PAPUA -- ENCOURAGING INDONESIA TOWARD GREATER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002819

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/ANP, EAP/PD
NSC FOR EPHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS KPAO ID
SUBJECT: PAPUA -- ENCOURAGING INDONESIA TOWARD GREATER
OPENNESS

REF: A. JAKARTA 2783


B. JAKARTA 2769

C. JAKARTA 2735

JAKARTA 00002819 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b,d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Seeking GOI support for planned USG visits
to Papua, poloff met October 4 with key Department of Foreign
Affairs (DEPLU) Papua contact. Poloff--more generally--also
pressed for greater access for diplomats and foreign media.
Contact responded that DEPLU was committed to greater
openness, but has to contend with other GOI bodies that may
not be so inclined such as the military. That said, the
Indonesian government had recently approved a visit by a TIME
magazine journalist. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) OUR PLANS: Poloff met October 4 with Banua Manik,
Director of Diplomatic Security at DEPLU, to discuss planned
USG trips to Papua. Poloff first thanked Manik for his help
facilitating his recent travel to Papua, which had been
delayed due to difficulties receiving permission for the trip
(reftels). (Note: Manik chairs the GOI's interagency
committee that considers requests from diplomats, foreign
government officials and journalists to visit Papua.) The
proposed trips include:

-- The Charge's October 6-10 attendance at the Asmat Cultural
Festival near Timika;
-- the Ambassador's proposed November visit to Jayapura,
Timika and other possible locations; and,
-- A planned December visit by Representative Faleomavaega of
American Samoa.

Manik replied that he looked forward to working with us on
the proposed visits. DEPLU strongly supports such visits,
although some Indonesian government bodies like the military
sometimes do not. (Note: DEPLU has approved the Charge's
proposed travel. GOI officials have also told us that they
would allow Rep. Faleomavaega's December visit to Papua after
having denied his request to travel there in July.)


3. (C) ...AND THE BIG PICTURE: More generally, Poloff noted
that it would help if the GOI took a big picture look at the
problem of travel to Papua. Poloff stressed that greater
access to Papua for diplomats and journalists would help
dispel many of the myths and rumors that circulate about what
is happening there.


4. (C) Manik replied that DEPLU supported greater openness
in Papua and provided an overview of DEPLU's recent efforts
toward this end. He had just finished accompanying GOI
officials from Indonesian Embassies in Australia, New
Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the United States, and other
countries on a visit to Papua. They had met with the
governor, police chief, members of the DPR-P and MRP
(provincial legislative bodies),and civil society
representatives in Jayapura. They also toured U.S. company
Freeport-McMoRan's mining operations in Timika. DEPLU hopes
to arrange more visits to Papua by Indonesian diplomats and
other officials so they can answer questions about what is
happening there based on first-hand observations.


5. (C) Manik also explained that DEPLU hoped to organize
regular visits to Papua for members of Jakarta's diplomatic
corps, although it had not yet planned any specific trips.
Poloff responded that this effort would help diplomats better
understand the situation in Papua and encouraged DEPLU to
move forward with its plans. Manik agreed, but reiterated
that some elements of the GOI are still suspicious of foreign
diplomatic interest in Papua. Because of this, DEPLU had to
proceed slowly, he claimed.


6. (C) A GREEN LIGHT FOR TIME: Finally, there was good news
on the journalist front. Manik said the GOI had recently
approved the Papua visit of American journalist Jason
Tedjasukmana of TIME Magazine. In the past, the GOI has been
particularly reluctant to allow foreign journalists to travel
to Papua. Manik agreed that openness for journalists was
important, but he said that the government had to be
cautious. Many journalists were inclined to write
"exaggerated" accounts of developments in Papua because it
attracted more readers, he asserted. Poloff--noting that the

JAKARTA 00002819 002.2 OF 002


action re the TIME journalist was positive--said journalists
should be allowed to report on what they found and urged
DEPLU to allow free access for all journalists.
HEFFERN