Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07JAKARTA2901
2007-10-15 08:34:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
INDONESIAN TIES WITH MALAYSIA FALL VICTIM TO
how-toVZCZCXRO9355 OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHJA #2901/01 2880834 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 150834Z OCT 07 FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6683 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1376 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 1880 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0962 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1386 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002901
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP, G/TIP, DRL/PHD
NSC FOR EPHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV SMIG PHUM ID MY
SUBJECT: INDONESIAN TIES WITH MALAYSIA FALL VICTIM TO
ANOTHER DUST-UP
REF: A) JAKARTA 2825 B) JAKARTA 2394
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b)(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002901
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP, G/TIP, DRL/PHD
NSC FOR EPHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV SMIG PHUM ID MY
SUBJECT: INDONESIAN TIES WITH MALAYSIA FALL VICTIM TO
ANOTHER DUST-UP
REF: A) JAKARTA 2825 B) JAKARTA 2394
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b)(d).
1. (U) This message was coordinated with Embassy Kuala
Lumpur.
2. (C) SUMMARY: The brief detention--on illegal immigration
charges--of an Indonesian diplomat's wife based in Malaysia
has sparked an uproar in Indonesia. Despite a formal
apology, the Indonesian national legislature (DPR) has
demanded that the GOI take steps to freeze ties with
Malaysia. The Indonesian government has rebuffed those
demands and ties remain stable, but Indonesians--who are
already inflamed over cases of alleged migrant labor abuse in
Malaysia--are feeling increasingly touchy toward their
neighbor. END SUMMARY.
A BRIEF DETENTION
3. (U) On October 6, members of a private, volunteer
Malaysian militia (RELA) detained the wife of Indonesia's
cultural attache to Malaysia. The uniformed
personnel--officially authorized to pick up illegal
immigrants and deliver them to detention centers--reportedly
failed to recognize Nurdin's diplomatic ID. Rela detained
the woman for about two hours while her daughter fetched her
passport, according to media reports. The Indonesian Embassy
filed a formal protest. Embassy official Shanti Utami
Retnaningsih was quoted as saying -- "They treated her like
an illegal immigrant...It's unacceptable. This incident
shows disrespect to members of our embassy."
MALAYSIANS APOLOGIZE
4. (SBU) Reacting to the incident, Malaysia's Ambassador to
Indonesia gave an official apology on October 10. Despite
this, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak went on
to deny publicly that Nurdin was detained at all, claiming
that she was merely asked to wait while authorities verified
her credentials, according to a Malaysian media report which
also received coverage in Indonesia.
BACKLASH IN INDONESIA
5. (C) For their part, Indonesian legislators reacted
strongly in the week following the incident. Several DPR
members spoke out publicly, calling for withdrawal of the
Indonesian ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, freezing the export of
Indonesian migrant labor to Indonesia, and halting annual
joint military exercises. Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda
said--given the official protest and official apology--the
matter should now be laid to rest. Based on Pol/C's
soundings over the October 13-14 weekend, Indonesian
politicians were still angry over the incident, claiming that
it shows that Malaysians have "no respect" for Indonesians.
6. (SBU) Sentiments of bruised nationalism have spilled over
into culture as well, with recent calls by prominent
Indonesians to boycott Malaysian products because of
allegations that Malaysia has infringed upon the copyrights
of popular Indonesian folk song "Rasa Sayang" ("Feeling of
Love"). A song with the same tune and near identical lyrics
has recently been employed to promote Malaysian tourism.
Theo Sambuaga, Chairman of the DPR's Commission I which deals
with foreign and security affairs, stated publicly on October
9 -- "We ask Malaysia, its apparatus and the media, to stop
denigrating Indonesians."
TIES A BIT BRUISED -- BUT STABLE
7. (C) The latest incident follows on the heels of several
cases of alleged mistreatment of Indonesian migrants working
in Indonesia. For example, Indonesians were outraged when an
Indonesian soccer coach was roughed up in August (ref B) and
when a young Indonesian woman, 20-year-old Suriyani Nas,
alleged that in April she was bound, gagged and raped for a
month by a Rela volunteer (ref A).
8. (C) In spite of all the problems, Indonesian-Malaysian
ties remain stable. The perception is growing among
Indonesians that they are somehow not being treated with
JAKARTA 00002901 002 OF 002
respect, however. At the heart of the matter, is sentiment
among Indonesians that Malaysians have a superiority complex
and treat Indonesians as if they are second-class citizens.
