PREAH VIHEAR: INDONESIA ON THAI-CAMBODIA BORDER

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 001552 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, IO/UNP E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/14/2018 TAGS: PREL ASEAN ID CB TH SUBJECT: PREAH VIHEAR: INDONESIA ON THAI-CAMBODIA BORDER DISPUTE REF: A. STATE 86724 ¶B. JAKARTA 1410 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4 (b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Indonesia continues to support Thai-Cambodian efforts to resolve the Preah Vihear temple border dispute through bilateral negotiations. The GOI also remains ready to play a mediating role if both parties agree to it. We expect ASEAN Secretariat officials to discuss the issue on the margins of the upcoming ASEAN Standing Committee meeting in Bangkok. END SUMMARY. GOI SUPPORTS BILATERAL PROCESS ¶2. (C) The GOI continues to search for ways to be helpful regarding the ongoing Thai-Cambodian border dispute. Poloff discussed Indonesian views on the dispute with Ade Sukendar, Deputy Director for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU),on August 14. Poloff underscored that the United States remained concerned about the dispute and urged both sides to exercise maximum restraint. Both sides should use their upcoming bilateral meeting to take concrete steps to de-escalate the situation and to reach a lasting resolution. Poloff encouraged Indonesia and other ASEAN members to support the bilateral process. ¶3. (C) Sukendar said Indonesia fully supported resolution of the dispute via Cambodia-Thailand bilateral consultations. Indonesian officials would press the two parties to make progress on the dispute at their August 18-19 meeting. Sukendar added that newly appointed Thai FM Tej Bunnag would likely visit Jakarta before the end of September. FM Wirajuda would press the matter with him. Indonesia did not support bringing the matter to the UN Security Council and believed the matter should be resolved within the ASEAN framework. NO TIMELINE BUT SUMMIT LOOMING ¶4. (C) Sukendar said Indonesia did not have a specific timeline for resolving the dispute. He said, however, that it would be "awkward" if the situation was not resolved before Thailand took over the ASEAN chair in December. He also said Indonesia would press for discussion of the issue when the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meet on the margins of the UN General Assembly in September. STILL READY TO MEDIATE ¶5. (C) Indonesia stood by its earlier offer to mediate the dispute if both parties agreed to it doing so (ref b). Sukendar noted, however, that Thailand basically rejected the proposal when Indonesia floated it and there has been no change in the Thai position. Indonesia would not push aggressively for a mediating role as long as the two parties continued to work the issue bilaterally. ¶6. (C) We were told that FM Wirajuda had consulted former FM Ali Alatas regarding the proposal for Indonesian mediation. Alatas told Wirajuda that Indonesia should play a role if Thailand and Cambodia asked for mediation. Alatas said he would be willing to serve as a mediator, but Wirajuda has not yet asked him to do so. DISCUSSION LIKELY AT ASEAN STANDING COMMITTEE ¶7. (SBU) Key ASEAN Secretariat officials are currently en route to Bangkok for the August 19-20 ASEAN Standing Committee meeting. We expect the Thai-Cambodia dispute to be discussed there and will seek an update when officials return to Jakarta. HUME