ASIA-PACIFIC DEMOCRACY INITIATIVE -- GOI STILL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000588

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2018
TAGS: PREL KDEM ID
SUBJECT: ASIA-PACIFIC DEMOCRACY INITIATIVE -- GOI STILL
CONSIDERING PARTICIPATION

REF: A. STATE 28071

B. JAKARTA 211 AND PREVIOUS

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


1. (C) SUMMARY: DepPol/C on March 24 briefed Umar Hadi--a
senior diplomat with close ties to Foreign Minister
Wirajuda--on the importance of Indonesian participation in
the Asia-Pacific Democracy Partnership (APDP). DepPol/C
noted that the APDP would complement Indonesia's own Bali
Democracy Forum. Hadi said the APDP proposal contains some
interesting new points which the GOI will carefully consider
before formally responding. END SUMMARY.

PRESSING APDP


2. (C) On March 24, DepPol/C met Umar Hadi, Director for
Public Diplomacy at the Department of Foreign Affairs and a
close adviser of FM Wirajuda, to brief him on how much we
would value Indonesia's participation in the next meeting of
APDP, proposed for the first half of 2008 in Asia (ref A).
We emphasized how APDP would complement Indonesia's own Bali
Democracy Forum (BDF) and the instrumental role Indonesia
could play in bridging APDP and BDF (ref B). We asked for
GOI ideas on the timing, location and nature of the next APDP
meeting.


3. (C) Hadi responded that he had been looking forward to
receiving more details on APDP. After reading the non-paper,
he commented that the proposal has some interesting new
elements which will need to be considered before the GOI
responds. He reiterated that Indonesia's main concern is
that it does not want to play "a dividing role," thus the BDF
includes both democracies and non-democracies (whereas the
APDP only involves democracies). He said he would discuss
the APDP initiative that same day with Foreign Minister
Wirajuda.

FURTHER DETAILS RE GOI PROPOSAL


4. (C) Hadi had just returned from Bali to scout venues for
the first BDF event, which he said is planned for the first
half of 2008, likely in June. Australia is co-sponsoring
this event, he said. Australian Pol/C Justin Lee confirmed
to DepPol/C in a March 24 telcon that Australia has promised
to co-sponsor the event, but is waiting for logistical
details. Lee said Australia is encouraging Indonesia to also
participate in APDP and use its position to link the two
initiatives.


5. (C) Hadi said the GOI is still talking with several other
governments about participating in the maiden BDF event,
including New Zealand, Japan, Qatar and all the ASEAN
countries. GOI would later consider approaching the U.S.,
India and China re participation, he said, adding that Russia
has already expressed very strong interest.


6. (C) Hadi had further details. To support ideas that come
out of BDF workshops, GOI also is exploring the establishment
of an official Bali-based think-tank called the "Bali
Institute for Peace and Democracy" to be hosted by University
Udayana in Denpasar. The think-tank would provide technical
advice on elections, etc., but its main purpose would be as a
conduit for foreign funding to support BDF activities, Hadi
explained.

QUO VADIS?


7. (C) We think the latest USG points re APDP will be
seriously reviewed by the GOI. Hadi did seem very interested
in them. That said, Hadi and the GOI seem very focused on
their own BDF initiative, which still seems a bit vague. We
think they will take some time in mulling over our points,
trying to see how the APDP can be linked to the BDF and other
elements of international architecture, such as the Community
of Democracies.

JAKARTA 00000588 002 OF 002


HUME