Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07JAKARTA3273
2007-11-29 09:35:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:  

CENTRAL JAVA -- OUTREACH IN KEY REGION

Tags:  PREL PGOV KPAO PTER ID AS 
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VZCZCXRO8635
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #3273/01 3330935
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 290935Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7205
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS PRIORITY
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 1657
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 3575
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1203
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2083
RUEHBAD/AMCONSUL PERTH 0473
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 003273 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, INR/EAP, EAP/PD, DS, EAP/ANP
NSC FOR E.PHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO PTER ID AS
SUBJECT: CENTRAL JAVA -- OUTREACH IN KEY REGION


JAKARTA 00003273 001.2 OF 002


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 003273

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, INR/EAP, EAP/PD, DS, EAP/ANP
NSC FOR E.PHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPAO PTER ID AS
SUBJECT: CENTRAL JAVA -- OUTREACH IN KEY REGION


JAKARTA 00003273 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b-d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Pol/C visited Semarang, the capital of
Central Java, November 27-28. Pol/C--in a public outreach
event--underscored the close links shared by the U.S. and
Indonesia to a large, friendly group of university students.
Pol/C met Central Java's Governor, who discussed the
province's upcoming gubernatorial election. Pol/C also
visited an Australian-run joint law enforcement training
center. The center--established in the wake of the 2002 Bali
bombings--has played a key role in upgrading Indonesia's
counter-terror capabilities. END SUMMARY.

OUTREACH TO STUDENTS


2. (U) Pol/C spoke November 28 at Diponegoro University in
Semarang. The university, which is public and considered
quite prestigious, has about 40,000 students. Pol/C spoke to
approximately 225 undergraduate students plus faculty and
administration officials. In his remarks, Pol/C emphasized
the vitality of U.S.-Indonesian relations. Pol/C noted how
important reform was, commenting that--although Indonesia was
already a successful democracy--more progress needed to take
place in the areas of accountability and good governance.
Accountability was vital; individuals at whatever level of
society needed to be brought to justice if they were corrupt
or committed human rights violations.


3. (U) Pol/C noted that Indonesia was concluding its
one-month tenure as President of the UN Security Council, an
important international position. Indonesia needed to do the
right thing regarding Iran's nuclear program. The GOI also
needed to support stability in Iraq. Indonesia's role as a
peace-keeper was also vital; its forces in Lebanon were
playing an important function and the international community
appreciated its plans to send a police unit to Darfur.


4. (U) Pol/C also highlighted the situation in Burma,
condemning the brutal crackdown and the ongoing detention of

democratic activists. Pol/C placed a spotlight on U.S.
steps--including targeted sanctions--against the regime and
our support for UN Special Envoy Gambari's efforts. Pol/C
stressed that Indonesia--as East Asia's largest democracy and
a force in ASEAN--needed to play an enhanced role regarding
Burma. Pol/C urged that students get involved with civil
society groups, and press the national government and
legislature to take steps to isolate the regime.


5. (U) The students had many questions about U.S. Middle
East policy. Some of them were critical of the U.S. and the
decision to invade Iraq. One student wondered whether the
U.S. planned to deal in a military way with Iran. Pol/C
stressed the USG's commitment to diplomacy regarding Iran,
and noted intensive U.S. efforts to arrange the recent Middle
East Peace Conference in Annapolis involving the Israelis and
Palestinians, an event which was observed by the Indonesian
Foreign Minister. Another student asked whether the U.S. was
anti-Muslim. Pol/C noted that that was not at all true;
millions of Americans were Muslim and the U.S. respected all
religions.

IN CENTRAL JAVA


6. (SBU) Pol/C and Pol FSN visited Semarang, the capital of
Central Java, November 27-28. Central Java, with about 35
million people, is the third most populous province in
Indonesia. Semarang, with over 1.6 million people, is the
fifth-largest city. Semarang--located about 600 kilometers
southeast of Jakarta--is an important administrative center,
and port, rail and road nexus for Java Island. The city is
also known for having a large Chinese Indonesian population.
While the city has pockets of prosperity, it has a bit of a
"rustbelt" feel, and seems to lack the general dynamism of
Jakarta and Bandung (the capital of West Java).


7. (C) Pol/C's interlocutors--from the governor's office,
the mayor's office, the business and academic communities,
etc.--stressed how calm the political situation was in the
province. Although Central Java had been known several years
ago for hosting serious pockets of Islamic militancy,

JAKARTA 00003273 002.2 OF 002


including near the city of Solo, the general perceptive is
that hard-liners are losing support. That said, a well-known
Islamic school run by Abu Bakar Ba'asyir the co-founder of
the Jemmah Islamiyah terrorist group, remains in operation
near Solo.


8. (C) In a meeting with Pol/C, Chinese Indonesian
businesspeople (all of them Christian) related that they
faced little to no prejudice in their day-to-day lives from
the majority Javanese Muslim population. Trisnati (one name
only),a local Chinese Indonesian businesswoman and a member
of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, commented
that "everyone is considered Indonesian here and there is a
great deal of tolerance." She added that Semarang has no
recent history of ethnic disturbances.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE


9. (C) Central Javans seem largely focused on elections. In
June 2008, the province will hold its first direct vote ever
for governor (officials previously have been selected by
local bodies or by the center). In a November 27 meeting
with Pol/C, Governor Ali Mufiz said his administration was
actively making preparations for the vote. Mufiz, a former
academic with a degree from the University of Southern
California (he was very interested in who was favored to win
the upcoming game with UCLA),would not confirm whether or
not he planned to run. Most commentators believe that he
would be able to run a fairly strong campaign if he wanted
to. (Note: The previous governor, Mardiyanto--one name
only--was recently selected by President Yudhoyono to be Home
Affairs Minister. Mufiz moved up from being vice-governor.)


10. (C) Other contenders for the governor's job include the
current Mayor of Semarang, Sukawi Sutarip. Golkar, the
strongest political party in Indonesia, intends to nominate
Bambang Sadono. PDIP, the Indonesian Democratic Party
Struggle--a popular party in Central Java--has not yet met to
discuss who might be its candidate. Observers do not expect
any problems in running the election.

A KEY ANTI-TERROR FACILITY


11. (C) Pol/C also visited an important counter-terrorism and
law enforcement training center. The Jakarta Center for Law
Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC)--based in Semarang on the
grounds of a National Police Academy facility--was founded by
the governments of Indonesia and Australia in response to the
Bali bombings of 2002. (Note: The technical name of the
Center is a misnomer, as it is not linked with Jakarta.) The
Center was established via Australian and European Union
funding, and is managed by the Australian government.


12. (C) The state-of-the-art Center hosts a variety of
classes aimed at improving the skills and capabilities of law
enforcement officials throughout Indonesia and the region.
Observers assert that the Center has provided important
upgrades to Indonesia's counter-terrorist capabilities since
its opening in 2004. The Director of the Center, Lester
Cross, told Pol/C that he expects the new Australian
government under Kevin Rudd to continue to support the
Center's operations fully. Cross said he appreciated the
USG's close collaboration with the Center.

HUME