UNGA THIRD COMMITTEE -- SEEKING INDONESIAN SUPPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002066 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MLS, EAP/MTS, IO, DRL, DRL/MLGA (SICADE AND GRUNDER) NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2018 TAGS: PREL UNGA ID BM IR KN SUBJECT: UNGA THIRD COMMITTEE -- SEEKING INDONESIAN SUPPORT REF: STATE 117889 Classified By: DCM John A. Heffern, reasons 1.4 (b+d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The DCM urged a key GOI official to oppose no-action motions on UN General Assembly (UNGA) Third Committee resolutions dealing with Burma, Iran and North Korea. He also urged Indonesia to support the three resolutions so as to highlight the severe human rights problems in those states. The official suggested that Indonesia would likely vote as it did last year--against the Burma no-action motion while abstaining on the resolution itself; in favor of the Iran and North Korea no-action motions and then against those resolutions. END SUMMARY. DELIVERING POINTS ¶2. (C) On November 7, The DCM delivered reftel demarche to Rezlan Ishar Jenie, Director General for Multilateral Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU). (Note: Rezlan is DEPLU's senior-most official specifically responsible for UN matters.) The DCM underscored the need for the international community to have an opportunity to vote on these key human rights issues. No-action motions were a denial of this opportunity and the DCM urged Indonesia to oppose such motions. He further emphasized the appalling human rights records of these three states and pressed Indonesia to support all three resolutions. BURMA ¶3. (C) The DCM thanked Rezlan for Indonesia's decision last year to vote against the no-action motion on the Burma resolution. He urged Indonesia to continue this progress and to support the resolution this year (it had abstained last year). ¶4. (C) Rezlan said last year's vote had prompted an angry response from the GOB and the Burmese Ambassador in Jakarta had demanded an explanation of the vote. Rezlan said he had responded that Indonesia strongly supported the UN Secretary General's Good Offices Mission on Burma. Because the resolution endorsed that mission, Indonesia believed it should come to a vote by the full UNGA. Rezlan said he had stressed to his Burmese counterpart that the country should heed the international community's message on both of these votes. ¶5. (C) Rezlan said he had reviewed this year's draft resolution and suggested that Indonesia might take the same line again this year--opposing the no-action motion while abstaining on the resolution. He noted, however, that Indonesia would wait for the results of the ongoing consultations re the resolution before finalizing its vote. IRAN ¶6. (C) Responding to the DCM's points on Iran, Rezlan said Indonesia did not believe country-specific resolutions were an effective way to address human rights issues. Instead, Indonesia preferred to pursue such matters through the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the UN's Human Rights Council. Given that position, Indonesia would again likely support the no-action motion and oppose the resolution on Iran. ¶7. (C) The DCM urged Rezlan to reconsider this position. If Indonesia could not support the resolution, the DCM suggested, perhaps Indonesia's PermRep could be absent during the vote. Rezlan registered the request, but suggested that given Jakarta's views and past voting record on Iran issues, this course of action would be difficult. JAKARTA 00002066 002 OF 002 NORTH KOREA ¶8. (C) Rezlan struck a similar note in response to the DCM's entreaties on the DPRK. He reiterated Indonesia's skepticism of the effectiveness of country-specific resolutions and preference for handling such matters through the UPR. He noted however, that Indonesia was concerned about the issue of North Korea's past abductions of Japanese citizens. Indonesia had spoken on this point during last year's debate and would consider doing so again if the GOJ requested it. HUME