USG PUSHES INDONESIA TO HELP STOP STATE SPONSORED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 000515 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2016 TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL ASEAN BM ID SUBJECT: USG PUSHES INDONESIA TO HELP STOP STATE SPONSORED RAPE IN BURMA REF: A. A) STATE 20000 ¶B. B)JAKARTA 429 Classified By: POLOFF SANJAY RAMESH FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: During his February 19-20 visit to Jakarta, Special Representative for Social Issues, Ambassador Grover Joseph Rees, conveyed the USG's concern over the Burmese government's use of rape as an instrument of violence in three separate meetings with Indonesian Department of Foreign Affairs (Deplu) officials. He urged Indonesia to use its leadership role in ASEAN, as well as its bilateral relationship, to press the Burmese junta to immediately stop this intolerable practice. ¶2. (C) While Deplu officials deplored government-sponsored rape in principle, they asked for reports backing the USG's allegations and steered clear of firm commitments to tackle the issue. Indonesia's approach to Burma was one of engagement not confrontation. Director for International Security Affairs Desra Percaya spoke at length on how pushing a Security Council resolution had backfired and claimed Indonesia might have supported the resolution if language on ASEAN had been inserted. Officials also claimed that other countries had declined to support Indonesian suggestions for a resolution about Burma in the Human Rights Council. Percaya described the attempt in Cebu to have three ASEAN nations to work with Burma as unlikely to be successful. End Summary. Delivering the Message -------------- ¶2. (C) On February 19 and 20, Special Representative for Social Issues, Ambassador Rees, told Deplu officials that Burma and Sudan were the only two countries whose governments systematically use rape as an official instrument of violence exclusively against vulnerable minorities. The Burmese junta used rape to oppress, demoralize and control restive minorities. Pointing out that a "gradual roadmap approach" and incremental measures such as strengthening the justice system or law enforcement were totally insufficient to stopping rape in Burma, Amb. Rees urged the international community to take immediate action to make the Burmese junta stop this gross violation of human rights. He noted that though the recent UN Security Council resolution censoring Burma had failed to pass, it received nine of fifteen votes on the UNSC, and that all the Council members acknowledged ;the problems that existed within Burma. ¶3. (C) Amb. Rees told Deplu officials that Indonesia is in an excellent position to assist in efforts to persuade the Burmese regime to stop systematically raping minorities. Indonesia's influence derived from its status as an emerging democracy and world's largest Muslim country, a member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and Human Rights Council (HRC), and a natural leader of ASEAN with strong bilateral ties to Burma. Ambassador Rees urged the GOI to use various bilateral, regional, and international fora to compel Burma to stop state-sanctioned rape. He suggested that Indonesia work with like-minded countries to introduce a Human Rights Council resolution censoring the Burmese government's use of rape. Ambassador Rees said that by taking a strong and principled stand on this issue, Indonesia had the chance to assume a global leadership role in promoting human rights. He said the USG would provide Indonesia with several credible reports documenting widespread rape targeted at minorities such as the Karen, Shan, and Chin. Indonesia Trying to Engage Burma -------------- ¶4. (C) Deplu Director for East Asian Affairs Yuri Thamrin, told Amb. Rees that Indonesia shared USG concerns over lack of human rights in Burma and characterized government sponsored rape as "intolerable." However, he noted, Indonesia differed with the U.S. over the means to influence Burma. He explained that Indonesia had abstained from voting "yes" on the UNSC Burma resolution because it was the wrong forum in which to address the Burma issue. Thamrin said Indonesia had explored holding a HRC special session on Burma. However, this idea was dropped due to the Non-Aligned Movement's and Indonesia's long-standing opposition to country-specific UN resolutions. ¶5. (C) Thamrin said Indonesia was committed to pushing Burma towards democracy, but warned against "simplistic approaches" that could alienate the Burmese junta. Democracy, rule of law, and human rights were still "emerging norms within ASEAN," and that Burma needed to be "encouraged" on the right JAKARTA 00000515 002 OF 003 path. During the previous week's Indonesia-Burma Joint Commission meetings, Indonesia had explored several mechanisms to influence Burma, including training Burmese military in the Indonesian staff-college, cultural exchanges, and trade fairs (note: on February 14-15, the foreign ministers of Indonesia and Burma kicked off the first meeting of their bilateral "Joint Commission" and discussed cooperation in the economic sphere, energy, defense, trade, education, etc. See septel readout). In these meetings, Indonesia tried unsuccessfully to get information about Aung San Suu Kyi's continuing imprisonment and the possibility of future release. Thamrin regretted that Burma's powerful neighbors, India and China, were actively engaging the regime and vying for influence without regard to Burma's lack of democracy, providing the regime with less incentive to reform itself. Thamrin asked Ambassador Rees to send him