AMBASSADOR'S OP-ED PIECE HIGHLIGHTS DEMOCRACY,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 000745

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL, DRL/AWH, EAP/P

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2018
TAGS: PREL PHUM KPAO ID TT
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S OP-ED PIECE HIGHLIGHTS DEMOCRACY,
HUMAN RIGHTS

REF: A. JAKARTA 702

B. JAKARTA 672

JAKARTA 00000745 001.2 OF 003


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


1. (C) SUMMARY: On April 12, The Jakarta Post published an
op-ed written by the Ambassador on democracy and human rights
in Indonesia. Reactions to the piece have been positive. A
key contact from the Office of the President expressed
appreciation for the piece, telling the Ambassador that the
GOI plans to work with Timor Leste regarding the joint
Commission for Truth and Friendship (CTF) report and its
recommendations. END SUMMARY.

OP-ED IN JAKARTA POST


2. (U) On April 12, The Jakarta Post--Indonesia's major
English-language daily--published an op-ed piece by
Ambassador Hume, entitled, "Indonesia's Journey in
Democracy." (See full text of op-ed below.) The commentary
commended Indonesia's democratic leadership for some progress
in accounting for past human rights abuses. Noting, however,
that more needs to be done, the piece suggested that
Indonesia should now look confidently ahead to consolidate
its reforms.


3. (U) The piece specifically addressed the recent acquittal
of former militia leader Eurico Guterres (ref A),and the
fact that with this decision no one has been held accountable
for 1999 gross human rights violations in East Timor. The
Ambassador wrote that he expects the CTF report to arrive at
credible findings of who was responsible and that the report
would "reflect the political will of both governments to
account for that tragic period."

POSITIVE REACTION


4. (C) President Yudhoyono's chief foreign affairs adviser
Dino Patti Djalal contacted the Ambassador the same day the
op-ed piece was published to convey the Yudhoyono
administration's appreciation for the commentary. Regarding
the CTF, Djalal noted that the GOI fully respects the
process. He added that the GOI will implement the report's
recommendations and continue to work with East Timor on
reconciliation. (Note: Per ref B, President Yudhoyono has
been fully briefed on the CTF report, which is expected to
contain strong recommendations for follow-up actions by both
governments.)


5. (C) Separately, after reading the article, CTF
Commissioner Wisber Loeis told DepPol/C that he found the
Ambassador's comments positive. Urging the USG to
distinguish the Guterres' acquittal from the CTF findings, he
said the acquittal "does not mean there have been no gross
human rights violations" in East Timor.


6. (C) A leading Indonesian human rights activist told us
that the Ambassador's commentary was very helpful in pressing
the GOI for progress on accountability. "It underlines our
concerns that democracy cannot develop without
accountability," Rafendi Djamin, Coordinator of the Human
Rights Working Group, told DepPol/C on April 14. The timing
of the piece, on the heels of Indonesia's Universal Periodic
Review (UPR) by the UN Human Rights Council, could not have
been better, said Djamin, who represented the Indonesian
human rights community at the UPR in Geneva. Douglas
Ramage, head of The Asian Foundation's Jakarta office, told
the DCM April 14 that he very much liked the article.

FULL TEXT


7. (U) Following is the full text of the op-ed piece:

Begin text:

Indonesia's Journey in Democracy" by Cameron R. Hume:


JAKARTA 00000745 002.2 OF 003


Indonesia is one of the world's remarkable success stories
for freedom and democracy. This month Indonesians will hold
the latest in a series of local elections conducted since the
onset of democracy. The second set of democratic national
elections will follow in 2009.

Indonesian media and civil society exercise their watchdog
role, battling corruption and crying out against inequities.
When one looks at the speed of progress that Indonesia has
made over its first decade of democracy, in many ways it
exceeds the United States' initial transition into a national
democracy over 200 years ago.

Just 10 years ago, Indonesia was crippled by the regional
economic crisis. The May 1998 riots wracked the nation.
Brutal security forces and corrupt officials had full
impunity from justice.

Then, on May 12, 1998, a simple student protest at Trisakti
University in Jakarta sparked the amazing transformation of
Indonesia into the world's third-largest democracy.

On the world stage, Indonesia is a leader. The United States
admires Indonesia's democratic leadership. Indonesia's
success at developing democratic institutions shows the way
for other nations. Indonesia is leading ASEAN in promoting
democracy and human rights.

As a tolerant, diverse nation, Indonesia has a legitimate
role in helping other countries striving to reform and make a
peaceful democratic transition.

Still, there are challenges. With 245 million people to
clothe, feed, educate, and employ, it is understandable that
the work of democratic reform always requires more efforts.
Indonesians already have a solid and stable democracy but
they might not always appreciate what a great society and
powerful nation they have. They should now look confidently
ahead to consolidating reformasi to become an even greater
nation.

The United States has grappled with human rights abuses in
the course of our own democratic development. The U.S.
Constitution once legitimized slavery. Women were not
granted full voting rights until the 1920s. Equal rights for
all Americans were not enshrined in law until the U.S.
Congress enacted the civil rights laws of the 1960s.

While injustices persist in our society, our democratic
system works towards a just society. American democracy
would wither if we did not face up to our past mistakes as a
society and deal with them through free speech and rule of
law.

Accountability for past human rights abuses will deepen, not
threaten, democracy here. Indonesia has taken steps towards
accountability. Indonesian police last year disciplined over
16,000 officers. Indonesia opened its doors to the world to
appraise itsQman rights siQtion, givingQen accessQ
the UN Rapporteur on Torture and the UN Human Rights
Commissioner.

The legal process to solve the murder of human rights
activist Munir Said Thalib demonstrates political will and
welcoming of transparency at the highest level of government.

However, other steps ought to be taken. With the recent
acquittal of the only person still convicted by the East
Timor ad hoc human rights tribunal, no one has been held
accountable for the massacres, rapes and other gross human
rights violations that took place in East Timor.

Soon, the Commission of Truth and Friendship Indonesia-Timor
Leste (CTF) will issue its report on the 1999 gross
violations of human rights. We expect that the report will
have credible findings of who was responsible and in this
regard reflect the political will of both governments to

JAKARTA 00000745 003.2 OF 003


account for that tragic period. The truth of what happened
must be the foundation on which the two neighbors work to
ensure that such brutality will never happen again.

During the past ten years, reformasi and democracy have
brought Indonesia to a new plateau. Now this nation
expects to reach greater heights. Indonesia stands among a
community of democratic nations which the world hopes will
play a global leadership role.

End text.

HUME