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