Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08JAKARTA2200
2008-12-04 07:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
ASEAN MINISTERIAL TO GO AHEAD IN JAKARTA
how-toVZCZCXRO8168 OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHJA #2200 3390744 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 040744Z DEC 08 FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0880 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 5694 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 3368 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 1471 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 2482 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 5194 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 2806 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 3313 RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 3148 RUEHBAD/AMCONSUL PERTH 1322 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 002200
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MLS, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP
NSC FOR E.PHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV
SUBJECT: ASEAN MINISTERIAL TO GO AHEAD IN JAKARTA
REF: JAKARTA
Classified By: A/Pol/C Stanley Harsha, reasons 1.4 (b+d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 002200
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MLS, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP
NSC FOR E.PHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV
SUBJECT: ASEAN MINISTERIAL TO GO AHEAD IN JAKARTA
REF: JAKARTA
Classified By: A/Pol/C Stanley Harsha, reasons 1.4 (b+d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: ASEAN Foreign Ministers will meet in
Jakarta in mid-December to continue implementation of the
organization's charter. These meetings come in the wake of
the decision to postpone the ASEAN Summit, which was to have
taken place in Thailand. Thailand will still technically
host the meetings since they remain Chair but the ASEAN
Secretariat will likely play a key organizational role. END
SUMMARY.
MINISTERIAL TO MAINTAIN MOMENTUM
2. (SBU) ASEAN is gearing up for a series of ministerial
meetings in Jakarta on/about December 15. This comes
following the postponement of the ASEAN Summit--which had
been slated for December 15-18 in Chiang Mai--due to the
political crisis in Thailand. Contacts told us that ASEAN
members believed the Jakarta meeting was necessary to
maintain momentum in implementing the ASEAN Charter following
the postponement of the summit.
3. (SBU) As things stand now, the Jakarta meetings will have
three distinct elements:
--A general meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers;
--An ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting with the high-level
panel that is drafting the terms of reference for the ASEAN
Human Rights Body; and,
--An ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting with the ASEAN
high-level expert legal group. (This meeting will review
various matters relating to the Charter's implementation,
including the legal status of member states' representatives
to the ASEAN Secretariat.)
4. (SBU) Most ministers are expected to travel to Jakarta
immediately after participating in the December 10-11 Bali
Democracy Forum (ref Jakarta 2170). Some of the ministerial
meetings may begin as early as December 12. Meetings among
lower-level officials will precede the ministerial.
5. (SBU) ASEAN Secretariat officials told us that Singapore
is pushing for an ASEAN Economic Ministers meeting before the
end of 2008. However, a date and location for this meeting
has not yet been set.
WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE?
6. (C) Key elements of these meetings remain in flux,
according to George Lantu, Deputy Director for ASEAN
Political and Security Cooperation at the Department of
Foreign Affairs (DEPLU). Although the meetings will occur in
Jakarta, Lantu stressed that Thailand was technically the
host since it remained ASEAN Chair. Thailand was still
responsible for developing the meetings' agenda. He said
that Indonesia's playing too great an organizational role in
the upcoming meetings was a sensitive matter. Indonesia
worried about the perception that it was trying to usurp
Thailand's prerogatives as ASEAN Chair. Lantu said Indonesia
was urging the ASEAN Secretariat to play a greater role
organizing the meetings.
HUME
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MLS, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP
NSC FOR E.PHU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV
SUBJECT: ASEAN MINISTERIAL TO GO AHEAD IN JAKARTA
REF: JAKARTA
Classified By: A/Pol/C Stanley Harsha, reasons 1.4 (b+d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: ASEAN Foreign Ministers will meet in
Jakarta in mid-December to continue implementation of the
organization's charter. These meetings come in the wake of
the decision to postpone the ASEAN Summit, which was to have
taken place in Thailand. Thailand will still technically
host the meetings since they remain Chair but the ASEAN
Secretariat will likely play a key organizational role. END
SUMMARY.
MINISTERIAL TO MAINTAIN MOMENTUM
2. (SBU) ASEAN is gearing up for a series of ministerial
meetings in Jakarta on/about December 15. This comes
following the postponement of the ASEAN Summit--which had
been slated for December 15-18 in Chiang Mai--due to the
political crisis in Thailand. Contacts told us that ASEAN
members believed the Jakarta meeting was necessary to
maintain momentum in implementing the ASEAN Charter following
the postponement of the summit.
3. (SBU) As things stand now, the Jakarta meetings will have
three distinct elements:
--A general meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers;
--An ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting with the high-level
panel that is drafting the terms of reference for the ASEAN
Human Rights Body; and,
--An ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting with the ASEAN
high-level expert legal group. (This meeting will review
various matters relating to the Charter's implementation,
including the legal status of member states' representatives
to the ASEAN Secretariat.)
4. (SBU) Most ministers are expected to travel to Jakarta
immediately after participating in the December 10-11 Bali
Democracy Forum (ref Jakarta 2170). Some of the ministerial
meetings may begin as early as December 12. Meetings among
lower-level officials will precede the ministerial.
5. (SBU) ASEAN Secretariat officials told us that Singapore
is pushing for an ASEAN Economic Ministers meeting before the
end of 2008. However, a date and location for this meeting
has not yet been set.
WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE?
6. (C) Key elements of these meetings remain in flux,
according to George Lantu, Deputy Director for ASEAN
Political and Security Cooperation at the Department of
Foreign Affairs (DEPLU). Although the meetings will occur in
Jakarta, Lantu stressed that Thailand was technically the
host since it remained ASEAN Chair. Thailand was still
responsible for developing the meetings' agenda. He said
that Indonesia's playing too great an organizational role in
the upcoming meetings was a sensitive matter. Indonesia
worried about the perception that it was trying to usurp
Thailand's prerogatives as ASEAN Chair. Lantu said Indonesia
was urging the ASEAN Secretariat to play a greater role
organizing the meetings.
HUME