VISIT OF INDONESIAN POLICE CHIEF SUTANTO TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 000168

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, S/CT, DS/IP/EAP, DS/DSS/ITA, DS/CC
DOJ FOR CTS THORNTON, AAG SWARTZ
FBI FOR ETTIU/SSA ROTH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2017
TAGS: PTER ASEC EFIN KCRM KHLS ID
SUBJECT: VISIT OF INDONESIAN POLICE CHIEF SUTANTO TO
WASHINGTON

REF: JAKARTA 92

Classified By: Ambassador B. Lynn Pascoe, for reasons 1.4 (b,d).


1. (U) SUMMARY: Indonesian National Police Chief General
Sutanto's January 22-25 visit to Washington provides an
excellent opportunity to reiterate U.S. support for his
efforts to develop a more professional, effective, and
transparent police force and to express appreciation for his
close cooperation on counterterrorism, counternarcotics, and
other important transnational security issues. He is well
aware of the need for increased INP transparency and
professionalization and has positioned the INP on the side of
democracy. Due to the extensive on-going cooperation, any
requests for new assistance during the visit will require
close interagency coordination. Sutanto's visit is an
opportunity to stress privately the importance of the Munir
case. End Summary.

REFORM AGENDA


2. (C) Since he assumed command over the Indonesian National
Police (INP) in July 2005, Sutanto has promoted internal
police reform and more effective law enforcement and taken a
firm line on corruption in the public sector. The Indonesian
police remain something of a stepchild institutionally and
are still trying to shed a reputation of brutality and
politicization from the past. Soon after installation as
Chief of the Indonesian Police in July 2005, Sutanto called
for an acceleration of efforts to create a professional,
modern force with high moral standards, one able to create
real conditions of security and one deserving of the public's
trust. He introduced structural and procedural reforms aimed
at establishing consistency and transparency.

ANTI-TERROR SUCCESSES AND COOPERATION


3. (C) Since taking over, Sutanto has intensified the hunt
for domestic terrorists. He responded to the Bali II
bombings in 2005 by calling for new tougher legislation in
line with U.S. and other models which would allow the
Indonesian police to "move quickly and effectively" against
terrorists. A major raid on terrorist leader Azahari's house
in November 2005, coordinated with the FBI, killed the
terrorist and produced valuable new leads and evidence. A
similar raid in Wonosobo, Central Java in April 2006 killed
suspected terrorists Jabir and Abdul Hadi. The absence of a
major terrorism incident in 2006, breaking a four-year annual
cycle, was at least in part the result of vigilant police
work by the DS/ATA-supported Detachment 88 Antiterrorism Unit
and CT Taskforce ("Team Bomb") investigators. The INP has
made significant progress in identifying and capturing
terrorist instigators behind the ethnic violence in Central
Sulawesi. Since 2005, INP officials have facilitated FBI
interviews of several high-level Indonesian terrorist
detainees and have assisted U.S. investigations into the
2002 Bali bombings, the 2003 Marriott bombing, and the 2005
Bali bombings, all events in which U.S. citizens were killed
or injured.


4. (C) There have been some important setbacks, such as the
inability to capture key terrorist operator Noordin Top and
the exoneration of terrorist leader Abu Bakar Baasyir. At
least publicly, Sutanto remains firm. Responding to
Baasyir's exoneration by the Supreme Court in December 2006,
the INP spokesman asserted the police had conclusive proof of
Baasyir's complicity in the Bali bombings. Sutanto said he
accepted the court decision but the verdict would not impact
ongoing CT investigations.

HIGH-STAKES MUNIR CASE A TEST


5. (C) The case of the suspected murder of human-rights
activist Munir, recently given new impetus by President
Yudhoyono, will be a test of Sutanto's resolve in pressing
the prosecution in the face of resistance from intelligence
and other agencies. Promising new evidence from the U.S.
laboratories on key cell phones in the case should give
prosecutors a stronger hand. How Sutanto plays that hand
will in this high-stakes case will reflect on his commitment

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to reform. He will face lots of pressure to go through the
motions of prosecution without actually bringing any
high-level culprits to justice.

