BURMA -- RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS IN INDONESIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001663 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MLS, EAP/PD (FOR KSTOLTZ),DRL FOR GPAZ, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP, G (CURRIE) NSC FOR EPHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/03/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID KDEM BM ID SUBJECT: BURMA -- RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS IN INDONESIA REF: A. JAKARTA 1143 ¶B. JAKARTA 1017 ¶C. JAKARTA 481 JAKARTA 00001663 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (U) This is an Action Request. Please see para 7. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: As a spin-off from Mission's successful conference on Burma in March, a key Indonesian legislator is planning a road show at university campuses in order to raise public awareness of Burma-related issues. This legislator--and some other members of the Indonesian parliament (DPR)--want to increase public knowledge of the Burmese regime and its abuses, and stimulate discussion of ways that Indonesians can help support change there. Action request asks Department to review steps that the USG can take to support this effort, including via assisting the organizers in funding. The UK is already providing support. END SUMMARY. A KEY MP REVIEWS PLANS ¶3. (C) Mission contacts want to assist in raising concerns about Burma. Djoko Susilo, a leading DPR Burma caucus member, has reviewed with us his plans to travel to several large, prestigious Indonesian universities in various parts of the country in order to hold seminars to inform faculty and students about the human rights situation in Burma. The series of seminars will incorporate a photo exhibit on Burma's plight as well as sponsor expert speakers. Susilo told DepPol/C that the seminars would also serve to highlight "Indonesia's role as a guiding light of democracy in the region" and urge Indonesians to spread the message internationally. (Note: The DPR is about the review the ASEAN Charter, which Susilo has deep concerns about. Specifically, he is worried that it does not support human rights enough and contains nothing mandatory re Burma, for example. See Ref A regarding how this debate is shaping up.) ¶4. (C) Also a member of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus, Susilo attended much of the two-day EAP/PD-funded Burma conference sponsored by the Mission in March (Ref C). He said the conference inspired him to be more active on the Burma issue. He also took part in a May visit by Burmese exiles sponsored by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) (Ref B). This road show would be the third major civil society activity this year supporting democracy in Burma. UK SUPPORT ¶5. (C) The British Embassy is already sponsoring Susilo's seminars at the following three universities: the University of Indonesia in Jakarta; University of Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta; and, Airlangga University in Surabaya. British Political Counselor Piers Cozalet told us that he hopes to time the first seminar in mid-October with a visit by a British junior minister, who would address the seminar. ¶6. (C) Following the first tour to the first three universities, Susilo would like to take the tour to three other major universities, including in the major cities of Bandung and Semarang, later this year. He asked us if the USG could sponsor the expanded tour, which would cost about USD 6,000. This USD 6,000 would be used to cover the cost of three speakers, including travel, as well as the staging of the photo exhibit. ACTION REQUEST JAKARTA 00001663 002.2 OF 002 ¶7. (C) We think the USG should strongly support these plans. Mission would specifically like to request USD 6,000 from the Department to fund the university road show idea. As discussed, previous civil society activities proved highly effective in garnering public and GOI attention on this issue. That said, more needs to be done to spread concern about Burma to an even wider Indonesian audience in this key Southeast Asian country. HUME