documentation on rape in Burma and promised to "discuss the issue" with Foreign Minister Wirajuda and "await further instructions from the Minister." Human Rights Office Unaware of Rape Charges -------------- ¶6. (C)Deplu Director for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs Wiwiek Firman said that while she was aware of human rights violations in Burma such as forced labor, this was the first time she had heard of instances of government-sanctioned rape. However, she said Indonesia was extremely sensitive to rape, in part due to its own history in Aceh and East Timor where human rights groups alleged widespread rape by the security forces. In addition, Firman said Indonesian NGOs were deeply concerned about women's rights and rape and that these NGOs actively worked with Deplu to influence foreign policy. Consequently, Firman told us she was alarmed at reports of state-sponsored rape in Burma and asked that we send her the relevant information. ¶7. (C) Ambassador Rees asked for Indonesia's support on four upcoming UN resolutions: -- An HRC resolution on religious intolerance. Ambassador Rees asked Indonesia to help the U.S. ensure that this resolution did not solely focus on intolerance against Muslims, leaving out intolerance (including violence) against Jews, Christians, Buddhists and others; -- An HRC resolution on technical assistance on democracy, particularly to countries with poor human rights records; -- A Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) resolution sponsored by the U.S. on forced and early marriage; and -- A Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) resolution sponsored by the U.S. on female infanticide and prenatal screening for gender. Firman expressed great interest in the texts of the CSW resolutions and suggested that Indonesia would be inclined to support resolutions on those topics. UNSC Burma resolution "a mistake" -------------- ¶8. (C) On February 20, Director for International Security Affairs Desra Percaya described the USG's attempt to pass a UNSC resolution on Burma as "not wise" and a "mistake." Percaya said Indonesia had advocated a "gradual escalation" in the UNSC, starting with a presidential statement and then slowly moving to a resolution and possible sanctions. By "rushing the process," the USG had ended up with a vetoed resolution which in effect gave the Burmese junta "the upper hand." Percaya also claimed that the resolution was "too broad" and that it left out the critical role of ASEAN in its operative paragraphs. ¶9. (C) In a surprising assertion, Percaya claimed Indonesia had unsuccessfully tried to insert language on ASEAN. Peracaya hinted that Indonesia would have supported the UNSC resolution had it included language on ASEAN. PolCouns challenged this assertion saying that no indication had been given by GOI officials in Jakarta that there was a desire for ASEAN-specific language. Percaya suggested that he had supported voting for the resolution but that his minister did not agree. He made a point of telling his staff not to include his statements on this point in their record of the conversation. Percaya said that while the U.S. and Indonesia agreed on the ultimate goal of bringing about democracy in Burma, they differed in their approach. ¶10. (C) Percaya said that Indonesia had explored different JAKARTA 00000515 003 OF 003 strategies to influence Burma such as: --Raising Burma in the HRC, although the idea was unsuccessful, he claimed, due to lack of support from other countries, including the EU. Percaya also noted that the "old" Indonesian position has been to oppose all country-specific human rights resolutions, but he hinted that this position might be subject to change. --Proposing a trilateral commission composed of Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines to work with Burma during the ASEAN Cebu summit earlier this year (previously referred to as a "troika" in reftels). Percaya indicated that this idea was unlikely to be go very far, blaming the timing of the Security Council vote. Percaya said the failed UNSC resolution as well as the stalled attempts to raise Burma in the HRC and form a trilateral commission had "left us stuck." He concluded that it was important to keep Burma firmly within ASEAN, and warned against taking actions that could push Burma closer to China. ¶11. (C) During the course of the conversation, Polcouns delivered the reftel A demarche urging Indonesian support for action in Burma in all available international fora. ¶12. (C) Comment: In response to Ambassador Rees's message on government-sponsored rape in Burma, Deplu officials sounded a sympathetic note and deplored rape in principle. They asked for the USG to provide Indonesia substantiating reports, but steered clear of firm commitments. The comments alleging that Indonesia explored pursuing a resolution in the HRC were surprising given Indonesia's consistent opposition to resolutions targeted to specific countries (except Israel). We do not believe that the GOI will suddenly change its position in this regard, but recommend that Missions Geneva and/or New York challenge the Indonesian delegations on this point. Desra Percaya's description of events surrounding the UNSC resolution lacked credibility, notably on the ASEAN language. It is unusual for someone who until recently was the Minister's Chief of Staff to be openly suggesting a different point of view, including to Parliamentarians (septel). When received from the Department, we will forward the requested information on rape to the above Deplu offices. End Comment. ¶13. (U) Ambassador Rees has cleared this message. HEFFERN