Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06JAKARTA3482
2006-03-17 11:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:  

CODEL FEINGOLD MEETS TNI COMMANDER DJOKO SUYANTO

Tags:  PREL PGOV PTER KJUS OREP ASEC ID 
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VZCZCXRO2635
OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #3482/01 0761110
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 171110Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1256
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA IMMEDIATE 9217
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON IMMEDIATE 0713
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUCNFB/DIR FBI WASHDC IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 003482 

SIPDIS

CODEL
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/MTS
DOJ FOR CTS THORNTON, AAG SWARTZ
FBI FOR ETTIU/SSA ROTH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KJUS OREP ASEC ID
SUBJECT: CODEL FEINGOLD MEETS TNI COMMANDER DJOKO SUYANTO

REF: A. SECSTATE 22610

B. JAKARTA 1015 AMBASSADOR MEETS AG SALEH ON TIMIKA

Classified By: Political Officer Tim Hefner For Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

SUMMARY
--------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 003482

SIPDIS

CODEL
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/MTS
DOJ FOR CTS THORNTON, AAG SWARTZ
FBI FOR ETTIU/SSA ROTH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KJUS OREP ASEC ID
SUBJECT: CODEL FEINGOLD MEETS TNI COMMANDER DJOKO SUYANTO

REF: A. SECSTATE 22610

B. JAKARTA 1015 AMBASSADOR MEETS AG SALEH ON TIMIKA

Classified By: Political Officer Tim Hefner For Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) Senator Feingold called on Indonesian Armed Forces
(TNI) Commander (Panglima) Air Chief Marshal Djoko Suyanto
February 24. The Panglima reviewed structural reforms that
the military has undertaken over the past several years and
affirmed civilian control over the institution. The Panglima
assured the Senator that the TNI has taken steps to remove
itself from business enterprises and pledged the TNI's
adherence to law and justice concerning war crimes, crimes
against humanity, and the 2002 Timika incident. With respect
to Timika, the Panglima said that a 21-month investigation by
the FBI had found no involvement by the TNI, which would
continue to cooperate in any further investigation. Senator
Feingold urged accountability for the TNI specifically on
events in East Timor in 1999 and the Timika case. On
counterterrorism, the Panglima noted the TNI's supporting
role to the Indonesian National Police but mentioned
President Yudhoyono's call for an aggressive stance by the
TNI against terrorism. The Panglima described Papua as not a
security issue but one involving politics and public welfare.
Senator Feingold encouraged the TNI commander to open the
province to journalists and foreign observers. End Summary.

Senator Feingold Meet TNI Commander
--------------


2. (U) Senator Feingold called on TNI Panglima Air Chief
Marshal Djoko Suyanto February 24. The Senator was
accompanied by Foreign Policy Adviser Grey Frandsen, Senate
Intelligence Committee staff member Evan Gottesman, and the
Ambassador. Suyanto was accompanied by his assistant for
General Plans Air Vice Marshal Rio Mendung, Assistant for
Intelligence and Chief of the TNI Strategic Intelligence

Agency(BAIS) Major General Nurdin Zainal, and Head of
Information Service Major General Kohirin Suganda. Senator
Feingold opened with congratulations to the Panglima who
officially took commander earlier that week and thanked the
commander for his friendship and cooperation. Senator
Feingold said the U.S.-Indonesian bilateral relationship has
become one of the most important in the world and promised to
inform his colleagues in Washington about the state of the
TNI.

TNI Reforms
--------------


3. (SBU) The Panglima opened with a summary of TNI reforms
that have taken place since 1998. He explained that the
military focused heavily on socio-politics in the past, but
in the intervening 8 years, the TNI effectively has removed
itself from the political arena. The Panglima noted that TNI
officers no longer hold positions within civilian GOI offices
or the Parliament despite Indonesian law allowing them to do
so until 2009. He added that although changing mindsets
remains an institutional challenge, organizational structure
and the training curriculum for officers and non-commissioned
officers reflects the TNI emphasis on professionalism and
national defense.


4. (SBU) Senator Feingold praised the TNI on its response to
the December 26, 2004 tsunami and its implementation of the
Aceh peace accords. The Panglima responded that the TNI's
response to the GOI's civilian leadership's orders regarding
the tsunami aftermath and the peace agreement shows that the
TNI does in fact operate under the control and at the
direction of civilian leadership. He noted that criminals
have sparked sporadic violence in Aceh since the signing of
the peace agreement and that the TNI will safeguard peace
there.

