ARF DISASTER RELIEF EXERCISE -- INDONESIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 002192 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP (K.SHEIVES) USPACOM FOR J71 S.MELLINGER DEPT PLS PASS USAID/OFDA J.HENSEL NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2018 TAGS: PREL MARR EAID ASEAN ARF ID RP SUBJECT: ARF DISASTER RELIEF EXERCISE -- INDONESIAN PARTICIPATION REF: STATE 122937 Classified By: A/Pol/C Stanley J. Harsha, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Indonesia plans to participate in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Voluntary Demonstration Exercise (VDR) on Disaster Relief in the Philippines in May 2009 and will likely request USG assistance for planning meetings and/or the exercise itself. Exact participants and role have yet to be determined. FM Wirajuda is keenly interested in developing an ARF capability for disaster relief and strongly supports Indonesia's participation. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) Regional Stability Unit (RSU) Chief discussed reftel with Ibnu Hadi, Director for Intra-Regional Cooperation in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU),on December 1. RSU Chief said the United States supported the upcoming exercise as a way to develop important regional capabilities in disaster relief and humanitarian assistance and wanted to make it a success. We urged the GOI to identify a specific focus of participation and appropriate agencies as soon as possible, with a view to participating in the upcoming planning conferences in January and March. Noting the general principle that countries should fund their own participation, we said the USG had funds to help where needed. We noted the two deadlines for submission of assistance requests. HIGH PRIORITY ¶3. (C) Hadi said Indonesia was looking forward to the exercise as an important area of regional cooperation and assistance, and one in which Foreign Minister Wirajuda had taken an active interest. Indonesia was in the process of identifying a specific role in the exercise and determining the scope of its participation. One possible focus was the provision of potable water. Hadi said he expected to discuss these issues further with the U.S. delegation at the upcoming Conference on Disaster Relief in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, on December 5-6. Hadi said he had made initial contact with the Philippine Embassy but no substantive discussions yet. PARTICIPATING AGENCIES ¶4. (C) Hadi, who will head Indonesia's participation in the exercise, said the key agencies participating in the exercise would be DEPLU, the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian Disaster Relief Agency (BNBP). (Note: The BNBP is the new name of the former National Coordination Agency (BAKORNAS),previously responsible for coordinating Indonesia's national disaster relief efforts.) There was likely to be little, if any, participation by the Indonesian Department of Defense. Indonesia planned to attend the planning conference in Manila on January 19-23 and would likely send one official (including Hadi) from each of the three agencies. He said Indonesia would likely request USG assistance. NO AUSTRALIAN ASSISTANCE PLANNED ¶5. (C) Paul Iozzi, Defense Policy Advisor at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, told RSU Chief that Australia at this point had no plans to offer assistance for Indonesian participation in the exercise or its planning sessions. MISSION POINT OF CONTACT ¶6. (U) Embassy Jakarta POC for exercise preparations is Daniel Turnbull, Regional Stability Unit Chief, tel: 62-21-3435-9706; cell: 62-812-103-1922; fax: 62-21-3435-9916; email: turnbullde@state.gov. HUME