HUMAN RIGHTS -- ENCOURAGING INDONESIA TO IMPLEMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 001937 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL, DRL/AWH NSC FOR EPHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ID TT SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS -- ENCOURAGING INDONESIA TO IMPLEMENT TRUTH COMMISSION REPORT REF: A. JAKARTA 1924 ¶B. JAKARTA 1700 ¶C. JAKARTA 1385 ¶D. JAKARTA 825 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In a meeting with DepPol/C, an AmCit adviser to the Commission of Truth and Friendship Indonesia/Timor-Leste (CTF) outlined ways to speed up implementation of the CTF recommendations for security sector reform in Indonesia via human rights training. He recommended that NGOs pave the way by widely publicizing the CTF report, so its conclusions about human rights violations in East Timor in the 1990's and the need for reform are widely-known. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY (Con'd): In addition to continued discussions with GOI contacts, Mission plans to review with other interested embassies--such as the Australian and New Zealand--ways that we can jointly support this effort. Mission will report back with any proposals and on any requests for funding. We believe that further publicizing the report can only help with the reform/accountability effort involving the Indonesian security sector. END SUMMARY. MEETING WITH KEY ADVISER ¶3. (C) The effort to publicize the CTF report's conclusions in Indonesia continues. David Cohen (AmCit--please protect), Director of the Berkeley War Crimes Studies Center at the University of California, briefed DepPol/C on October 10 on progress in implementing the CTF report, publicly released on July 15 (Ref C). (Note: Cohen is currently a consultant for the GOI and the ASEAN Secretariat, in addition to his Berkeley duties. Septel reviews his current responsibilities.) Cohen related that good progress is being made on bilateral Indonesian/Timor-Leste issues such as accounting for missing persons and border issues. ¶4. (C) He asserted, however, that the GOI needs to do more related to the security sector reform via human rights training side of the CTF's recommendations. Lt. General (Ret) Agus Widjojo, Indonesian Co-Chair of the now defunct CTF, told Cohen that security sector reform recommendations (Ref D) have been folded into the long-term security sector reform plans and it is doubtful that they will be acted on until after the 2009 national elections. (Note: Ref A reviews a recent speech by President Yudhoyono in which he underscored the need for further security sector reform. The Indonesian military already conducts some human rights training with ICRC support.) ¶5. (C) The GOI needs to do more, according to Cohen. The Ministry of Law and Human Rights, which is responsible for implementing the internal Indonesian reform measures, has been somewhat passive in following through, Cohen said. Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is responsible for publishing and widely disseminating the report within six months of its issuance, is not doing enough. The Ministry has distributed limited numbers of CD versions of the report to the media and NGOs. It also has sent printed copies to university libraries. Still, wider public awareness of the report is needed for it to have a strong, lasting impact, Cohen contended. TRYING TO PUBLICIZE THE REPORT ¶6. (C) Cohen has some ideas on how to more widely publicize the report. He suggested that an Indonesian NGO should work with an Indonesian publisher to do the job. A modest subsidy to reduce the cost of publication would be all that is needed JAKARTA 00001937 002 OF 002 to induce a publisher to print the report. A condensed version with just the key findings and recommendations could also be produced by an NGO, Cohen suggested. A major book launch and roadshow would raise widespread public awareness and help spur further efforts to implement the report's recommendations, he suggested. ¶7. (C) Marsuki Darusman, a respected member of Parliament and a strong promoter of human rights matters, told poloff recently that he agrees that much more needs to be done to disseminate the report and that getting it published by civil society could help accomplish this. Rafendi Djamin, chair of the Human Rights Watch Group, told DepPol/C that Indonesian NGOS should take the lead in this effort but need financial support. POSSIBLE INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE ¶8. (C) Mission will continue to meet with GOI contacts to urge that the government do more to publicize the report and move forward with its recommendations. DepPol/C suggested to Cohen that the U.S. Embassy host a meeting of like-minded Missions--such as Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada and Japan--to discuss how we can work together to support this effort. Mission will report back with any proposals and on any requests for funding. We believe that publicizing the report can only help with the reform/accountability effort involving the Indonesian security sector. HUME