SOMALIA/PIRACY -- GOI REMAINS OPPOSED TO FRENCH

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 001042 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, IO, IO/UNP (FITZGERALD),AF/E, AF/RSA (BANDO),L.OES (ROACH), EEB/TRA/OTP, OES/A, L NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/28/2018 TAGS: PREL UNSC KCRM ID SO SUBJECT: SOMALIA/PIRACY -- GOI REMAINS OPPOSED TO FRENCH PROPOSAL REF: A. JAKARTA 365 ¶B. STATE 18101 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Mission continues to urge the GOI to support the U.S. position regarding the Somalia piracy resolution in the U.N. Security Council. Indonesia's position remains unchanged regarding the broader implications of the version of the resolution proposed by France. As an archipelagic nation, Indonesia has very strong views on maritime-related issues and it will be very difficult for them to accept broader provisions of the proposal. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) REITERATING POINTS: Poloff spoke with officials at the Department of Foreign Relations (DEPLU) on May 28 to urge Indonesia to support a resolution on piracy off the Somalia coast (ref A). Poloff emphasized the practical need to respond to the request of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia. He also noted that the U.S. position did not exclude the inclusion of a request for states to increase efforts to prevent and suppress acts of piracy wherever they occurred. ¶3. (C) INDONESIA REVIEWING MATTER: Sunan Jayarustam, Chief for International Organizations on Maritime Security Issues at DEPLU, said Indonesia continued to study the May 15 version of the proposed Somalia piracy resolution. As noted ref B, Indonesia continued to oppose any language--either in the preamble or in the resolution itself--that would authorize similar actions in other international waters, as proposed by the French. That said, DEPLU remained open to further discussion of the draft resolution. ¶4. (C) A TOUGH SELL: Indonesia, historically, has very strong, almost inflexible views regarding maritime navigation and territorial issues. This will make it very difficult for them to accept the broader, non-Somali-related provisions of the French proposal, which they see as potentially infringing on littoral state interests in sea lanes (such as the Malacca or Sunda Straits). HEFFERN