INDONESIA PLANS ITS OWN INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRACY

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000211

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR G (JKACHTIK),EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS,DRL/MLGA,
S/P, DRL
NSC FOR EPHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2018
TAGS: PREL KDEM ID
SUBJECT: INDONESIA PLANS ITS OWN INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRACY
FORUM

REF: A. 07 STATE 169367

B. 07 JAKARTA 3006

Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4 (b+d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: A Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU)
contact briefed DepPol/C on GOI plans to host the first
meeting of what it calls the "Bali Democracy Forum" this
year. The details are a bit vague, although the meeting will
be at the ministerial level and many countries--democratic
and otherwise (such as Burma)--will be invited. The contact
said the ultimate goal was to bring lagging governments up to
speed with democratic trends. The GOI is not clear how its
plan might fit into existing international architecture. END
SUMMARY.


2. (C) "DEMOCRACY FORUM" THIS YEAR: The GOI is beginning to
float its own democracy initiative. Umar Hadi, Director for
Public Diplomacy at DEPLU, met January 31 with DepPol/C and
briefed him on Indonesia's plans to convene the first meeting
of what it calls the "Bali Democracy Forum." Hadi, who is
known to be close to Foreign Minister Wirajuda, said the
Indonesian government hoped to hold the ministerial this
year--sometime between May and October--depending on
President Yudhoyono's schedule.


3. (C) Hadi said he has already sounded out diplomats from
Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Qatar and Tunisia, netting
positive feedback. New Zealand DCM David Strachan confirmed
to us February 1 that Hadi had asked him informally if New
Zealand would like to participate in the first meeting.
Strachan is checking with Wellington.


4. (C) DepPol/C asked whether the U.S. would be invited to
participate. Hadi replied that the Forum would be open to
all nations. That said, those which will be part of a core
"host sponsoring countries" group are still being considered.
The GOI wants to achieve a delicate balance of democracies
and non-democracies, and a North-South mix. The Davos
Economic Forum inspired Wirajuda to first propose this
concept way back in 2002, Hadi commented. (Note: GOI
officials were calling this "Bali Democracy Forum" idea the
"Asian Democracy Forum" in the past--see ref B.)


5. (C) IT'S ALL A BIT VAGUE: Hadi was a bit vague on
details and objectives. Ministers at the first meeting will
decide on what democracy issues need to be addressed. Based
on these discussions, technical meetings will be held as
often as need be throughout the year, Hadi remarked.
Ministers might not reconvene for a couple of years. Experts
from throughout the world will be invited to contribute. For
example, an emerging democracy could ask the Forum for help
on how to conduct its elections.


6. (C) Hadi emphasized that the Forum was not in response to
the Asia Pacific Democracy Partnership (APDP),a USG
initiative (ref A). (Note: Re the APDP, Hadi had no further
information as to whether or not Indonesia intended to accept
the USG offer to participate.) He said the idea as first
conceived was to bring lagging regimes such as Burma up to
speed so that they do not drag down ASEAN democracies such as
Indonesia and the Philippines. The Forum is actually a way
to co-opt neighbors such as Burma in an unthreatening
setting, he said, making clear that the Burmese regime would
be invited to participate in the Forum. Hadi was also not
clear how the GOI plan might fit into existing international
architecture, such as the Community of Democracies. DepPol/C
asked Hadi to keep the USG informed of its efforts and its
plan to host the Forum this year.
HUME