GOI AGREES WITH MAIN POINTS OF 2007 TIP REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001655 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/RSA, G/TIP, EAP/MTS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM ELAB KCRM KWMN PREL PGOV SMIG KPAO ID SUBJECT: GOI AGREES WITH MAIN POINTS OF 2007 TIP REPORT INDONESIA NARRATIVE REF: A. JAKARTA 1056 (REFORMER TAKES HELM OF MIGRANT WORKER PROTECTION) ¶B. JAKARTA 1130 (PRESIDENT SIGNS ANTI-TRAFFICKING LAW) ¶C. JAKARTA 590 (INDONESIA ANTI-TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS REPORT) This cable is sensitive but unclassified; please protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Summary. On June 12, we delivered the 2007 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report's narrative for Indonesia to Sumarni Dawam Raharjo, the specially appointed TIP law implementation task force leader from the Ministry of Women's Empowerment. We also relayed the talking points on Indonesia's progress and areas for improvements cited in the report. Sumarni was very pleased with the positive points of the narrative and also agreed with the constructive criticisms, citing efforts underway to address outstanding issues. She briefed us on a series of TIP National Task Force meetings she has convened since the landmark anti-trafficking law went into effect in April 2007 (ref B). On June 13, we issued a press release announcing the 2007 TIP Report, including the Indonesian narrative and the Washington File article on 2007 TIP hero Wahyu Susilo, an Indonesian, and posted the report on the Embassy website. The report received prominent press coverage on June 14. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) We delivered on June 12 the 2007 TIP Report's Indonesian country narrative and talking points to the key person coordinating Indonesia's anti-trafficking efforts, Sumarni Dawam Raharjo, appointed last month by the Minister of Women's Empowerment to spearhead implementation of Indonesia's comprehensive new anti-trafficking law. (Note: Sumarni retired in March as deputy minister but was appointed to this special position to ensure continuity in implementation of the new law, a law which she worked on for two years before its successful enactment in April 2007). Sumarni noted her satisfaction with Indonesia's improvement from Tier 2 Watchlist status in 2006 to Tier 2 in 2007, reading the narrative carefully before commenting further. Pleased with the areas of progress noted in the report, Sumarni also acknowledged each of the areas of weakness. PolOff pointed out to her the progress and deficiencies emphasized in the talking points and left her a non-paper, �A;which she said she would share with the minister. Budget is Lacking -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Sumarni said getting a larger budget for TIP efforts is difficult because there are no earmarks for TIP. Rather, funds are dispersed in general budgets for areas such as social services and health care, and she has to make special efforts for each agency to set aside funds for TIP-specific initiatives. Regarding the migrant worker protection system, she cited the new National Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Overseas Workers (BNP2TKI) as taking aggressive steps to protect migrant workers against trafficking (ref A). She also acknowledged the need to change the MOU with Malaysia regarding migrant worker rights. Finally, she agreed that official corruption remains a major impediment to more progress, agreeing with PolOff on which agencies have the farthest to go in that regard. ¶4. (SBU) Regarding implementation of the new anti-trafficking law, Ms. Sumarni explained the series of interagency meetings held in late May and early June to coordinate quick implementation of the law. Civil society, -- including human rights NGOs, legal experts and international NGOs -- all participated in these meetings she said. (Note: Both DOJ/ICITAP and the USG-funded Solidarity Center sent representatives to the meetings at the invitation of the Ministry of Women's Empowerment, and reported to us that the meetings were well attended and productive). The first meeting was with law enforcement agencies and second with social service agencies. Currently, National Task Force representatives from all agencies as well as the outside organizations mentioned above are meeting for several days near Jakarta to focus on the next steps. Ms. Sumarni said she lacks sufficient funding to carry out all the necessary implementing activities but that she is seeking new funding from various GOI and international sources. ¶5. (SBU) Ms. Sumarni accepted our invitation to participate in a morning seminar we are hosting to discuss the 2007 TIP Report's recommendations for Indonesia, scheduled for June JAKARTA 00001655 002 OF 002 ¶28. TIP Hero Wahyu Susilo of Migrant Care and other government and civil society leaders will also participate. She also accepted an invitation to attend a luncheon meeting of international donors and NGOs we are hosting immediately following the seminar in order to coordinate future funding of anti-TIP efforts and solicit more support from countries that might have an interest in funding TIP programs, such as Japan. ¶6. (SBU) We issued a press release on the 2007 TIP Report on June 13, including the Indonesian narrative, citing the link to the entire report in the release; the report was also posted on the Embassy website. We also issued the Washington File story on TIP Hero Wahyu Susilo. These got limited but prominent coverage in June 14 media, with more coverage expected later. The English-language daily Jakarta Post ran stories headlined, "RI Earns Praise in Latest Human Trafficking Report" and "Activist Honored for Anti-Trafficking Work." The story quoted the Charge as saying that the report credits Indonesia for progress in passing the new law and raising public awareness but that it also notes the great magnitude of the problem, trafficking-related complicity by public officials and the need to better protect migrant workers. The USG will continue to support Indonesia in its efforts by funding programs. The article also quotes a women's rights activist as saying she agrees the government has made improvements in fighting human trafficking but that lack of funding has hampered efforts. HEFFERN