Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06JAKARTA8263
2006-07-03 11:30:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
PKS DEMONSTRATION ONCE AGAIN INVOLVES THE USE OF
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 008263
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/03/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KISL KDEM ASEC ID
SUBJECT: PKS DEMONSTRATION ONCE AGAIN INVOLVES THE USE OF
TOY GUNS
REF: A. JAKARTA 8258 (DEMONSTRATIONS)
B. JAKARTA 7334 ("SHOOT THE JEWS" GAME)
C. 05 JAKARTA 5371 (REPLICA WEAPONS)
JAKARTA 00008263 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Political Officer Eric W. Kneedler, reason 1.4 (d).
SUMMARY
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 008263
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/03/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KISL KDEM ASEC ID
SUBJECT: PKS DEMONSTRATION ONCE AGAIN INVOLVES THE USE OF
TOY GUNS
REF: A. JAKARTA 8258 (DEMONSTRATIONS)
B. JAKARTA 7334 ("SHOOT THE JEWS" GAME)
C. 05 JAKARTA 5371 (REPLICA WEAPONS)
JAKARTA 00008263 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Political Officer Eric W. Kneedler, reason 1.4 (d).
SUMMARY
--------------
1. (C) During a July 2 Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)
demonstration at the U.S. Embassy protesting Israeli actions
in Gaza, at least one demonstrator brandished a toy gun (ref
A). On July 3 the leading local English language daily
carried a prominent photo in which one such demonstrator
gleefully pointed his mock weapon in the direction of an
Israeli flag. We vigorously protested the use of toy weapons
to the PKS leadership, emphasizing our concern about a
possible mistaken reaction by the police and that this took
place after recent assurances from party officials that toy
weapons would no longer be used in conjunction with
demonstrations (ref C). The PKS Chairman, Tifatul Sembiring,
privately expressed regret this occurred and vowed to take
disciplinary action against the cadre responsible for
allowing the replica weapons to be used, while another PKS
luminary complained about the misalignment of U.S.
priorities. End Summary.
THE REACTION FROM THE PKS CHAIR
--------------
2. (C) When we contacted PKS Chairman Tifatul Sembiring about
the rally, he admitted he had seen the newspaper photo of the
demonstrator with the replica gun and expressed remorse that
a PKS demonstration once again involved the use of toy
weapons. Tifatul conceded such displays were not only highly
inappropriate from a symbolic standpoint, but as a practical
matter also extremely dangerous because of their potential to
alarm security personnel and mistakenly provoke conflict.
3. (C) Apparently seeking to absolve himself of any
responsibility for the matter, Tifatul explained that he had
not attended the demonstration because of an illness (Note:
On June 30 he told us he was not feeling very well, but daily
"Rakyat Merdeka" claimed Tifatul did attend and quoted
remarks he allegedly made during the rally. End Note).
Tifatul vowed to investigate the matter, find the cadre
responsible for involving the use of the toy gun, and carry
out unspecified disciplinary actions.
A LESS DIPLOMATIC, MORE REVEALING REACTION
--------------
4. (C) In direct contrast to Tifatul's display of apparent
contrition, Majelis Syuro and PKS Central Board member Luthfi
Hassan Ishaq responded to our demarche on the toy gun issue
with his own blunt assessment. Luthfi's English cell phone
text message noted (with minor typos corrected) "I don't
understand (your Ambassador's) political thought. He has an
official comment about the game of war on CD (note: see ref
B),and now gives a comment about toy guns while the civilian
Muslims, children, women and human lives, basic needs, and
facilities in the Middle East are demolished with real U.S.
and Israeli weapons."
COMMENT
--------------
5. (C) Between Tifatul and Luthfi's contrasting responses to
our concerns, one can get a revealing sense of the tension
within PKS to appear somewhat moderate and mainstream on one
hand, and true to its core Islamist agenda, on the other. In
a June 30 meeting with Tifatul at the PKS headquarters in
Jakarta, we discussed the PKS leadership's efforts to
disassociate the party from militant elements and establish a
more moderate reputation. Tifatul inquired specifically
about any lingering fallout stemming from PKS' vague
affiliation with the "Shoot the Jews" video game (ref B),and
expressed relief that we had conveyed Tifatul's letter on the
matter in its entirety back to Washington. Based on the
concerns Tifatul expressed about PKS's need to safeguard its
public image -- which we believe were sincere -- we suspect
he did not have prior knowledge of the use of replica weapons
during the demonstration.
