PRESIDENT'S CHOICE FOR NATIONAL POLICE CHIEF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001814 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/RSP, S/CT, INL, INL/AAE, DS, DS/IP/EAP, DS/ATA NSC FOR E. PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/24/2018 TAGS: PGOV PINS PREL ASEC ID SUBJECT: PRESIDENT'S CHOICE FOR NATIONAL POLICE CHIEF CONFIRMED BY PARLIAMENT REF: A. JAKARTA 1758 ¶B. JAKARTA 1729 ¶C. (07) JAKARTA 1223 JAKARTA 00001814 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: President Yudhoyono's choice as chief of the Indonesian National Police (INP),Bambang Hendarso Danuri, sailed through his parliamentary confirmation hearings this week. Police contacts told us Danuri will be officially installed as head of the INP, a huge entity with over 300,000 personnel, after the Idul Fitri holidays in early October. Danuri is well-regarded and known for his work on numerous high-profile cases. In the meantime, General Sutanto--who Danuri is replacing--is apparently being discussed seriously as a possible presidential or vice presidential candidate by various parties. See paras 4-7 for Danuri's bio data. END SUMMARY. PRESIDENT'S CHOICE IS CONFIRMED ¶2. (SBU) Indonesia will shortly have a new police chief. On September 22, Parliament gave its unanimous support to General Bambang Hendarso Danuri to be the next INP Chief. In his statement to Parliament, Danuri pledged to continue reforms in the national police force (a huge entity with over 300,000 employees). The official installation ceremony, which President Yudhoyono is slated to preside over, should take place after the Idul Fitri holidays in early October, according to police contacts. Danuri is expected to serve until he reaches mandatory retirement age in 2010. A POLITICAL CAREER FOR FORMER CHIEF? ¶3. (C) Danuri will replace General Sutanto when the current INP Chief retires on October 1. Sutanto is well regarded and was considered a reformer during his years as national police chief (2005 on). Since his retirement was announced several weeks ago, there has been much talk that Sutanto might run as a presidential or vice-presidential candidate in the 2009 elections. At this point, nothing has been confirmed. That said, there are reports that he has links with the Islamic-oriented Prosperous Justice Party (PKS). Some observers think that Sutanto could potentially be a popular candidate in light of his solid performance as national police chief, though much would depend on his political 
skills if he indeed chooses to run. BIO DATA FOR DANURI ¶4. (C) Currently head of the Criminal Investigation Division, General Danuri, 55, is widely known for strong leadership in high-profile investigations, including the murder of human rights activist Munir Said Thalib. Human rights activists told poloff that under Danuri's leadership the police investigation into the Munir case moved forward quickly. Soon after taking the lead on this investigation in January 2007, his team uncovered new evidence and made new arrests in the case (Ref C). The results have been a reversal in the acquittal of the murderer, convictions of two persons for abetting the murder, and the prosecution of the accused mastermind Muchdi Purwopranjono, a former high level intelligence official, who is currently on trial (Ref A). Throughout the investigation, Danuri was very open in sharing progress on the case with DepPol/C as well as with Congressional Staff Assistant Keith Luse, who met with Danuri twice. In talking about the case, he was obviously very committed and dogged in his determination to make progress in uncovering who was responsible for the murder. In taking JAKARTA 00001814 002 OF 002 these steps, Danuri and the police were acting with the full support of President Yudhoyono who has made the Munir case a top priority. ¶5. (C) Activists also note that Danuri ordered the arrest of Habib Rizieq, leader of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), for orchestrating the June 1 attacks against peaceful demonstrators at the National Monument (Monas). When in a June conversation DepPol/C expressed concerns about these and other attacks by radical demonstrators, Danuri pledged that those responsible would be arrested and that police would crack down on this type of violence. ¶6. (U) General Danuri's first two decades of service were in West Java and Southern Sumatra, before serving in positions across the rest of the archipelago. Recent postings include: -- 2006 Head of Criminal Investigation Division at INP Headquarters in Jakarta -- 2005-6 Regional Police Chief in North Sumatra -- 2001 Criminal Research Head in Jakarta -- 2000 Criminal Research Head in East Java -- 1999 Criminal Research Head in Bali -- 1997 Criminal Research Head in West Nusa Tenggara -- 1994 Sub-region Deputy Commander in Bogor, West Java -- 1993 District Commander in Jayapura, Papua ¶7. (U) Born on 10 October 1952, in Bogor, West Java, Danuri graduated from the Indonesian Police Academy in 1974. He is married to Nanny Hartiningsih. HUME