COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES -- INDONESIA MIGHT ATTEND

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 003006 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT. FOR G (JKACHTIK),EAP, EAP/MTS, DRL/MLGA, S/P NSC (EPHU, WINBODEN, PLETTOW) E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2017 TAGS: PREL KDEM ID ML SUBJECT: COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES -- INDONESIA MIGHT ATTEND BAMAKO MEETING REF: STATE 148550 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (B,D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The GOI is thinking about sending a senior-level representative to participate in the upcoming Community of Democracies meeting in Bamako. Indonesia--at this point--seems disinclined to join the USG's Asia Pacific Democracy Partnership initiative. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) DepPol/C met October 26 with Umar Hadi, Director for Public Diplomacy at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU),to deliver reftel points. He discussed with Hadi the matter of possible GOI participation in the Bamako Community of Democracies (CoD) meeting and participation in the Asia Pacific Democracy Partnership (APDP). Hadi responded that the Indonesian government will possibly send a senior-level representative--below the ministerial-level--to Bamako and that a decision will be made next week. ¶3. (C) Regarding Indonesia's participation in APDP, Hadi said he had spoken with Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda on that issue on October 25 in response to our ongoing inquiries. The Foreign Minister said he believed that he had informed USG contacts in a meeting some time ago that Indonesia would not participate because it was focused on its own initiative, the Asian Democracy Forum (ADF). ¶4. (C) DepPol/C asked Hadi for more details on ADF, suggesting that ADF and APDP could possibly complement each other. Hadi said ADF most likely will be launched in May 2008 and will include all Asian and Middle East countries, including Australia and New Zealand. The possibility of other Western democracies attending to share their experiences and knowledge is also being considered. However, he was clear that ADF would be inclusive, for example, involving Burma and Thailand, with the hope of bringing everyone to the side of democracy. The first meeting will discuss a road-map on how democratic countries can share their experience with others, he said. Prior to ADF's launch, Indonesia is planning two or three workshops at the senior technical level, the first involving how to conduct elections, said Hadi, who is the primary point of contact on both CoD and APDP in the Indonesian government. ¶5. (C) DepPol/C noted that--whatever happens--the GOI should not extend an invite to the Burmese regime to participate in the ADF given the anti-democratic crackdown there. DepPol/C told Hadi that we would convey details of the ADF to Washington and possibly get back with ideas that would allow Indoneiia to participate in APDP without detriment to itso*wn initiative. Hadi agreed that it might be possible to merge the two proposals and, thus, to reeexamine Indonesia's basic decision to opt out of APDP. The GOI looked forward to further discussions on the matter. HUME