RULE OF LAW -- DEPUTY AG UNDERSCORES SUPPORT FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000376

SIPDIS

AIDAC
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, INR/EAP, INL FOR BOULDIN/BUHLER
DOJ/OPDAT FOR LEHMANN/ALEXANDRE
NSC FOR EPHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KJUS ID
SUBJECT: RULE OF LAW -- DEPUTY AG UNDERSCORES SUPPORT FOR

REFORM

REF: A. JAKARTA 244

B. 07 JAKARTA 3320

C. 07 JAKARTA 2797

JAKARTA 00000376 001.2 OF 002


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


1. (C) SUMMARY: At a February 21 meeting with the DCM,
Deputy Attorney General Arifin underlined his support for a
new, reformed Criminal Procedure Code. Arifin admitted that
the AG's institutional relationship with the Indonesian
National Police (INP) was weak and requested Mission
assistance in getting the INP to support the new Code.
Arifin also briefed DCM on the status of internal reforms in
the AG's office and expressed his desire for continued
cooperation with the USG. Bio notes are included in Para 6.
END SUMMARY.

A GOOD FIRST MEETING


2. (C) The February 21 meeting was Mission's first official
call on Deputy AG Muchtar Arifin, who was appointed to the
AGO's second highest position in 2007. DCM raised a number
of issues at the meeting, including internal reform at the
AGO, cooperation on anti-corruption and counterterrorism, and
the newly completed draft Criminal Procedure Code. (Note:
The draft Code is currently under review by the government
and requires approval of the Parliament in order to be
enacted--Ref A. It was drafted with USG assistance.)

SUPPORTING REFORM


3. (C) Arifin expressed his strong support for the new draft
of the Criminal Code, which would strengthen coordination
between the police and the AGO and give prosecutors an
expanded role in criminal investigations. He also noted that
that there was some opposition to the draft Code within the
INP, where some view the changes as limiting the authority of
the police (the draft code, in fact, does try to balance the
need for legitimate law enforcement with citizens' rights).
Arifin noted that institutional relations between the INP and
the AGO were weak and requested Mission's assistance in
urging the INP to accept the changes contained in the draft
Code.

SEEKING CONTINUED SUPPORT


4. (C) Arifin expressed appreciation for USG assistance to
the AGO related to the internal reform program, which he
characterized as ongoing (ref B),and the Task Force on
Terrorism and Transnational Crime (ref C). He also stated
that he would welcome Mission's support of the AGO's
anti-corruption campaign, in particular by supporting GOI
efforts to seize stolen assets held outside of Indonesia and
by preventing fugitive corruptors from entering the United
States. DCM responded that we would look into concrete ways
to assist in these areas.

SERIOUS ABOUT REFORM TRACK


5. (C) We were impressed by Arifin. He seems serious about
reform. He has a good reputation and is an expert in
corruption cases. Indonesia's judicial sector needs a lot
of assistance, and we'll continue to work with him on reform
issues via USAID's Justice Sector Reform Program, INL-funded
OPDAT programs, and in other ways.

BIO NOTES


6. (C)Arifin is a career prosecutor. Prior to his
appointment as Deputy AG in 2007, Arifin served as Junior AG
for Intelligence, and Chief of provincial offices in West
Sumatra and West Nusa Tenggarra (in eastern Indonesia). He
has also held key positions in the AGO's Special Crimes
Division, during which time he oversaw a number of high
profile corruption cases, including the investigation (later
suspended by the courts for health reasons) of former
president Suharto. Arifin was born in Aceh on May 4, 1949,
and studied law at the University of Indonesia and

JAKARTA 00000376 002.2 OF 002


Padjadjaran University in Bandung. He is a Muslim.

HUME