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