INDONESIA/BURMA: GOI CONTINUES REVIEW OF ASEAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 002904 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS (COPE),IO, IO/UNP (WICKBERG) NSC FOR EPHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ID BM SUBJECT: INDONESIA/BURMA: GOI CONTINUES REVIEW OF ASEAN ENVOY IDEA; SENDS TEAM TO RANGOON REF: A. STATE 142628 ¶B. JAKARTA 2870 AND PREVIOUS ¶C. RANGOON 1019 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Indonesian officials continue to study the proposed appointment of an ASEAN special envoy to Burma. Indonesia also sent an influential former general and senior diplomat to Rangoon for the funeral of former Burmese PM Soe Win and for meetings with regime and opposition figures, if meetings can be secured. The Indonesian government also looks forward to working with UN Envoy Gambari who is due in Jakarta at the end of the week. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) On October 13, DCM reiterated Ref A points to Desra Percaya, Director for International Security and Nonproliferation at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU),urging Indonesia to consider supporting the appointment of an ASEAN special envoy on Burma. Percaya responded that Indonesia was still considering the proposal. At present, however, the GOI was more inclined to focus on quiet bilateral diplomacy and other forms of outreach re Burma. (Note: DEPLU contacts have also told Pol/C that the GOI continued to review the proposal and would decide based on the ASEAN-wide consensus whether or not to support it. These consultations were ongoing in capitals and at the UN, and would require some more time.) ¶3. (C) Percaya said retired general Agus Widjojo and DEPLU's Director for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Yuri Thamrin traveled this week to Burma for the funeral of former PM Soe Win (Ref C). (Note: Widjojo is Indonesia's senior representative on the Commission for Truth and Friendship with East Timor, and a well-known and influential former military official.) The two Indonesian officials had requested meetings with Than Shwe and Aung San Suu Kyi, but the Burmese regime had yet to respond. Widjojo and Thamrin would press the regime--if it garnered meetings--to begin a genuine dialogue with the democratic opposition and urge it to work closely with UN Special Envoy Gambari, Percaya added. They would also reiterate Indonesia's long-standing offer to help Burma make the transition from authoritarian rule to democracy, drawing on Indonesia's own experience of Reformasi and democratization. ¶4. (C) Percaya also reported that Special Envoy Gambari would visit Jakarta October 17-19, and would meet President Yudhoyono, FM Wirajuda and former FM Ali Alatas. Indonesia continued to support Gambari's efforts and would do what it could to support his mission. (Note: We are requesting the UN to put Ambassador Hume on Gambari's schedule.) HUME