INDONESIA WELCOMES NEW AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 003245 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/ANP, EAP/PA NSC FOR E. PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO ID AS SUBJECT: INDONESIA WELCOMES NEW AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT REF: A. CANBERRA 1678 ¶B. CANBERRA 1675 ¶C. JAKARTA 3223 JAKARTA 00003245 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b-d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Indonesian reaction to the Australian election has been upbeat, almost effusive. The GOI has invited PM-elect Rudd to visit Jakarta in the near-term (Rudd reportedly will also travel to Bali soon for the UN Climate Change meeting). Pol/C spoke with top foreign policy analyst Dewi Fortuna Anwar, who--echoing comments from other observers--said Indonesia's ties with Australia seemed set to improve under Rudd. She cautioned, however, that Rudd might press human rights more than his predecessor. Over all, despite the good vibrations, Indonesia will likely continue to cast a wary eye toward its southern neighbor even as cooperation moves forward. END SUMMARY. JAKARTA WELCOMES RUDD ¶2. (U) Indonesia has welcomed Australia's new government. Dino Djalal, President Yudhoyono's press spokesman and a key adviser, told the press that SBY had been the first world leader to call Prime Minister elect Rudd right after results confirmed the Australian Labor Party victory in the November 24 election. Djalal stated that the Indonesian president also had issued an invitation--accepted by Rudd, according to the GOI--to visit Jakarta in the near-term, perhaps in late December. (Note: In what apparently would be a separate visit, Rudd reportedly plans to participate in the UN's Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, in early December.) LET'S ENHANCE TIES ¶3. (C) The currently positive ties between the two countries appear set to continue. Djalal, for example, was quoted as expressing approval of Rudd's position on climate change, adding more generally: "President Yudhoyono (told) Rudd he was looking forward to maintaining and enhancing the already excellent Indonesia-Australia relationship." Gudadi Sasongko, the Deputy Director for East Asia/Pacific Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU),told Pol/C that Indonesia was intent on continuing its collaboration with Australia in the area of counter-terrorism, commenting: "We have worked very closely in this area, and we are sure that there will be only continued cooperation in terms of police and information exchange." HE'S CLOSER TO ASIA ¶4. (C) The impression in Jakarta is that Rudd will move Australian foreign policy closer to Asia, which is seen as a big positive. In a November 26 conversation with Pol/C, Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a top foreign policy analyst and former government official, said it was her impression that Rudd understood Asia "well" and would try "to increase ties between Australia and Southeast Asia." She did not provide concrete details on how Rudd might do this, but added: "John Howard did focus a bit on Indonesia, but he seemed to us a symbol of the 'old' Australia and he seemed to be doing the bidding of the U.S. at times." THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS ¶5. (C) Indonesians have some worries about Rudd. Anwar told Pol/C that she thought that some constituencies around Rudd and his party would make human rights a high priority more so than the Howard government did. This could leave Indonesia subject to criticism on such issues as Papua and East Timor. (Note: East Timor casts a long shadow, for example: A recent report issued by a New South Wales coroner accused the Indonesian security forces of killing five journalists--including Australians--in East Timor in 1975 -- see Ref C.) Justin Lee, the Australian Embassy Pol/C, told Pol/C that he also felt that Indonesians--in being so effusive about Rudd--did not fully understand that many Labor Party supporters wanted to press the GOI on thornier issues JAKARTA 00003245 002.2 OF 002 such as Papua and also Australian inmates in Indonesia sentenced to death or long sentences for narcotics-related offenses. MEDIA UPBEAT ¶6. (U) The Indonesian media was upbeat. Commentators in the English-language daily "The Jakarta Post" welcomed Rudd's election, stating: "Prime Minister elect Kevin Rudd and the Australian Labor Party will provide visionary leadership...and will shape a new Australia to become an indispensable cornerstone of the 21st century geopolitical architecture encompassing a stable and dynamic Asia-Pacific region." Another Jakarta Post commentator wrote: "In the wake of Howard's defeat, there should be optimism that Indonesia's southern neighbor will now discard its imperialist tone to again take its place as a partner, rather than as a condescending big brother. (Rudd) is expected to re-calibrate Howard's slavish alliance with Washington." The Bahasa Indonesia daily "Kompas" commented: The newly elected government is hoped to bring a new change in bilateral relations. Rudd's administration will likely continue the long tradition of the Labor Party of preserving harmony with Indonesia." SNAP BACK TO REALITY, THERE GOES GRAVITY ¶7. (C) Indonesians basically seem wild about Rudd. Part of the attraction seems to be a bit of dislike of John Howard, who many Indonesians considered pushy. Well-grounded analysts like Dewi Fortuna Anwar--while positive about Rudd--are probably more on the mark when they state that Indonesia's historically somewhat rocky relations with its southern neighbor will not necessarily be a breeze with Rudd and company. Cooperation on such issues as counter-terrorism and in other areas will continue, but Indonesians have long cast a wary eye on Australia, which many see as a Western leaning, pro-U.S. ally stuck on the periphery of Asia. It is unlikely that this image of Australia can be totally dispelled by Rudd, though he might have the advantage of a honeymoon period. HUME