INDONESIA/BURMA -- PRESSING FOR ASEAN LEADERSHIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 002870 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS (TAYLOR),EAP/MLS (COPE), EAP/RSP, IO/UNP (WICKBERG),DRL NSC FOR EPHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ID BM SUBJECT: INDONESIA/BURMA -- PRESSING FOR ASEAN LEADERSHIP REF: A. STATE 142628 ¶B. JAKARTA 2855 AND PREVIOUS ¶C. RANGOON 1009 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (C) Pol/C reviewed ref A demarche with Harry Purwanto, Director for North American Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU),and also with Gudadi Bambang Sasongko, DEPLU's Deputy Director for East Asian-Pacific Affairs. Pol/C underscored that ASEAN members have a unique obligation to press the Burmese regime to engage in genuine reforms. It is vital that ASEAN show leadership, and press the regime to stop the raids and release all jailed activists. Pol/C urged the GOI--which has expressed support for Special Envoy Gambari's mission--to consider the possible appointment of an ASEAN envoy to work with Gambari and to coordinate ASEAN's Burma diplomacy. Pol/C emphasized the importance of continued UNSC engagement on the situation in Burma and the need for a strong UNSC Presidential Statement. ¶2. (C) DEPLU contacts responded that the Indonesian government would carefully study the ASEAN envoy proposal. They promised to inform us when DEPLU had formulated a position on the issue, but cautioned that this might not happen until after the Idul Fitri holiday period. (Note: While the GOI has declared October 13-14 as the official holiday period, Mission contacts report that DEPLU and other GOI offices will be effectively shut down from October 12-21.) HEFFERN