THE PEACE CORPS AND INDONESIA

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000853 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT PASS TO PEACE CORPS FOR DIRECTOR TSCHETTER DEPT FOR S/BEECROFT AND A/S HILL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID SUBJECT: THE PEACE CORPS AND INDONESIA ¶1. (SBU) Mr. Director, I wanted to thank your personally for sending an excellent Peace Corps Assessment team to Indonesia on short notice. The Embassy staff, a number of whom are former Peace Corps volunteers, set up an outstanding program for the team, with visits to a range of potential Peace Corps sites from Aceh to Bali, as well as very positive meetings with key Indonesian government officials. The team met with many volunteers from various agencies and saw how they live and work effectively and safely in local communities all over the country. They experienced what Mission staff experience every day--the tremendous diversity and ideal environment that Indonesia offers the Peace Corps. ¶2. (SBU) Given this extremely positive visit, we were naturally surprised and disappointed to learn the assessment team recommended against a Peace Corps program in Indonesia at this time, for security reasons. In light of President Bush's call for greater engagement in the Islamic world, we hope you will reconsider and direct your staff to work with us on common sense solutions to the Peace Corps security concerns that would permit a program to go forward in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim majority country. If you are interested in seeing the promise of Indonesia firsthand, we would be delighted to host you here, perhaps during your upcoming visit to Asia. ¶3. (SBU) Our entire Country Team believes strongly that a Peace Corps program that works closely with our security office can operate safely in Indonesia. We are in continual contact with security representatives from NGOs, major U.S. companies, the UN and other Embassies, private security companies, and the Indonesian security services. While no one can guarantee complete security from all threats at all times, this Mission provides protection for more than 500 American employees, family members, TDYers, and volunteers spread out across Indonesia. And the mission maintains a high level of discipline. ¶4. (SBU) For the past several years, we have had very successful English language programs which place young volunteers in villages and universities, both urban and rural, throughout the archipelago. Many of these recent graduates live a life similar to the Peace Corps, working in small towns or urban areas with little contact with Americans. Nine English Language Fellows and 13 Fulbright English Teaching Assistants are currently serving in Indonesia, several of whom the Assessment Team met. These teachers receive a detailed security briefing by the Embassy's security staff when they arrive in country, and are encouraged to communicate often with the security office to pass on and receive updated security information. In addition, the Embassy and Consulates have regular contact with the volunteers. If appropriate, we notify local police authorities of their presence. To date these programs have proved to be so successful, the demand for these volunteer is 10 times the supply. Next year the ETA program will nearly triple and cover cities from Sumatra to Sulawesi. For the first time an English Language Fellow will be working in the Malukus, to help rebuild the language program at Pattimura University in Ambon. ¶5. (SBU) Many other missions and volunteer organizations have personnel posted throughout the archipelago. The UN Volunteers program has 43 expatriate volunteers from Banda Aceh to Jayapura who live and work in smaller villages and forge strong ties with local communities. Volunteers are given radios and maintain regular contact with the nearest duty stations. This program, as well as others such as Volunteers in Asia (VIA) and Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) maintain similar security practices and plan to expand their service in Indonesia. ¶6. (SBU) President Bush's 2002 State of the Union speech contained a memorable pledge to "renew the promise of the Peace Corps, double its volunteers over the next five years and ask it to join a new effort to encourage development and education and opportunity in the Islamic world." Indonesia is perhaps the most tolerant democracy in the Islamic world with a genuine need and desire for the Peace Corps. Government officials from President Yudhyono down have expressed strong interest in seeing the Peace Corps return to Indonesia. Several times the Assessment team themselves expressed surprise that the Peace Corps was not in a country so well suited for it. They learned the same lesson the Mission staff experience every day: Indonesia's rich culture, tolerant heritage, and genuine need would prove rewarding for both Peace Corps volunteers and the local communities they serve. HEFFERN