TFGG01 GEORGIA: CONTINUING TO ENGAGE INDONESIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 001590 SIPDIS DEPT FOR TFGG01, EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EUR, EUR/RUS, EUR/CARC, IO, IO/UNP NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC ID GG RS SUBJECT: TFGG01 GEORGIA: CONTINUING TO ENGAGE INDONESIA REF: A. STATE 89769 ¶B. JAKARTA 1532 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Underscoring key points from Ref A, Mission continues to engage Indonesian officials on the situation in Georgia. Officials agree the situation is serious and have voiced support for a peaceful solution and Georgia's sovereignty. That said, Indonesia does not seem inclined to want to get in the forefront of international efforts on this matter. Mission will continue to seek opportunities to press USG views on this issue, privately and publicly. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) PRESSING GEORGIA: Mission continues to press USG views on the situation in Georgia in outreach to a broad spectrum of Indonesian interlocutors. In an August 21 meeting, Pol/C delivered ref A points to Bunyan Saptomo, Director for North American Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU). Pol/C also conveyed USG views to Theo Sambuaga, Chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the House of Representatives (DPR),and to Tri Sukma (Nanu) Djandam, a foreign affairs assistant in the President's Office, also on August 21. ¶3. (C) In all our interactions, Mission officers--per Ref A--underscored the importance of international support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We also urged Indonesia to call for the withdrawal of Russian forces from Georgian territory, consistent with the cease-fire President Medvedev signed. We also reiterated the importance of international efforts to protect and assist the people of Georgia, who have borne the brunt of the Russian assault. ¶4. (C) GOI RESPONSE: DEPLU official Saptomo agreed that the situation was serious and that the international community had an obligation to support Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. (Note: This point has particular salience with Indonesia, a country that has periodically suffered from separatist movements in some of its regions.) He said the GOI would consider USG views carefully and looked forward to working with us at the UN to support a peaceful resolution of the situation. ¶5. (C) Over all, based on our soundings, Indonesia--while it wants to seem helpful--does not appear inclined to want to get in the forefront of international efforts on this matter. ¶6. (SBU) MEDIA OUTREACH: The Indonesian media has covered events in Georgia since they started, with over 50 news articles in major national dailies, as well as a smattering of editorial pieces and television reports. Mission has placed IIP-produced stories on U.S. humanitarian aid efforts in several newspapers. We continue to seek opportunities to engage key Indonesian media outlets on this issue. HUME