TNI Financing
--------------


5. (SBU) Senator Feingold asked about TNI financing from

JAKARTA 00003482 002 OF 003


business interests, and the Panglima responded that very
little funding continues to come from TNI-operated
businesses, and statements that 30-40% of TNI financing came
from outside sources were not true. The Panglima said that
since 2004, the TNI has not been allowed to engage in new
business activities, and all available information on TNI
businesses has been passed to the Ministry of Defense and the
Ministry of State Enterprises. The sale of these businesses
awaits their and several other ministries' decision on who
will take over the businesses' operations. The Panglima
emphasized that the TNI operates under civilian control and
obeys the orders of the GOI.

TNI and the Administration of Justice
--------------


6. (SBU) Senator Feingold asked if members of TNI would be
brought to justice for war crimes and crimes against
humanity, and the Panglima responded that the public remains
ill-informed regarding military justice issues and internal
sanctions. He stated that many officers have been tried in
military courts, including some involved in East Timor in
1999 and in incidents before 1998, but these cases have not
been reported by the press. He added that the public can
access military court decisions, but the TNI does not
actively publicize its decisions. When pressed about
convictions, the Panglima answered that a General, other
officers, and NCOs have been convicted in military courts in
recent years. Senator Feingold urged the TNI to announce
such convictions for the sake of accountability and
credibility and requested a copy of this information as well.
The Panglima mentioned a draft law pending in Parliament
which would make TNI members subject to prosecution in the
civilian courts.

TNI and Counterterrorism
--------------


7. (C) Responding to the Senator's question about TNI
counterterrorism efforts, the Panglima reiterated that the
TNI primarily focuses on national defense. However, he added
that according to President Yudhoyono's policy, the TNI takes
an active and aggressive stance in CT matters and continues
to sharpen its territorial commands to safeguard the country
and to cooperation with the police. He said, "On my side, I
will guarantee it," that the territorial commands are not
used by the GOI to control the people of Indonesia as they
were under the Soeharto regime. The Panglima said that the
TNI has no arrest powers and must pass any CT-related
information to the Indonesian National Police (INP),the
institution with primary responsibility for homeland
security. He said the TNI and INP have a close working
relationship, and the INP coordinates well with Malaysian and
Australian authorities. The Panglima said terrorism remains
a very serious problem for the GOI and a challenging fight
which cannot be countered in a military-to-military manner.
He added that terrorism must be fought by all parts of
society. When asked about the effect U.S. military action in
Iraq had on CT efforts, the Panglima said it was difficult to
answer for Indonesia because the nation has a very broad
spectrum of Muslims. He added that President Yudhoyono wants
to make the nation a stronger moderate nation.

TNI and Timika
--------------


8. (C) Senator Feingold asked about continued TNI cooperation
in the investigation of the 2002 attack in Timika which
resulted in the death of 2 American citizens including the
husband of Patsy Spier (Ref B). The Panglima stated that his
predecessor invited the FBI to participate in the
investigation because of his concerns that the TNI had been
implicated publicly in the attack. After 21 months, the FBI
had concluded the TNI was not involved in the attack. The
FBI handed over the results of the investigation to the TNI
which in turn gave the information to the INP. The Panglima
said the INP and the Attorney General's Office continue to
work together on the cases against the 8 who will soon stand
trial, and he added that FBI involvement in the case added
credibility to the investigation. The Panglima added that if
future evidence suggested TNI involvement in the Timika

JAKARTA 00003482 003 OF 003


incident, those implicated would be brought to justice.

Papua
--------------


9. (SBU) On Papua, the Panglima said the problem is not one
of security, but one of politics and public welfare. He
added that few TNI soldiers are stationed in the area, and
their function is to guard the borders. The TNI has faced
accusations of wrongdoings in Papua, but the Panglima said
these are political statements, such as those by 42 Papuans
seeking refugee status in Australia who claimed the TNI
tortured them. The Panglima also recounted an incident where
three locals demanded payment from TNI soldiers for passage
over a bridge. The soldiers refused to pay the illegal tax,
a conflict ensued, and the soldiers shot the three locals.
One officer stood trial in a military court for illegally
discharging a weapon, but media outlets did not cover this
aspect of the case. Senator Feingold urged the Panglima to
allow journalists and independent observers access to the
area.


10. This message was cleared by Codel Feingold.
PASCOE