Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07JAKARTA2681
2007-09-21 08:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
PRESSING PARLIAMENT TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST THE
how-toVZCZCXRO4061 OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHJA #2681 2640809 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 210809Z SEP 07 ZDS FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6392 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 1228 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0836 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 1793 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 002681
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (CORRECTED ADDITIONAL ADDRESSEE)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ID BM
SUBJECT: PRESSING PARLIAMENT TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST THE
BURMA CRACKDOWN
REF: A. JAKARTA 02211
B. JAKARTA 02500
C. STATE 123219
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b)(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 002681
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (CORRECTED ADDITIONAL ADDRESSEE)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ID BM
SUBJECT: PRESSING PARLIAMENT TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST THE
BURMA CRACKDOWN
REF: A. JAKARTA 02211
B. JAKARTA 02500
C. STATE 123219
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b)(d).
1. (C) Summary: Pol/C met September 21 with a key
parliamentarian and briefed him on the situation in Burma.
Pol/C urged that the national legislature take a stand
against the Burmese regime, pressing the GOI to be more
pro-active. Poloff then spoke with another
parliamentarian--the head of the Myanmar Caucus--who said a
petition condemning the regime was being prepared, but had
not yet been submitted to the President's office. End
Summary.
2. (C) Pol/C met September 21 with Theo Sambuaga, the Chair
of the Commission on Foreign Affairs and Defense in the
Indonesian national legislature (DPR). Pol/C reviewed the
latest news regarding the situation in Burma, noting the
September 20 peaceful demonstration by thousands of Buddhist
monks joined by citizens in Rangoon. Pol/C showed Sambuaga a
front-page photo of the event on the cover of the
International Herald Tribune. Sambuaga said he was generally
aware of the situation in Burma, but was not aware of the
latest news, which he noted was not being covered to any
significant extent in local media.
3. (C) Continuing, Pol/C underscored that the USG was deeply
concerned about the ongoing crackdown, which had included
many arrests and beatings. The brutal crackdown and the
total illegitimacy of the so-called National Convention
starkly showed the regime's opposition to any genuine
dialogue. Given Indonesia's role as a new democracy, it
could play a key role in the UN, ASEAN and bilateral contexts
in applying pressure on the regime to relent. So far,
however, there was little evidence that the Indonesian
government had done this--it had not issued a public
statement condemning the crackdown and had not taken a stand
in other contexts, for example. It would be positive if the
DPR--in the spirit of 1998 when Indonesia had rid itself of
an autocracy--could step forward to press the government on
this, as well as stimulate public discussion of what was
happening in a neighboring state.
4. (C) Sambuaga replied that he would see what he could do.
He believed that it was vital for there to be a peaceful
transition to democracy in Burma. He would be in touch with
the GOI to urge that it take a pro-active position on the
situation and would urge legislators to get involved in
publicizing the situation.
5. (C) Poloff also spoke with Djoko Susilo, Chairman of the
Indonesian Parliamentary Caucus on Myanmar, who said the
Caucus had drafted a statement condemning the regime.
According to Susilo, the Caucus would relay the statement
soon to the president's office as part of its broader
strategy to encourage the GOI to take action on the issue.
HUME
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (CORRECTED ADDITIONAL ADDRESSEE)
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ID BM
SUBJECT: PRESSING PARLIAMENT TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST THE
BURMA CRACKDOWN
REF: A. JAKARTA 02211
B. JAKARTA 02500
C. STATE 123219
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b)(d).
1. (C) Summary: Pol/C met September 21 with a key
parliamentarian and briefed him on the situation in Burma.
Pol/C urged that the national legislature take a stand
against the Burmese regime, pressing the GOI to be more
pro-active. Poloff then spoke with another
parliamentarian--the head of the Myanmar Caucus--who said a
petition condemning the regime was being prepared, but had
not yet been submitted to the President's office. End
Summary.
2. (C) Pol/C met September 21 with Theo Sambuaga, the Chair
of the Commission on Foreign Affairs and Defense in the
Indonesian national legislature (DPR). Pol/C reviewed the
latest news regarding the situation in Burma, noting the
September 20 peaceful demonstration by thousands of Buddhist
monks joined by citizens in Rangoon. Pol/C showed Sambuaga a
front-page photo of the event on the cover of the
International Herald Tribune. Sambuaga said he was generally
aware of the situation in Burma, but was not aware of the
latest news, which he noted was not being covered to any
significant extent in local media.
3. (C) Continuing, Pol/C underscored that the USG was deeply
concerned about the ongoing crackdown, which had included
many arrests and beatings. The brutal crackdown and the
total illegitimacy of the so-called National Convention
starkly showed the regime's opposition to any genuine
dialogue. Given Indonesia's role as a new democracy, it
could play a key role in the UN, ASEAN and bilateral contexts
in applying pressure on the regime to relent. So far,
however, there was little evidence that the Indonesian
government had done this--it had not issued a public
statement condemning the crackdown and had not taken a stand
in other contexts, for example. It would be positive if the
DPR--in the spirit of 1998 when Indonesia had rid itself of
an autocracy--could step forward to press the government on
this, as well as stimulate public discussion of what was
happening in a neighboring state.
4. (C) Sambuaga replied that he would see what he could do.
He believed that it was vital for there to be a peaceful
transition to democracy in Burma. He would be in touch with
the GOI to urge that it take a pro-active position on the
situation and would urge legislators to get involved in
publicizing the situation.
5. (C) Poloff also spoke with Djoko Susilo, Chairman of the
Indonesian Parliamentary Caucus on Myanmar, who said the
Caucus had drafted a statement condemning the regime.
According to Susilo, the Caucus would relay the statement
soon to the president's office as part of its broader
strategy to encourage the GOI to take action on the issue.
HUME