INDONESIAN NEXT STEPS TO GPOI MILITARY PEACEKEEPER

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000167 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2016 TAGS: PREL MASS MARR MOPS ID SUBJECT: INDONESIAN NEXT STEPS TO GPOI MILITARY PEACEKEEPER TRAINING REF: JAKARTA 13308 (INDONESIAN PLANS FOR TRAINING CENTER) Classified By: DCM John A. Heffern, for reasons 1.4 (b, d). ¶1. (C) Poloff and Defense Cooperation Office (ODC) head met with Director General for Defense Strategy Dadi Susanto on December 20 to discuss Indonesia's progress toward a program for training military peacekeepers. Susanto said the Department of Defense (DEPHAN) had the lead within the GOI on peacekeeping training but must coordinate with the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU). Susanto said the TNI was about to designate a training center, most probably at one of its current infantry training centers. This would be followed by an exchange of letters with the United Nations to establish formal UN endorsement of the center. Separately, Susanto explained, DEPLU planned to establish a "center for excellence" for coordinating the diplomatic aspects of peacekeeping and providing expertise on the various conventions and other agreements involved. OPENNESS TO GPOI ASSISTANCE ¶2. (C) Susanto said the GOI was considering peacekeeping exchanges with Malaysia but otherwise had received no offers of training assistance. DEPHAN wanted the TNI to "train to a U.S. standard," which it regarded as consistent with UN requirements. DEPHAN would be open to considering U.S. training assistance for the TNI under the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) program. Susanto noted Indonesia had considerable peacekeeping experience due to its participation in many peacekeeping operations since the 1950s, including the Suez, the Congo and Cambodia. Susanto commented that peacekeepers needed many different skill sets before they went abroad, such as language, civilian skills such as driving, and other necessities for deployment abroad. Indonesia would welcome the more professional training afforded by a formal program. POSSIBLE BRIEFING AT IUSSD ¶3. (C) We presented the basic concept and structure of the GPOI program, its multi-year scope and funding and its function as supporting UN peacekeeping. We pointed out that GPOI training would also support the intention of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to develop a collective peacekeeping capacity, and that several ASEAN countries had already participated in GPOI. We proposed that a briefing on GPOI training be included in the agenda for the next Indonesia-U.S. Security Dialogue (IUSSD),which prospectively would fall in early April. Susanto agreed the GOI should try to complete its intended next steps toward establishing a center by that time, with the prospect that the April briefing could allow the TNI to agree to a GPOI training program. COMMENT AND NEXT STEPS ¶4. (C) The TNI center would be an ideal candidate for GPOI training assistance. DEPLU,s "center of excellence" would appear to be a less likely candidate, since it does not involve the military training. Once we have more information about the TNI Center, we will forward specific training recommendations to Washington for consideration of GPOI funding. Unless otherwise instructed, we do not see the need to seek explicit GOI agreement to participate in the GPOI program. We understand that GPOI funding does not require any signed documents or formal agreement. We are confident that, over time, the GOI will become comfortable with participation in GPOI-funded programs, but we recommend against seeking an explicit GOI endorsement prior to launching concrete cooperation. We are working with them to develop programs which would meet GPOI training requirements. The TNI's Chief of Operations told us the TNI wants to accept the USG-funded training and has written a letter to this effect. The letter cannot go forward, however, until the TNI Chief of Staff (Panglima) formally establishes the TNI peacekeeping training center, which is expected to occur in March. The upcoming Indonesia-U.S. Strategic Dialogue (IUSSD) in early April will offer a further opportunity, in the course of a formal interagency briefing on GPOI, for the TNI to accept the training. PASCOE