INT'L WOMEN OF COURAGE AWARD RECIPIENT CALLS FOR

UNCLAS JAKARTA 001652 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR G/IWI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM KPAO OEXC ID SUBJECT: INT'L WOMEN OF COURAGE AWARD RECIPIENT CALLS FOR MORE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS ¶1. (U) On June 6, CDA hosted a lunch for Dr. Siti Musdah Mulia, a recipient of the Secretary's 2007 International Women of Courage Award. Mulia appreciated receiving this award and found her visit to Washington very valuable, especially her meeting with Secretary Rice. ¶2. (U) During the lunch, Mulia told us about many of the activities she has been undertaking in the three months since she returned to Indonesia. Particularly noteworthy was a recent debate she had with Jemaah Islamiyah spiritual leader Abu Bakar Ba'asyir concerning the implementation of shari'a law in Indonesia, during which she forcefully spoke out against religious local laws and regulations that discriminate against women (post is attempting to acquire tape of the event). She has also been consulting with local officials in 56 districts throughout Indonesia in an attempt to identify and revise such discriminatory local laws and regulations. When asked about the possibility of an Islamist government coming to power in Indonesia, Mulia stated that the best way to prevent this from happening was for the current government to succeed in its reform agenda of the rule of law, anti-corruption and poverty reduction. ¶3. (U) Mulia and her husband, Professor Ahmad Thib Raya, the Vice Rector for Student Affairs at the State Islamic University-Syarif Hidayatullah in Jakarta, emphasized the need to increase the number of Indonesians participating in USG-sponsored exchange programs. Their comments highlight the important role that exchanges play as a public diplomacy tool in Indonesia. Both repeatedly stressed the need for the U.S. to continue to expand its exchange programs to combat the negative opinions and misperceptions about the U.S. that are so prevalent throughout the Muslim world, including Indonesia. ¶4. (U) In Mulia and Raya's estimation, sending more Indonesians on exchange programs to the U.S. would help dispel many of the myths and negative perceptions that Indonesians have about America and its people. In addition, they thought the chance to see our democracy in action would be beneficial to the development of Indonesia's nascent democracy. Emphasis should be placed on sending Muslim leaders and young people to the U.S., particularly academics, politicians and activists. Finally, Mulia's remarks about the importance of good governance as a bulwark against the rise of an Islamist government underscore the importance of supporting Indonesia's current government as it continues its reform efforts. HEFFERN