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