Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06JAKARTA2314
2006-02-21 10:56:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
UNHCR TO ASSIST CUBAN CITIZEN HELD IN WEST TIMOR
how-toVZCZCXRO3415 PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHJA #2314 0521056 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 211056Z FEB 06 FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9888 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA PRIORITY 0010 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 7270
UNCLAS JAKARTA 002314
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
SECSTATE FOR EAP/IET AND DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREF KJUS CU ID
SUBJECT: UNHCR TO ASSIST CUBAN CITIZEN HELD IN WEST TIMOR
UNCLAS JAKARTA 002314
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
SECSTATE FOR EAP/IET AND DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREF KJUS CU ID
SUBJECT: UNHCR TO ASSIST CUBAN CITIZEN HELD IN WEST TIMOR
1. (SBU) UNHCR/Jakarta informed us February 21 that it plans
to assist Ramon Ballesteros Escobar, a Cuban citizen, with
refugee assistance after he illegally crossed into Indonesia
from East Timor earlier this month. Immigration authorities
are holding Escobar at an Immigration detention facility in
Kupang, West Timor. According to the press, Escobar refused
return to East Timor or to Cuba and instead requested
"deportation" to the United States. Shinji Kubo, head of
Protective Services at UNCHR in Jakarta, told us that the
Indonesian Immigration Department has an internal directive
to refer all asylum cases to UNHCR. Immigration has already
made arrangements for UNHCR to visit Escobar and a UNHCR
staff member is enroute to Kupang to see him. Kubo said that
the only complication was Escobar's request for direct US
Embassy assistance. We told Kubo that should Escobar contact
us, we would refer him to UNHCR per our normal procedure.
2. (SBU) Kubo said that based on Indonesia's record in
recent years, he is confident that Indonesia will not
forcibly remove Escobar or deport him until UNHCR completes
its report. Kubo assured us that he would contact the
Embassy should he suspect that the GOI will forcibly remove
Escobar. A Foreign Ministry official in the Directorate of
East Asian and Pacific Affairs told us February 21 that the
Indonesian government has no official position on Escobar's
case at this time. We will continue to follow this case
through our contacts at UNHCR and the Foreign Ministry.
PASCOE
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
SECSTATE FOR EAP/IET AND DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREF KJUS CU ID
SUBJECT: UNHCR TO ASSIST CUBAN CITIZEN HELD IN WEST TIMOR
1. (SBU) UNHCR/Jakarta informed us February 21 that it plans
to assist Ramon Ballesteros Escobar, a Cuban citizen, with
refugee assistance after he illegally crossed into Indonesia
from East Timor earlier this month. Immigration authorities
are holding Escobar at an Immigration detention facility in
Kupang, West Timor. According to the press, Escobar refused
return to East Timor or to Cuba and instead requested
"deportation" to the United States. Shinji Kubo, head of
Protective Services at UNCHR in Jakarta, told us that the
Indonesian Immigration Department has an internal directive
to refer all asylum cases to UNHCR. Immigration has already
made arrangements for UNHCR to visit Escobar and a UNHCR
staff member is enroute to Kupang to see him. Kubo said that
the only complication was Escobar's request for direct US
Embassy assistance. We told Kubo that should Escobar contact
us, we would refer him to UNHCR per our normal procedure.
2. (SBU) Kubo said that based on Indonesia's record in
recent years, he is confident that Indonesia will not
forcibly remove Escobar or deport him until UNHCR completes
its report. Kubo assured us that he would contact the
Embassy should he suspect that the GOI will forcibly remove
Escobar. A Foreign Ministry official in the Directorate of
East Asian and Pacific Affairs told us February 21 that the
Indonesian government has no official position on Escobar's
case at this time. We will continue to follow this case
through our contacts at UNHCR and the Foreign Ministry.
PASCOE