event,
all from Indonesia's eastern provinces where opportunities
for advanced training and networking are extremely limited.
Presenters included a variety of experts in counterterrorism,
as well as a presentation by our Resident Legal Advisor
(RLA). Feedback on the event was largely positive. Post
plans to organize more such events as funding allows. End
Summary

Latest CT Event Targets Eastern Indonesian Law Enforcement
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2. (C) A two-day workshop sponsored by the CT Desk at the
Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security
Affairs was held in Makassar, South Sulawesi on September
19-20. The workshop represents the latest in a series of
events designed to provide advanced training in the handling
of terrorism cases to Indonesian law enforcement officials,
prosecutors and judges (ref A and B). We collaborated with
the CT Desk in planning the event, which was specifically
geared towards GOI officials working in selected provinces in
eastern Indonesia. Invitees came from the provinces of South
Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, Ambon and Bali,
areas which have all experienced significant terrorist
activity and/or sectarian violence over the past five years
and where opportunities for networking and advanced training
are extremely limited. We provided funding by using CT
Engagement funds (NADR) from S/CT.

Presenters Emphasize Cooperation, New Methods
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3. (SBU) Presenters at the workshop included several
individuals who participated in previous USG-sponsored
training, including CT Desk Chief Ansyaad Mbai, experienced
CT prosecutor Narendra Jatna, and South Jakarta District
Court Judge Roki Panjaitan. Mbai opened the workshop with a
general assessment of the state of CT efforts in Indonesia.
While noting significant successes, Mbai identified several
areas for improvement, including a greater focus on networks
rather than individuals, greater specialization among law
enforcement personnel, and the need for more liberal rules of
evidence in terrorism trials. Jatna, a member of the
newly-formed Attorney General's Task Force on Terrorism and
Transnational Crime, addressed a number of commonly held
misconceptions about terrorism as a crime, including a
widely-held belief that the 2002 terror law had been a
response to the September 11 attacks in the U.S. rather than
Indonesia's own long history of bombings. Building on this
point, South Jakarta District Court Judge Roki Panjaitan
reviewed the history of terrorism in Indonesia and
Indonesia's participation in international conventions
against terrorism. Both Jatna and Panjaitan emphasized the
need for a robust and internationally coordinated response to
terrorism.


4. (SBU) Representing the police was Indonesian National
Police CT Detachment 88 Investigator Gagas Nugraha.
Nugraha's presentation focused on the increasing use of
cyberspace by Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and other terrorist
organizations as a tool for recruitment, training, and
communication. He showed images from terrorist-run websites
giving detailed instructions on, for example, how to carry

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out an attack on a vehicle. He also described how the cyber
crime unit was able to track and arrest several suspected
terrorists by following their activities in cyberspace.
Former JI leader Nasir Abbas also addressed the group,
offering a detailed description of the structure and methods
of the organization as it existed when he left in 2003.

Lessons from U.S. Experience
--------------


5. (SBU) Mission DOJ/OPDAT RLA spoke to the participants
about improving cooperation between police and prosecutors.
(Note: The absence of effective cooperation has been cited
as a fundamental stumbling block in Indonesian law
enforcement efforts.) The RLA's presentation provoked a
lively discussion among the participants, many of whom were
unaware of the extent to which cooperation between
investigators and prosecutors during the investigative stage
is routine in the U.S. The RLA was also closely questioned
on U.S. evidentiary rules, which are far more flexible than
those in Indonesia.

Positive Feedback
--------------


6. (C) The participants' impressions of the workshop were
quite positive overall. Several commented that they had not
had an opportunity to sit down with members of the other
branches of law enforcement previously, and that this was
extremely useful. Ali Arjoeno of the CT Desk, who helped
design the program, commented that it was critical that law
enforcement officials understand that terrorism in Indonesia
was a home-grown problem and not the result of foreign
intervention, which Arjoeno said was a widely held belief
"even in the government". Jatna commented that the RLA's
presentation had altered the participants' perception of the
U.S. criminal justice system and opened up new avenues for
potential cooperation.


7. (C) We view workshops such as these as an important
element in our efforts to improve the ability of Indonesian
law enforcement to capture and successfully prosecute
terrorists. The workshops provide needed training for GOI
officials involved in investigating and prosecuting terrorism
cases, and expose them to concepts that would improve the
overall CT law enforcement effort in Indonesia. Contacts at
the New Zealand and Canadian Embassies recently expressed
their interest in helping to fund similar events in the
future. We plan to continue this effort as funding permits.
HEFFERN