DAS MARCIEL'S MEETING WITH MINDEF ADVISOR ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002422 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, PM, T SECDEF FOR USDP/ISA/EA (IPSEN) E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2017 TAGS: PREL MARR PHUM PGOV ID SUBJECT: DAS MARCIEL'S MEETING WITH MINDEF ADVISOR ON MIL-MIL RELATIONSHIP JAKARTA 00002422 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak for reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: EAP DAS Scot Marciel's meeting with MG Djoko Sutrisno at the Department of Defense highlighted progress in the bilateral defense relationship, challenges of managing it and means of moving it forward. Discussion touched on assistance, exchanges and training, human rights accountability and vetting, defense reform, peacekeeping, regional cooperation, Papua and East Timor. END SUMMARY. Bilateral Defense Relationship Moving Forward -------------- ¶2. (C) Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Scot Marciel met with MG Djoko Sutrisno, Adviser to the Minister of Defense on Security Matters, in Jakarta on August 27 to discuss U.S.-Indonesian military-to-military cooperation and its place in the broader bilateral relationship. Marciel said Indonesia was a very important country in Southeast Asia and Washington was pleased with the progress in the bilateral relationship. Other countries had a similarly positive view of Indonesia. The United States and Indonesia were the second and third largest democracies, respectively, in the world, and needed to work together to promote common objectives. The United States valued Indonesia's contributions of international peacekeeping troops and its cooperation on the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member. Washington planned to provide assistance for the Indonesian military's planned peacekeeping training center. ¶3. (C) Sutrisno agreed U.S.-Indonesian military cooperation was growing and said the relationship was also important to Jakarta. The Indonesian military (TNI) benefited greatly from the exchanges and other joint activities with U.S. armed forces. One possible site for the planned peacekeeping training center was Bandung, where existing facilities could easily be converted for that purpose. Draft National Security Legislation -------------- ¶4. (C) Marciel noted the TNI was in transition to a new role in support of democracy, and asked about future legislation to continue the reform process. Sutrisno said that, in addition to the military law and national defense law passed 
in 2004, the government was now drafting a bill on national security. This bill involved many agencies, including the police, and one of the key issues was whether the police should be subordinated to a civilian ministry. The TNI's goal was to become a professional force, which could better defend the country. The government wanted to develop a strategic plan like the Pentagon's Quadrennial Defense Review, though with a shorter cycle, and issue a new white paper to supersede the previous one. Concerns over Papua -------------- ¶5. (C) Characterizing developments in Aceh as impressive, Marciel emphasized Washington would continue to support the peace process and economic recovery there. On Papua, he reiterated the USG's support for Indonesia's unity and territorial integrity, and expressed hope that economic progress and improved governance could reduce tensions in the province. He urged the government to allow travel to and a greater flow of information from Papua to reduce misperceptions about what was happening inside. ¶6. (C) Sutrisno affirmed the situation in Aceh continued to improve, despite day-to-day frictions and occasional clashes. Prospects were very good for the peace based on the Helsinki Memorandum of Understanding would become permanent. The occasional disturbances, such as use of the GAM (Aceh Independence Movement) flag, were temporary irritants but did not affect overall progress on the peace process. Jakarta authorities and the TNI had expected that GAM diehards would challenge the new order, but Governor Irwandi and Vice President Kalla were both committed to making the peace work. JAKARTA 00002422 002.2 OF 002 Sutrisno noted Rep. Faleomaveaga's visit to Indonesia in early July had gone well and his statements regarding Papua had been constructive. Fisheries Minister Numberi had been a good interlocutor. Threats to Indonesian Security -------------- ¶7. (C) Sutrisno said Indonesia did not face any significant external threats to its security other than international terrorism, which it was fighting. The main threat was internal: the potential for separation of ethnic regions from the republic. The TNI was charged constitutionally with upholding Indonesia's sovereignty and would continue to do this, but would so do according to law. The TNI could not move troops into Aceh, for example, without approval by the national legislature (DPR) and the president. Similarly, Indonesia was improving its collaboration with Malaysia and the Philippines to protect shared international waterways in the region. Managing the Relationship: Human Rights and Reform -------------- -------------- ¶8. (C) Marciel said Indonesia today was vastly different from ten years ago and everyone recognized that. To continue to strengthen the mil-mil relationship, both governments needed to work together to address two linked problems: Indonesian concern about the United States' reliability as a supplier; and U.S. concerns about the lack of Indonesian accountability for past human rights abuses. Both sides needed to keep working to overcome these problems, as the accountability issue would not disappear. He noted that Leahy human-rights vetting was a worldwide requirement and did not specifically target Indonesia. ¶9. (C) Sutrisno reiterated the value of dialogue and exchanges in helping to educate the TNI and make it more professional. Indonesia welcomed the training provided under the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program. Indonesia also appreciated the maritime radar surveillance systems that the United States was providing for the Malacca Strait and Sulawesi Sea (through Section 1206 funding). Sutrisno said the TNI now understood the Leahy requirements and noted that recent briefings to the TNI on this issue had been very useful. ¶10. (C) Marciel emphasized the disproportionate negative impact that a single news story could have on the bilateral military relationship. Tommy Suharto's participation in a shooting competition with the Army Special Forces was an example. Critics used such stories to argue for slower engagement. Sutrisno replied that Tommy had not been invited but rather had learned of the event on his own. The unit commander, who formerly had been one of President Suharto's guards, had not intended to give Tommy any special recognition, but a photograph had caught his brief show of respect. Indonesia was trying to be as objective as possible in the hearing of the Truth and Friendship Commission with East Timor and was working with East Timor to resolve the problem and move together into the future. ¶11. (U) DAS Marciel approved this message. HUME