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