INDONESIA -- RAMPING UP THE PRESSURE ON THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002772 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS (A COPE),DRL, IO E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/01/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ID BM SUBJECT: INDONESIA -- RAMPING UP THE PRESSURE ON THE BURMESE REGIME REF: A. STATE 137644 ¶B. RANGOON 941 AND PREVIOUS ¶C. JAKARTA 2755 ¶D. JAKARTA 2737 ¶E. JAKARTA 2693 ¶F. JAKARTA 2681 ¶G. JAKARTA 2500 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (U) This message was coordinated with Consulates Medan and Surabaya. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: Mission continued a robust outreach campaign to press the Indonesian government and legislature for stronger action on Burma. Indonesian students and NGO activists continued to protest in front of the Burmese Embassy in Jakarta while strongly worded commentaries appeared in major newspapers. END SUMMARY. PRESSING FOR MORE GOI ACTION ¶3. (C) Charge contacted Presidential Advisor Dino Djalal on October 1 to urge that President Yudhoyono make a public statement directly condemning the Burmese regime. (Note: FM Wirajuda has already made a public statement condemning the crackdown, but--save for some stray remarks to the press--the president has been silent.) Djalal replied that President Yudhoyono had discussed with Singapore PM Lee the need for a strong ASEAN-wide statement in advance of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers meeting in New York on September 27. SBY also--Djalal said--instructed FM Wirajuda to push for an ASEAN staTQHD`;er. (Note: Mission is urging journalist contacts to raise the matter with President Yudhoyono at the earliest available opportunity in order to get the president on the record.) ¶4. (C) On October 1, Pol/C pressed Gembong Prijono, a key staffer to Vice President Kalla, for torqued up GOI pressure on Burma. The Burmese regime must refrain from violence against peaceful protesters and should begin a genuine dialogue with the democratic opposition as soon as possible, immediately releasing Aung San Suu Kyi in the process. ASEAN countries--particularly Indonesia--had a key responsibility to pressure the junta and to support UN Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari's ongoing mission. The September 27 ASEAN statement was fine, but more must be done to prevent innocent people from being shot in the streets and monks carted off to secret prisons. Prijono responded that he would review the matter with the Vice President. VP Kalla agreed that the situation in Burma was critical and he fully supported Gambari's efforts, Prijono added. ¶5. (C) Pol/C also raQ\:JJOL[*qQs. Purwanto promised to raise the matter with the Presidential Palace. (Note: On September 28, approximately 50 DEPLU officials made their feelings known with a public prayer service in support of the Burmese people at DEPLU headquarters. The DEPLU officials were among the many Indonesians who wore red shirts that day as a gesture of solidarity with the protesters.) LEGISLATURE REMAINS ENGAGED ¶6. (C) Mission also continues outreach to the Indonesian legislature (DPR),which has been outspoken on Burma. Pol/C pressed the matter October 1 in a meeting with well-connected DPR member Ade Nasution. Nasution, who has traveled to Burma in the past and met with opposition figures, responded that he supported Aung San Suu Kyi and the democratic opposition JAKARTA 00002772 002 OF 002 there. He would work with other DPR members tQ keep up the pressure on the government by urging that President Yudhoyono issue a public statement, for example. DEMONSTRATIONS CONTINUE ¶7. (SBU) Indonesian students and human rights activists continued to demonstrate in solidarity with the Burmese people in front of the Myanmar Embassy in Jakarta throughout the weekend. Students also demonstrated in other major Indonesian cities, including Denpassar, Surabaya, Medan, and Makassar, according to press reports. To keep civil society engaged and informed, Mission plans to convene a gathering of human rights activists, academics and religious leaders to discuss Burma later this week. EDITORIALS SLAM THE JUNTA; CALL FOR ACTION ¶8. (U) Thanks in part to Mission outreach, Indonesian media is now highlighting the Burmese situation in its news coverage and in terms of commentary. Rizal Sukma, Deputy Director of Indonesia's leading foreign affairs think-tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies, called for stronger ASEAN action in an October 1 Jakarta Post editorial. Saying that ASEAN's efforts to reason with the junta have failed, so far, Sukma urged ASEAN leaders to go bQQQ,]U) Also writing in the Jakarta Post, leading human rights activists Usman Hamid and Ari Bassin called for stronger Indonesian action. They argue that with the constant flow of refugees out of Burma and the flourishing drug trade centered on that country, Burma does indeed constitute a threat to the peace and security of the region. They called on Indonesia to support bringing Burma before the UN Security Council. ¶10. (SBU) Consulate Medan has reached out to journalists in Medan, Aceh and West Sumatra, urging them to issue strong editorials exhorting the GOI to press Burma for reform. Several regional papers have done so and others promised to do so in the coming days. HEFFERN