EAST NUSA TENGGARA--MUSLIM RADIO AND POLITICS IN A CHRISTIAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SURABAYA 000051 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, IRN/EAP, DRL/PHD, INL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM KISL KCOR ID SUBJECT: EAST NUSA TENGGARA--MUSLIM RADIO AND POLITICS IN A CHRISTIAN STRONGHOLD SURABAYA 00000051 001.2 OF 002 This message is sensitive, but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) Summary: In Christian dominated East Nusa Tenggara (NTT),Muslim residents play an important political role. The Chairman of NTT's Indonesian Islamic Council told visitors from ConGen Surabaya that relations between religious and ethnic communities have stabilized on the island of West Timor since the influx of refugees from neighboring Timor Leste. While political party support follows ethnic/religious lines, perceptions of good governance often outweigh such affiliations. Increased dialogue has led to increased cooperation to help the neediest members of the community. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Pol/Econ officer and Pol/Econ Assistant met with the Chairman of NTT's Indonesian Islamic Council at his boarding school, orphanage and radio studio in Kupang on 2 October. Abdul Kadir Makarim told us that relations between religious and ethnic communities in NTT have largely stabilized after seven years of friction, heightened by the arrival of refugees from areas bordering newly independent Timor Leste. Support for political parties has tended to follow sectarian lines in NTT; however local races have proven that voters are willing to cross religious lines to elect a solid candidate. In a Forest of Church Steeples, Muslims Still Matter -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) While the religious center of gravity in NTT is overwhelmingly Christian, the Muslim population is still an important factor in NTT political life. NTT's provincial statistics show a mix unique to this Catholic majority province: Catholics 53%, Protestants 33%, and Muslims 9%. Makarim insisted that the number of Muslims throughout NTT, and particularly in Kupang, was higher, perhaps 13%. He suggested that Muslims who have moved from other provinces and kept their residence cards have not been captured in national statistics. Makarim speculated that in Kupang alone the Muslim population is as high as 25%. This is due to a large number of business people and civil servants from majority Muslim areas of Indonesia. What Kind of Christian Does a Muslim Vote For? -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) NTT's majority parties, Golkar (with 37% in the last election) and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P with 19%) tend to draw support from the majority of NTT's Protestants and Catholics respectively. We asked Makarim, himself a Golkar member for some 30 years, who Muslims supported. He explained that Muslims supported Christian candidates with a solid good governance platform, although there is some support for Islamic parties - National Awakening Party (PKB) has four seats and Crescent Star Party (PPP) one seat in the 55-seat provincial house of representatives. ¶5. (SBU) Makarim used Kupang's Mayor Daniel Adoe, a protestant and former Golkar cadre, to illustrate. Adoe left Golkar and beat the anointed Golkar candidate with the strong support of a swing vote from the Islamic PKB. Adoe's reputation for clean government and plans for artesian wells in the municipality were the cornerstones of his success, Makarim explained. Makarim himself was offered, but has not accepted, an offer by PDI-P to run for Vice Governor alongside the Protestant Candidate Frans Leburaya. The ability of NTT candidates to agree on strategy and form coalitions across religious lines reflects a pragmatic approach to political life and a trend away from religion-based parties according to Makarim. The Voice of HAM -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Makarim owns and operates Suara HAM 88.5 FM, a radio station with the signal strength to reach listeners within a 45 km radius of Kupang. The name "Suara HAM" means "the sound of Human Rights" in Indonesian. Makarim explained that advertisers are reluctant to buy spots on a station solely focused on human rights issues so he often says that these are simply his initials; H. A. M. A music request program was in progress during our meeting; however discussion and call-in talk shows that address the concerns of religious communities are frequent themes. Makarim attributes the frequency and quality of dialogue among religious groups to an increase in cooperation and harmony among NTT's religious communities. While charity was once provided by each group to its own neediest members, now charity and food aid is distributed without regard to religious SURABAYA 00000051 002.2 OF 002 affiliation. MCCLELLAND