SENIOR INDONESIAN DIPLOMAT ADDRESSES RANGE OF

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001058 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/P, L, OES, G/AIAG, DRL, PM NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL MARR TBIO PHUM ID SUBJECT: SENIOR INDONESIAN DIPLOMAT ADDRESSES RANGE OF BILATERAL ISSUES REF: JAKARTA 804 JAKARTA 00001058 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) This message is Sensitive but Unclassified--Please handle accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Charge met with Foreign Department Director General Imron Cotan on May 30 to discuss a wide range of common issues. Charge requested improved visa treatment for NAMRU personnel during negotiation of MOU, queried Indonesian acceptance of an upcoming report of Indonesia-East Timor Truth and Friendship Commission (CTF), and raised concerns about changed visa treatment of NGOs. The possibility emerged during the discussion of compromise for the NAMRU MOU regarding diplomatic protection of personnel. ¶3. SUMMARY (Con'd): Cotan pleaded for U.S. training of Army Special Forces (Kopassus),expressed concerns about difficulties experienced by Indonesians with common Muslim names in getting visas to travel to U.S. (and potential negative impact of press exposure of the issue),and requested Consular and Interrogation access for Indonesian Guantanamo prisoner Hambali. END SUMMARY. PROGRESS ON NAMRU VISAS ¶4. (SBU) On May 30, Charge met with Department of Foreign Affairs (Deplu) Director General Cotan. Charge requested the meeting in order to raise issues related to NAMRU personnel. On May 28, Embassy became aware that Deplu was starting to restrict certain NAMRU personnel to visa extensions of two months' duration. Charge asked that NAMRU personnel again receive normal visa renewals of 12 months, noting the good-faith MOU negotiations currently underway. Cotan said that Deplu would review the matter and likely come up with a 6-month "extendable" visa pending the MOU negotiations. ¶5. (SBU) Charge raised the point that we understand that some NGOs recently experienced changes in the types of visas approved for them and asked why. In discussing NAMRU and NGO visa issues, Cotan made clear that his government prefers that diplomatic passport holders receive diplomatic visas and that service/official passport holders receive A&T visa status, while recognizing that it is the right of the sending state to determine the type of passport to issue. He implied that the GOI will offer to extend diplomatic status to the two top officials at NAMRU and A&T status to the balance of the NAMRU U.S. staff, but that it would be "helpful" if the NAMRU staff have service passports rather than diplomatic passports. (NOTE: This represents a major step forward, since recent comments by Indonesian officials have consistently indicated that in all likelihood no diplomatic privileges or immunities would be extended to the NAMRU staff, other than the director and deputy.) Cotan also indicated an internal Indonesian regulation prohibits the practice of issuing privileges and immunities to ordinary passport holders, noting that such previous practice had been in error. EAST TIMOR REPORT ¶6. (SBU) Cotan advised that the upcoming report of the CTF report would almost certainly be controversial. He hoped that the recommendations would be acceptable to both sides, and stressed that Indonesia and Timor Leste are working very closely on a number of issues, and that Indonesia supplied aircraft for the Timorese prime minister to attend Soeharto's funeral. ¶7. (SBU) Cotan stressed President Yudoyono's hope that the U.S. military will engage in training Indonesian military elements, including Kopassus. Cotan expressed the JAKARTA 00001058 002.2 OF 002 President's views that it would be a setback for our military relationship if training does not occur, urging that the U.S. "engage, don't isolate." Kopassus needs human rights training offered by the U.S. and other international partners. He also said Indonesia intends to establish a National Defense University, mixing all the armed services. ¶8. (SBU) Cotan noted that he is increasingly hearing of difficulties for Indonesians with common Muslim names obtaining visas for travel to the U.S. In response to Embassy urging that Indonesians seek visas well in advance of travel, he opined that this issue has the potential for substantial anti-U.S. sentiment due to focus by the local media. ¶9. (SBU) Finally, Cotan referred to the Indonesian desire for both Consular and Interrogation access to Indonesian Guantanamo prisoner Hambali. According to Cotan, Indonesian authorities need access to him in order to both provide consular services, and to obtain information that could be used in Indonesian courts against others. HEFFERN