INDONESIA DEMANDS MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000650 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, EAP/MLB; DEPT ALSO PASS TO TONY LA RUSSA IN ST. LOUIS NSC FOR E.PHU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV RBI ERA ID SUBJECT: INDONESIA DEMANDS MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL JAKARTA 00000650 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) This message was coordinated with Consulate General Surabaya and Consulate Medan. ¶2. (U) SUMMARY: It's spring (at least in the U.S.) and with opening day now upon us, Indonesia is currently abuzz about a plan to bring a Major League Baseball franchise to Jakarta. The team--the Jakarta Traffic--would be joined by a farm team, the Surabaya Mud Hens, and a team based in Medan called the Sumatra Quakes. The driving force behind the proposal is former New York Mets pitching sensation Sidd Finch, who now lives in Bali. As we have come to expect in this young democracy, there is vigorous debate about the proposal. We continue to make USG points in a vigorous manner. END SUMMARY. OFFICIAL REACTION MIXED ¶3. (U) As they have for years, Indonesians are demanding their own Major League baseball team. Reacting to Sidd Finch's proposal and the recent large rally in Yogyakarta, the President--who is known to take in a Giants game down by the Bay whenever he is in San Francisco--said baseball could play an important role furthering Indonesia's development and also would serve world peace. He added, however, that any move this significant would require much careful study and debate, noting that consensus is "the Javanese Way if not that of George Steinbrenner." ¶4. (U) The Foreign Ministry sounded a cautious note. It said it could live with the proposal if all participants agreed to settle any disputed calls through peaceful dialogue. It also proposed replacing the "unilateralist" role of umpire with a multilateral conflict resolution framework commission under UN and ASEAN oversight that made rulings consistent with Non-Aligned Movement principles as enunciated at the 1955 Bandung Summit. ¶5. (U) Predictably, opinion in the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) was split along party lines. Members of Golkar (the largest faction) were generally supportive of the initiative, provided their proposal to outfit the team in canary yellow home uniforms was incorporated into the final bill (yellow is the color of Golkar). While representatives from PDI-P (the second largest faction) have not yet weighed in on the controversy, one contact from the party told poloff that their leader would have to wait for the President's position on baseball before she could criticize it. A representative from the Speaker's office confirmed that a special committee was currently deliberating the baseball bill and estimated the DPR would pass it by 2077. ¶6. (U) Meanwhile, from his box at Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine, the Vice President has reportedly brokered several deals to move the project forward. These include plans for a politically well-connected construction conglomerate to build a giant new stadium complex in central Jakarta in the area now called Medan Merdeka (Freedom Park). The stadium would include residential and mixed-use space, and include high-end retail outlets such as Armani, Gucci, and Prada. (Note: The proposal for a Jimmy Choo boutique was rejected when the media alleged that Choo, who is Malaysian, stole several designs from traditional Indonesian footwear styles.) MORE ON THE RAGING DEBATE ¶7. (U) Human rights groups have raised concerns about the proposed stadium. A coalition of NGOs said the plan would likely trigger human rights violations as the authorities forced people from their shanty homes to make room for the new facility. They called for a moratorium on any USG involvement with Indonesian sports projects until there is accountability for the human rights violations that occurred in 1999, when people were forced from their homes to make room for an ice hockey arena. (Note: Indonesia's flirtation JAKARTA 00000650 002.2 OF 002 with hockey was short-lived. Frequent disruptions in electricity supplies made it impossible to keep the ice frozen. Moreover, despite the general futility of their play in the Garden, the New York Rangers declined the offer to move to Jakarta.) ¶8. (U) Also controversial is the proposed spring training facility in Jayapura, Papua. Papuan traditional leaders said the proposal would violate the rights of the approximately 175 tribes that claim customary rights to the land slated for the facility. They have demanded USD five billion in compensation from U.S. mining giant Freeport-McMoran. From his base in Bali, Sidd Finch said he will work with the Papuans in order to address their concerns. PRESSING THE USG CASE, VIGOROUSLY ¶9. (U) In our estimation, Jakarta's proposed MLB franchise represents an important and unique opportunity to advance USG objectives in Southeast Asia. Mission recommends that the Department move quickly to provide assistance to Indonesia's developing baseball scene. As instructed, Mission has engaged key contacts at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DEPLU) on this issue. Poloff pressed the matter in an April 1 meeting with MannyRamirez (one name only),DEPLU's Deputy Director for Sports Diplomacy. Poloff forcefully underscored the extreme importance of this issue to the United States. He emphasized that baseball was a central element of democracy and freedom and urged Indonesia to move forward with the proposed MLB team as quickly as possible. ¶10. (U) Happy April Fool's Day!!! HUME