STRONG COUNTERNARCOTICS COOPERATION


6. (C) For the last several years, the INP has been a strong
proponent of counternarcotics cooperation, and Sutanto has
continued this trend. The U.S. Pacific Command's Joint
Interagency Task Force West (JIATF-W) maintains several
robust assistance programs with both the INP's Narcotics
Division and the Indonesian Narcotics Agency (BNN).
JIATF-W-sponsored antinarcotics training includes the
recently completed Fusion Iron maritime law enforcement
training in the triborder area (reftel) and the development
of the Indonesian National Joint Interagency Counterdrug
Operations Center (JIACDOC) linked to a network of
outstations. Earlier this month, the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Agency (DEA) sponsored a practical applications training
course in Jakarta for Indonesian counternarcotics operators.
DEA plans additional training later this year will include
courses on investigating clandestine labs, and a management
course for drug unit commanders.

DOMESTIC LAW AND ORDER: REFORM, CORRUPTION, ORGANIZED CRIME


7. (U) On law enforcement issues domestically, Sutanto has
taken a tough line against organized crime, notably drug
trafficking, gambling and illegal logging. A number of
highly publicized raids have shut down large ecstasy and
methamphetamine manufacturing factories and illicit gambling
centers. An illegal logging kingpin in Sumatra was arrested
in September 9 in Beijing, through coordinated efforts of the
Indonesian and Chinese police. Many others remain at large,
however.


8. (U) In pressing President Yudhoyono's anti-corruption
drive, Sutanto has not spared the police, demonstrating the
seriousness of his intent to clean up the police force.
Police officials who have been dismissed or arrested for
wrongdoing during Sutanto's tenure include the a district
police chief in July 2005, reportedly for smuggling; the
former director of the INP's Special Economic Division and
the former head of the INP's Detective and Criminal Division,
on charges of accepting bribes; a senior inspector in the
INP's General Monitoring Office, for smuggling; the chief for
Southeast Sulawesi, for alleged sexual harassment; the chief
for East Kalimantan, on suspected illegal logging; and a
deputy police chief in Central Java, for the beating of
subordinates.

HIGHLIGHTS OF OTHER BILATERAL ISSUES


9. (U) Other noteworthy examples of bilateral collaboration
include the following:

-- Since 2004, the INP has cooperated in the extradition of
eight felons wanted in the United States, including four
pedophiles and a Tamil Tiger terrorism facilitator extradited
earlier this month.

-- In 2006, the United States facilitated the return of to
Indonesia of two top Indonesian public corruption suspects,
David Wijaya and Adrian Waworuntu.

-- As a result of strong INP support, the DS/ATA training
program in Indonesia is regarded as a model for effective CT
tactical training. Kenyan police officers visited Indonesia
to observe the ATA-sponsored program in 2006, and Pakistani
police officers will visit Indonesia in late January
specifically to observe the ATA-sponsored dog handling
training program.

-- Sutanto and his staff have been consistently willing to
integrate INL funded DOJ ICITAP projects and assistance into
organizational, operational and institutional practice
through an entire range of areas: Marine Police Special Boat
Units, cyber crime, forensics, civil disorder management,
corruption, and management reforms.


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SBY ALLY


10. (C) Sutanto is an ally, if not a close associate of
President Yudhoyono and the two share a commitment to reform
and democracy. Sutanto graduated from the Indonesian Police
Academy in 1973, the same year SBY graduated from the
military academy, and from the College for Advanced Police
Studies in 1983. He worked his way up through the ranks in
East Java, including Deputy Police Chief of Jakarta
(1998-2000) and Police Chief for East Java (2000- 2002).
Prior to his current appointment he was the Head of the
Police Education and Training Institute (2002-2005) and
Executive Director of the National Narcotics Board (2005).


11. (U) Sutanto will be accompanied by Deputy INP Chief
Investigator Inspector General Gories Mere, INP Intelligence
Chief Inspector General Saleh Saaf, INP Commander of Team
Bomb Brigadier General Surya Dharma, INP Counternarcotics
Chief Brigadier General Indradi Thanos, INP Interpol Chief
Brigadier General Iskandar Hasan, and lead INP cybercrime and
terrorism investigator Lieutenant Colonel Petrus Golose.

RESPONDING TO ASSISTANCE REQUESTS


12. (C) Washington officials should be mindful that INP
officials likely will use their visit to request additional
training and equipment. Some of the requests could easily be
unrealistic and inconsistent with USG priorities. Sutanto's
predecessor, retired INP General Dai Bachtiar, acquired the
impression during a visit a few years ago that the USG had
promised the INP C-130 aircraft. Although we can find no
evidence of any such discussion, Sutanto periodically raises
the issue with us. Due to the extensive on-going
cooperation, any requests for new assistance during the visit
will require close interagency coordination.
PASCOE