INDONESIAN POLICE ASK FOR U.S. HELP IN MUNIR CASE

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 013007 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2016 TAGS: PHUM PGOV KJUS PINR KCRM ID SUBJECT: INDONESIAN POLICE ASK FOR U.S. HELP IN MUNIR CASE REF: A. JAKARTA 12300 ¶B. JAKARTA 12379 Classified By: AMBASSADOR B. LYNN PASCOE FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) On October 31, General Sutanto, Chief of the Indonesian National Police (INP),formally asked Thomas Fuentes, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Office of International Operations, and Embassy Legatt for the FBI's technical assistance in the ongoing investigation into the 2004 murder of Indonesian human rights activist Munir Thalib. Sutanto asked the FBI to recover text messages sent from and received by four cell phones allegedly used by Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, the suspect in the Munir case who was recently acquitted of murder charges by the Indonesian Supreme Court. The request is a very positive development and we must assist the INP. Agreement to assist the INP is not only the right thing to do, it is in keeping with the USG's long-standing offer to provide Indonesia with technical assistance in the Munir murder investigation. ¶2. (C) We understand that it might be technically feasible for the FBI to recover these text messages. INP has requested permission for two or three Indonesian officers to transport the cell phones to FBI labs in the U.S. and to observe the recovery of the text messages. INP has agreed to brief extensively the FBI on the investigation. We will keep the Department informed of next steps. ¶3. (C) The Government of Indonesia (GOI) is sensitive about foreign assistance in this sensitive investigation. We should not release this information unless they do. PASCOE