A bit embittered, Indonesians increasingly are taking a
touchy, nationalistic stance toward their cousins across the
strait -- "They just treat us like dirt," said one official
to Dep/Pol/C.
HUME
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP, G/TIP, DRL/PHD
NSC FOR EPHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV SMIG PHUM ID MY
SUBJECT: INDONESIAN TIES WITH MALAYSIA FALL VICTIM TO
ANOTHER DUST-UP
REF: A) JAKARTA 2825 B) JAKARTA 2394
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b)(d).
1. (U) This message was coordinated with Embassy Kuala
Lumpur.
2. (C) SUMMARY: The brief detention--on illegal immigration
charges--of an Indonesian diplomat's wife based in Malaysia
has sparked an uproar in Indonesia. Despite a formal
apology, the Indonesian national legislature (DPR) has
demanded that the GOI take steps to freeze ties with
Malaysia. The Indonesian government has rebuffed those
demands and ties remain stable, but Indonesians--who are
already inflamed over cases of alleged migrant labor abuse in
Malaysia--are feeling increasingly touchy toward their
neighbor. END SUMMARY.
A BRIEF DETENTION
3. (U) On October 6, members of a private, volunteer
Malaysian militia (RELA) detained the wife of Indonesia's
cultural attache to Malaysia. The uniformed
personnel--officially authorized to pick up illegal
immigrants and deliver them to detention centers--reportedly
failed to recognize Nurdin's diplomatic ID. Rela detained
the woman for about two hours while her daughter fetched her
passport, according to media reports. The Indonesian Embassy
filed a formal protest. Embassy official Shanti Utami
Retnaningsih was quoted as saying -- "They treated her like
an illegal immigrant...It's unacceptable. This incident
shows disrespect to members of our embassy."
MALAYSIANS APOLOGIZE
4. (SBU) Reacting to the incident, Malaysia's Ambassador to
Indonesia gave an official apology on October 10. Despite
this, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak went on
to deny publicly that Nurdin was detained at all, claiming
that she was merely asked to wait while authorities verified
her credentials, according to a Malaysian media report which
also received coverage in Indonesia.
BACKLASH IN INDONESIA
5. (C) For their part, Indonesian legislators reacted
strongly in the week following the incident. Several DPR
members spoke out publicly, calling for withdrawal of the
Indonesian ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, freezing the export of
Indonesian migrant labor to Indonesia, and halting annual
joint military exercises. Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda
said--given the official protest and official apology--the
matter should now be laid to rest. Based on Pol/C's
soundings over the October 13-14 weekend, Indonesian
politicians were still angry over the incident, claiming that
it shows that Malaysians have "no respect" for Indonesians.
6. (SBU) Sentiments of bruised nationalism have spilled over
into culture as well, with recent calls by prominent
Indonesians to boycott Malaysian products because of
allegations that Malaysia has infringed upon the copyrights
of popular Indonesian folk song "Rasa Sayang" ("Feeling of
Love"). A song with the same tune and near identical lyrics
has recently been employed to promote Malaysian tourism.
Theo Sambuaga, Chairman of the DPR's Commission I which deals
with foreign and security affairs, stated publicly on October
9 -- "We ask Malaysia, its apparatus and the media, to stop
denigrating Indonesians."
TIES A BIT BRUISED -- BUT STABLE
7. (C) The latest incident follows on the heels of several
cases of alleged mistreatment of Indonesian migrants working
in Indonesia. For example, Indonesians were outraged when an
Indonesian soccer coach was roughed up in August (ref B) and
when a young Indonesian woman, 20-year-old Suriyani Nas,
alleged that in April she was bound, gagged and raped for a
month by a Rela volunteer (ref A).
8. (C) In spite of all the problems, Indonesian-Malaysian
ties remain stable. The perception is growing among
Indonesians that they are somehow not being treated with
JAKARTA 00002901 002 OF 002
respect, however. At the heart of the matter, is sentiment
among Indonesians that Malaysians have a superiority complex
and treat Indonesians as if they are second-class citizens.
A bit embittered, Indonesians increasingly are taking a
touchy, nationalistic stance toward their cousins across the
strait -- "They just treat us like dirt," said one official
to Dep/Pol/C.
HUME