ASIA-PACIFIC DEMOCRACY INITIATIVE -- INDONESIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001232 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL/FO FOR CCAMPONOVO, S/P, DRL; G (KCURRIE) NSC FOR EPHU, PLETTOW E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2018 TAGS: PREL KDEM ID MG SUBJECT: ASIA-PACIFIC DEMOCRACY INITIATIVE -- INDONESIA CONSIDERS OBSERVING REF: A. JAKARTA 1068 AND PREVIOUS ¶B. STATE 50320 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The GOI will consider sending an "observer" to the upcoming Asia-Pacific Democracy Partnership (APDP) meeting in Seoul, a senior Indonesian diplomat told Paul Lettow of the NSC, Daniel Twining of the Department's Policy Planning Staff and DepPol/C on June 11. Meanwhile, two Indonesians will participate in APDP election monitoring in Mongolia in late June--one from the official elections commission and a second person from an election reform NGO. Separately, Australian PM Rudd told President Yudhoyono that Australia would like to co-host Indonesia's own Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) although no date has yet been set. END SUMMARY. DISCUSSING DEMOCRACY INITIATIVE ¶2. (C) During June 11 meetings related to APDP, the NSC's Paul Lettow and State's Daniel Twining, accompanied by DepPol/C, met Umar Hadi, the Department of Foreign Affairs' Director General of Public Diplomacy, and our conduit to Foreign Minister Wirajuda regarding APDP. Hadi had conveyed directly to Wirajuda our recent request for the GOI to participate in the June APDP meeting and EOM in Mongolia. Hadi said he never received a clear yes or no response from Wirajuda. However, Hadi reiterated previously stated views that Wirajuda sees the need for a regional democracy initiative but not one "imposed" from outside the region. Wirajuda is worried that APDP would exclude non-democratic countries, such as Burma. ¶3. (C) We explained that the U.S. is a Pacific nation and that we do not want to impose our values. The lesser the U.S. role the better. Non-democratic countries also are welcome to ask APDP for assistance, for example in carrying out local elections. As such an important democratic power, Mongolia and other Asian countries look to Indonesia as a model, we explained. APDP AND BALI FORUM COMPATIBLE ¶4. (C) Hadi acknowledged that BDF and APDP are not mutually exclusive and that the GOI would like to find a way to accommodate us on APDP. He agreed with a suggestion that Indonesia could possibly send a senior diplomat to attend the upcoming APDP meeting in Seoul as an "observer" with no other commitments other than to listen and learn. ¶5. (SBU) We also met with a foreign affairs advisor to President Yudhoyono, Tri Sukma Djandam (also known as "Nanu"),who asked why APDP is needed. We explained that unlike Europe, Asia has no such democratization organization and that the UN has acknowledged that APDP would help strengthen UN efforts at democratization in Asia. Elections monitoring is first step and we will consult with Indonesia on future steps. BDF and APDP are complementary, we explained. INDONESIANS TO MONITOR MONGOLIAN ELECTIONS ¶6. (C) The team also met with the two Indonesians who will attend the APDP/EOM in Mongolia in late June. --Mr. Lukmansjah, Chief of Bureau for Public Relations at the official Indonesian Electoral Commission, has extensive experience monitoring elections in Indonesia and has visited Mongolia as part of a democracy program. He has a masters degree in public administration from Syracuse University JAKARTA 00001232 002 OF 002 (1989) under a USAID scholarship. --Mr. Partono, senior researcher of CETRO, the primary election reform NGO in Indonesia. He has been engaged in electoral advocacy since 2000, is very knowledgeable on election law and administration, with a master degree in public policy from the Netherlands. ¶7. (SBU) Lukmansjah said the Mongolian EOM will be an important experience to help Indonesia prepare for 2009 elections. He agreed that an informal NGO regional network to assist with elections might be a very useful function for APDP. AUSTRALIA AND BDF ¶8. (C) Separately, Australian Prime Minister Rudd discussed Indonesia's BDF initiative with President Yudhoyono when they met in Jakarta on June 11, an Australian diplomat confirmed. Yudhoyono asked Rudd in the bilateral if Australia would be prepared to co-chair the BDF and Rudd "accepted gladly." However, there are still no more details on the BDF. Indonesia has mentioned a first meeting in October 2008 but that remains to be seen, the diplomat told us. ¶9. (SBU) This message was approved by Daniel Twining. HUME