Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07JAKARTA2988
2007-10-25 09:12:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
BURMA/ASEAN -- RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT REGIME
how-toVZCZCXRO8851 OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHJA #2988 2980912 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 250912Z OCT 07 FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6798 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0721 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1406 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1006 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 7671 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1424 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 1922 RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 002988
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS (COPE),IO, IO/UNP (WICKBERG)
NSC FOR EPHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV ID BM
SUBJECT: BURMA/ASEAN -- RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT REGIME
PARTICIPATION IN UPCOMING MEETINGS
REF: A. STATE 148528
B. JAKARTA 2956 AND PREVIOUS
C. RANGOON 1057 AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4(b)(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 002988
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS (COPE),IO, IO/UNP (WICKBERG)
NSC FOR EPHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV ID BM
SUBJECT: BURMA/ASEAN -- RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT REGIME
PARTICIPATION IN UPCOMING MEETINGS
REF: A. STATE 148528
B. JAKARTA 2956 AND PREVIOUS
C. RANGOON 1057 AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4(b)(d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: Pol/C reviewed Ref A points with Department
of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU) contacts. They said the GOI was
under a great deal of pressure domestically not to treat
upcoming ASEAN-related summits as "business as usual." That
said, Indonesia and other member-states had not yet decided
how to handle the matter of the Burmese regime,s
participation. A high-level legislator told Pol/C that the
GOI needed to take "a stand" re Burma at the upcoming summit
meetings. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Pol/C reviewed reftel points with Giudadi Sasongko,
DEPLU,S Deputy Director for East Asian and Pacific Affairs,
October 25. In a separate meeting, Pol/C also reviewed the
points with the North America Desk. Pol/C underscored that
the Indonesian government should work with other ASEAN
member-states on appropriate actions to take re Burmese
participation at upcoming summit meetings. At the very
least, it would be totally inappropriate to handle the matter
of attendance in a "business as usual" way. The U.S.
encourages Indonesia to continue to issue statements that
reference the crackdown and its brutality, and to express
support for UN Special Envoy Gambari,s mission. Failure by
ASEAN in this area will undermine the organization's
reputation, as its September 27 Foreign Ministers, statement
noted.
3. (C) Responding, Sasongko fully agreed that matters could
not be handled in a "business as usual" way. The GOI was
under a lot of pressure from domestic groups, including the
national legislature (DPR) and civil society, regarding
Burma. Indonesia and other member states, however, had not
yet decided how to handle the matter of the Burmese regime's
participation in any of the meetings. When Pol/C asked when
such decisions would be made, Sasongko replied that he was
not sure. Pol/C noted that Indonesia--whose nationals
represent about half of the population in ASEAN--had a great
deal of influence in the organization and should use that to
send a clear message to the regime that its actions were not
acceptable.
4. (C) In an October 23 meeting, Theo Sambuaga, the Chief of
Commission I dealing with foreign and security affairs in the
DPR, told Pol/C that he and his DPR colleagues were fully
aware of the ASEAN summit meeting schedule. He said he was
using his influence with the GOI to emphasize the need for
ASEAN to take a stand re Burma at the upcoming meetings. It
would be "politically damaging" for the government, he
allowed, if Indonesian officials were seen to be "too close
and friendly" to high-level representatives of the Burmese
regime at any such meeting. (Note: October 25 editorials in
two prominent Indonesian newspapers blasted what was seen as
the lack of coordinated international and ASEAN action
against the Burmese regime.)
HUME
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS (COPE),IO, IO/UNP (WICKBERG)
NSC FOR EPHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV ID BM
SUBJECT: BURMA/ASEAN -- RAISING CONCERNS ABOUT REGIME
PARTICIPATION IN UPCOMING MEETINGS
REF: A. STATE 148528
B. JAKARTA 2956 AND PREVIOUS
C. RANGOON 1057 AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4(b)(d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: Pol/C reviewed Ref A points with Department
of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU) contacts. They said the GOI was
under a great deal of pressure domestically not to treat
upcoming ASEAN-related summits as "business as usual." That
said, Indonesia and other member-states had not yet decided
how to handle the matter of the Burmese regime,s
participation. A high-level legislator told Pol/C that the
GOI needed to take "a stand" re Burma at the upcoming summit
meetings. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Pol/C reviewed reftel points with Giudadi Sasongko,
DEPLU,S Deputy Director for East Asian and Pacific Affairs,
October 25. In a separate meeting, Pol/C also reviewed the
points with the North America Desk. Pol/C underscored that
the Indonesian government should work with other ASEAN
member-states on appropriate actions to take re Burmese
participation at upcoming summit meetings. At the very
least, it would be totally inappropriate to handle the matter
of attendance in a "business as usual" way. The U.S.
encourages Indonesia to continue to issue statements that
reference the crackdown and its brutality, and to express
support for UN Special Envoy Gambari,s mission. Failure by
ASEAN in this area will undermine the organization's
reputation, as its September 27 Foreign Ministers, statement
noted.
3. (C) Responding, Sasongko fully agreed that matters could
not be handled in a "business as usual" way. The GOI was
under a lot of pressure from domestic groups, including the
national legislature (DPR) and civil society, regarding
Burma. Indonesia and other member states, however, had not
yet decided how to handle the matter of the Burmese regime's
participation in any of the meetings. When Pol/C asked when
such decisions would be made, Sasongko replied that he was
not sure. Pol/C noted that Indonesia--whose nationals
represent about half of the population in ASEAN--had a great
deal of influence in the organization and should use that to
send a clear message to the regime that its actions were not
acceptable.
4. (C) In an October 23 meeting, Theo Sambuaga, the Chief of
Commission I dealing with foreign and security affairs in the
DPR, told Pol/C that he and his DPR colleagues were fully
aware of the ASEAN summit meeting schedule. He said he was
using his influence with the GOI to emphasize the need for
ASEAN to take a stand re Burma at the upcoming meetings. It
would be "politically damaging" for the government, he
allowed, if Indonesian officials were seen to be "too close
and friendly" to high-level representatives of the Burmese
regime at any such meeting. (Note: October 25 editorials in
two prominent Indonesian newspapers blasted what was seen as
the lack of coordinated international and ASEAN action
against the Burmese regime.)
HUME