CODEL PRICE FOLLOW-ON: LEVERAGING CONGRESSIONAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000391 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR EAP A/S HILL AND H A/S BERGNER FROM AMBASSADOR HUME; ALSO PASS TO EAP DAS MARCIEL AND EAP/MTS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV OVIP ID SUBJECT: CODEL PRICE FOLLOW-ON: LEVERAGING CONGRESSIONAL INTEREST IN INDONESIA REF: JAKARTA 372 JAKARTA 00000391 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) This message is Sensitive but Unclassified -- Please handle accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) Assistant Secretaries: Representative David Price (D-NC) recently led a House Democracy Assistance Commission (HDAC) delegation to Indonesia (reftel). While the focus of the visit was on legislative strengthening exercises with the parliament, Mission also sought to leverage the visit to call attention to the importance and depth of our bilateral relationship with Indonesia. Our visitors were receptive to this message and signaled interest in a long-term dialogue on Indonesia. They also expressed a number of specific interests of relevance to the Department as it engages the Hill on the full range of issues. I would like to share some of those identified interests as I believe they will help inform follow-on conversations with our friends on the Hill about Indonesia, as well as about the Department's work more broadly. A full list of CODEL participants is included in paragraph 12. ¶3. (SBU) As reported in Ref A, CODEL Price visited Indonesia as part of HDAC's legislative assistance program. This was the third HDAC visit to Indonesia in two years and the HDAC program here has already yielded significant results. Among other things, during the course of this visit HDAC and the Indonesian parliament signed an MOU that formalizes training and information exchanges between the two legislatures. ¶4. (SBU) HDAC Chairman Price, in particular, quickly underscored his commitment to the spirit of the MOU by signaling his intent to dispatch a legislative drafting staff delegation to Indonesia to assist the Indonesian parliament's undermanned legislative drafting body. The visit could take place as soon as May of this year. All of the Members also demonstrated great enthusiasm for the possibility of internship or fellowship programs that could bring qualified graduate students to work as staffers or legislative staff with the Indonesian parliament. USAID involvement in such a program was discussed as a possibility. ¶5. (SBU) Above and beyond their legislative strengthening program here, I also had occasion to brief our Congressional visitors on USG efforts to define a "strategic center" to U.S.-Indonesian relations. This "strategic center" would encompass three areas: 1. Reform--How does the U.S. support the massive reform efforts underway in Indonesia? 2. Security--How do we develop a stronger relationship with both the police and the military? 3. Connections--How do we encourage Indonesia to open up to the outside world? This briefing led to a spirited discussion on a range of issues of importance to Mission and the Department more broadly. ¶6. (SBU) Representative McDermott (D-WA),a physician by trade, expressed grave concerns about the spread of the avian influenza (H5NI) virus in Indonesia. McDermott later articulated those same concerns in a meeting with President Yudhoyono (reftel),urging the President to share avian influenza samples with the international community. McDermott also related his interest in the renewable energies sector, noting that his son heads US Renewables Group, an asset management group based in Los Angeles. ¶7. (SBU) Representative Farr (D-CA),a former Peace Corps volunteer, inquired about plans for a renewed Peace Corps presence in Indonesia. Farr identified himself as an unabashed Peace Corps supporter and expressed his hope that the Peace Corps would re-establish a footprint in Indonesia as soon as possible. As a member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, Farr also asked for Mission's thoughts on the viability of an IMET like program for Homeland Security. ¶8. (SBU) Representative Price, in addition to sharing his enthusiasm for extensive legislative links between the U.S. and Indonesia, also demonstrated a keen interest in the Indonesian legislature's civilian oversight of the Indonesian military. He spoke extensively about the importance of such oversight and held a long conversation with the Indonesian JAKARTA 00000391 002.2 OF 002 legislature's Defense Chair on the subject. ¶9. (SBU) Representative Hirono (D-HI) showed great interest in the full range of women's issues. From the participation of women in Indonesian politics, to Indonesian social and cultural attitudes towards women, she was very engaged in women's issues at every turn. ¶10. (SBU) Throughout CODEL Price's five-day visit to Aceh and Jakarta, I was continually struck by the palpable enthusiasm and interest in Indonesian affairs shown by our Congressional visitors. The United States has a remarkable opportunity to help this country of over 240 million people secure a bright future, while building the foundation for a long-term partnership in a strategic corner of the world. We believe the Congressional visitors that visited Indonesia with CODEL Price share this vision for our relationship with Indonesia and will be receptive to further engagement with the Department as we look for ways to move forward USG legislative priorities for Indonesia. ¶11. (U) Mission would be pleased to provide additional information and looks forward to assisting in ongoing contacts with key interlocutors. Regards, Cameron. ¶12. (U) A listing of Congressional participants with CODEL Price: Representatives: David Price (D-NC) John Boozman (D-AR) Sam Farr (D-CA) Mazie Hirono (D-HI) Michael Conaway (R-TX) Jim McDermott (D-WA) House Staff: Dr. Kay King, Director, Interparliamentary Affairs Tommy Ross, Legislative Assistant, Office of Rep. David Price Rachael Leman, Policy Director, Office of Rep. David Dreier John Lis, Staff Director, HDAC Dick Nanto, Specialist in Industry and Trade, CRS Hannah Fischer, Information Research Specialist, CRS End. HUME