JAKARTA 00008263 002.2 OF 002
PASCOE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/03/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KISL KDEM ASEC ID
SUBJECT: PKS DEMONSTRATION ONCE AGAIN INVOLVES THE USE OF
TOY GUNS
REF: A. JAKARTA 8258 (DEMONSTRATIONS)
B. JAKARTA 7334 ("SHOOT THE JEWS" GAME)
C. 05 JAKARTA 5371 (REPLICA WEAPONS)
JAKARTA 00008263 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Political Officer Eric W. Kneedler, reason 1.4 (d).
SUMMARY
--------------
1. (C) During a July 2 Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)
demonstration at the U.S. Embassy protesting Israeli actions
in Gaza, at least one demonstrator brandished a toy gun (ref
A). On July 3 the leading local English language daily
carried a prominent photo in which one such demonstrator
gleefully pointed his mock weapon in the direction of an
Israeli flag. We vigorously protested the use of toy weapons
to the PKS leadership, emphasizing our concern about a
possible mistaken reaction by the police and that this took
place after recent assurances from party officials that toy
weapons would no longer be used in conjunction with
demonstrations (ref C). The PKS Chairman, Tifatul Sembiring,
privately expressed regret this occurred and vowed to take
disciplinary action against the cadre responsible for
allowing the replica weapons to be used, while another PKS
luminary complained about the misalignment of U.S.
priorities. End Summary.
THE REACTION FROM THE PKS CHAIR
--------------
2. (C) When we contacted PKS Chairman Tifatul Sembiring about
the rally, he admitted he had seen the newspaper photo of the
demonstrator with the replica gun and expressed remorse that
a PKS demonstration once again involved the use of toy
weapons. Tifatul conceded such displays were not only highly
inappropriate from a symbolic standpoint, but as a practical
matter also extremely dangerous because of their potential to
alarm security personnel and mistakenly provoke conflict.
3. (C) Apparently seeking to absolve himself of any
responsibility for the matter, Tifatul explained that he had
not attended the demonstration because of an illness (Note:
On June 30 he told us he was not feeling very well, but daily
"Rakyat Merdeka" claimed Tifatul did attend and quoted
remarks he allegedly made during the rally. End Note).
Tifatul vowed to investigate the matter, find the cadre
responsible for involving the use of the toy gun, and carry
out unspecified disciplinary actions.
A LESS DIPLOMATIC, MORE REVEALING REACTION
--------------
4. (C) In direct contrast to Tifatul's display of apparent
contrition, Majelis Syuro and PKS Central Board member Luthfi
Hassan Ishaq responded to our demarche on the toy gun issue
with his own blunt assessment. Luthfi's English cell phone
text message noted (with minor typos corrected) "I don't
understand (your Ambassador's) political thought. He has an
official comment about the game of war on CD (note: see ref
B),and now gives a comment about toy guns while the civilian
Muslims, children, women and human lives, basic needs, and
facilities in the Middle East are demolished with real U.S.
and Israeli weapons."
COMMENT
--------------
5. (C) Between Tifatul and Luthfi's contrasting responses to
our concerns, one can get a revealing sense of the tension
within PKS to appear somewhat moderate and mainstream on one
hand, and true to its core Islamist agenda, on the other. In
a June 30 meeting with Tifatul at the PKS headquarters in
Jakarta, we discussed the PKS leadership's efforts to
disassociate the party from militant elements and establish a
more moderate reputation. Tifatul inquired specifically
about any lingering fallout stemming from PKS' vague
affiliation with the "Shoot the Jews" video game (ref B),and
expressed relief that we had conveyed Tifatul's letter on the
matter in its entirety back to Washington. Based on the
concerns Tifatul expressed about PKS's need to safeguard its
public image -- which we believe were sincere -- we suspect
he did not have prior knowledge of the use of replica weapons
during the demonstration.
JAKARTA 00008263 002.2 OF 002
PASCOE